Key Shift #1: Demographics

The time is right to become a consultant now because timing is everything.

Despite the negative events that have happened to these experienced, unemployed and underemployed Boomers, this group now has big, new opportunities in consulting.

In addition to ever-increasing Baby-Boomer retirements, millions of Boomers were downsized in the recession and are now unemployed. Most firms will not re employ them, and many Boomers have simply given up on becoming fully re employed at their pre recession incomes doing the types of work they used to do.

I recently revisited a book I read some time ago called "The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni. I would highly recommend it to anyone. This book talks about the five communication dysfunctions that can really get teams off of the rails. The first and most foundational point is trust. Making sure that everyone on the team trusts one another and knows that everyone has their back.

Because of an unusual set of circumstances, the next few years are a key time to start a consulting career. And I happen to be in a position to recognize the new opportunity as well as offer general advice about being a consultant. Why should you listen to me? I don’t claim to be the best consultant in the world, and I don’t represent the biggest firms you may have heard of. But my firm (Solutions 21) and I have provided consulting services since 1994.

Businesses, like the financial markets, hate uncertainty. As I type this, the international markets -- and the domestic markets -- are responding quite positively to the recent "fiscal cliff" legislation. While this legislation may not be perfect, it at least has provided some certainty to the business world. Markets know what will be happening at least in the short term. I contend that business owners respond in the same way. They hate uncertainty, and will act once they have some idea of what tomorrow will bring.

After years of slow hiring, companies have started to rehire and are ready to plan for the future of their organizations. Hiring new people can be a huge expense. If you are looking to maximize your investment, you should consider the following six steps. We have seen them work very well for our clients time and time again during the rehiring process.

This past summer, I spent some time with my college basketball coach. It was incredible to think it has been thirty years since I last played for him. Time really does fly! When I consider this from a business standpoint, I wonder what business owners find when they reflect back on how much has changed in the last ten years or so.

In my last post, Part One: Developing the Next Generation of Leadership, I talked about the importance of business leaders and entrepreneurs facing the inevitable and planning for the future. Business owners will not work and live forever, so it is crucial to work with and mentor the next generation of leaders. Let’s face it, if you are not moving forward, then you’re moving backward.

What do business owners and entrepreneurs need to think about when it comes to potential shifts in the markets and long term planning? How do you take advantage of some of the shifts that have occurred recently in the marketplace?