You might think I just fell off my rocker and have come under the spell of some pretty dark forces. No, that’s not it at all. I was working with a client this past Friday and she was deliberating on how to best expand her business. She narrowed it down to several good options but was mind-bending over one in particular. She gave me permission to share the process that unlocked her head and gave her the clarity to put her decision into motion.
When faced with a hard decision, most of us, (myself included) rely heavily on what our gut says. Honing this skill can save you a lot of time and headache—especially if you have a crushing deadline bearing down on you. However, by relying solely on your gut instincts in every situation, you run the risk of overlooking something completely that might turn out to be game changer (for better or for worse). For a more balanced approach, think of your gut as one data point, and then add a process that enables you to see your potential solutions from multiple perspectives. This provides a system for checking your gut instincts while simultaneously checking your thinking.
Back to my client. Her practice has been growing at a steady pace and she’s gearing up to accelerate the expansion process. One cost-effective solution on the table was to hire an intern. Her gut was telling her this was a good idea, and should be implemented by mid-spring. She asked me to help her check her thinking, and I agreed to do it, on the condition that she would allow me to play Devil’s Advocate.
Below are questions from 4 different perspectives I asked my client. See how the questions shaped her thinking and revealed things she’d not yet considered.
#1: How would an intern potentially help or hinder you?
Helps:
- “I’d be able to see an intern in action for months which would help me hone my criteria for selecting a full time employee in the future.”
- “I love teaching and mentoring, and this would give me a great opportunity to do both.”
- “I can delegate projects that I’m currently doing myself, which would open time for me to do other things.”
Hinders:
- “Training an intern adds more hours to an already jam-packed week.”
- “An intern could turn out to be high maintenance.”
- “An intern’s schedule and availability could conflict with mine. “
#2: How does bringing on an intern potentially help and hinder your organization?
Helps:
- “I would target grad students, which would allow me to partner with prestigious college institutions.”
- “I could include the internship in my marketing, which would add clout to the business.”
- “I could potentially collect more revenue if I kept my current client load and the intern were to take on additional less challenging cases.”
Hinders:
- “If the intern’s performance is sub-standard, it could negatively impact my organization’s reputation.”
- “If the intern is grossly negligent, my organization could be held legally responsible.”
#3: How does bringing on an intern potentially help and hinder your clients?
Helps:
- “They could have a wider range of services and price points.”
- “They’d be exposed to a different personality. An intern might bring a bit of warmth to the workplace. My personal style is professional, but it’s sometimes a little dry.”
- “The availability of some of our various services will increase.”
- “There will be one more set of ears to give me feedback about what’s working and what’s not which will improve the client’s experience.”
Hinders
- “If the intern’s performance sucks, the client could have a bad experience and I could lose them!”
- “If the intern offers bad advice or direction, it could be emotionally and physically damaging to the client.”
- “Clients might object to not receiving the same kind of attention they’ve grown accustomed to receiving from me.”
#4: How does bringing on an intern potentially help and hinder your colleague(s) (i.e. the intern)?
Helps:
- “The intern will get a practical education that will help her career and will also help her land a job in the future.”
- “The intern will be exposed to the business side of my profession as well as the people side, which you can’t get in an academic setting.”
- “I the intern plays his cards right, he could get a job with me!”
Hinders:
- “The intern won’t have unlimited access to me 24/7 which could be frustrating, especially if she’s concerned about a client.”
- “I’m currently thinking it wouldn’t be a paid internship and well…that’s bad.”
- “My practice may be too far from their place of residence.”
- “I’d be the only one providing the service, so they’d only be exposed to my way of doing things.”
This process helped my client fully flesh out her ideas by giving her more things to consider including: when to start the internship, liability considerations, and how to create a great experience for her clients and her intern. Here are some of the highlights:
- Start a dialog with various schools on Monday
- Investigate grants and sponsorships, or discuss commission so intern could receive compensation
- Draw up a job description
- Talk to my friend in HR about interviewing do’s and don’ts
- Interview a few candidates over Thanksgiving break
- Select my intern(s) by December
- On board my first intern my January
- Set up a conversation with my lawyer about liabilities
- Create a shared calendar system
- Create a secure shared client log so we can communicate without having to see each other
- Create a core curriculum
- Create protocols
- Make a list of projects and research that can be delegated
- Have the intern create their own project including researching e-learning options from interns down the road
Needless to say, my client now has a lot to do and is very excited about getting started. This process helped shape some of the moving parts as well as give her a sense of urgency.
Using a structured Devil’s Advocate process helps you dive deeper into your thinking regarding a potential decision. Remember there are four perspectives to consider. The impact the decision has on you, your organization, your clients, and your colleagues. If you are in a larger organization it helps to consider other relationships including other departments, venders, partnerships, etc.
To explore the process even further, you can invite feedback some of your trusted peers and colleagues. (Who knows? They might have even more ideas and perspectives you’d never have considered on your own!)
