As I prepare to introduce myself to 100+ consultants at my new job, I started thinking about how I position my role and what I offer to the consultant.  Every company is a little different in terms of their leadership and infrastructure.  Over the years I’ve seen consultants report to their Project Director or Project Manager onsite with their client, have a Resource Manager, report to their sales person, have a Practice Director, or even report up to an executive such as a VP, COO, or CEO.  Regardless of which of these models your consultant firm uses, we all still have another boss…our client.  So this beckons the question, who exactly is my boss?

My first consultant job I worked for a newly acquired firm that had a pretty large infrastructure.  As far as I was concerned, my boss was the Project Director overseeing all consultants on site.  But I also reported to a Project Manager who was a full time employee of the client.  Things got more confusing when we were introduced to an Engagement Director, who now was the direct supervisor of all consultants.  The funny thing is I guess I was never really sure who my boss was, so I looked to my client directly for leadership and direction.

When I joined a smaller fast growing firm based out of Indianapolis, I reported to a sales person.  It seemed odd to me at first, but they were the direct contact to the client and negotiated my engagement, rate, contract duration, etc.  If I needed something I would let them know.  For the first time I felt like a professional contractor.  My firm represented me for contract placements.  My role was to provide services to the client.  My boss here was clear, the client.  It seemed to work, but was only focused on one engagement.  It was not uncommon to see consultants jump ship as their contract end date approached.

Over the next few years the world of healthcare IT consulting became highly competitive.  The company I worked for was looking at new ways to retain and develop talent so not to lose their consultants to competing firms.  The role of Practice Director was created.  This role focused on just that, create a culture of consultant support, growth, career development, and guidance.  The hope was that the consultant felt a part of the company, and stayed loyal to the firm between engagements.  It was a huge success for the most part.  Many consultants who had the mentality of being a contractor buckled at the leadership structure.  However, for the vast majority, this model led to the success of the firm and its employees.

Today, we are seeing firms reduce their overhead and return to a simplified support model for their consultants.  Some firms are merging the practices to have a single cross vendor resource manager/supervisor.  Others are asking executives to wear multiple hats and lead across practice groups while also supporting sales, marketing, and growth initiatives.  Smaller firms look to the consultants to be independent of any need of support.  In fact, use of 1099 IC resources seems to be increasing with these smaller firms.  The thought is with a single HR employee, a lawyer, and a handful of sales people a firm can operate just fine.

The one common thread through all these variations of leadership structure over the last twelve years is obvious, the client.  As a consultant I think we have to look at our client as our boss.  It’s their project support need that keeps us employed.  We need to be a part of the client’s team, not separate ourselves as contractors.  Our firm should provide a “boss” who supports this concept and offers assistance to ensure success and completion of a successful engagement.

The bottom line for me is aligning my role to the individual consultant need.  I can be the engagement director available to consultants for those large projects with thirty or more consultants on site and offer to be a liaison between the consultants and the client.  I can be a virtual support resource to ensure the consultant has everything they need to be successful.  I can assist with career development and future engagement alignment based on the consultants skills and desires.  I can also just be a good listener, while the consultant tells me about how their work is going for their boss, the client.

Let me know your thoughts.  Leave comments above.

“To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end…” – William Shakespeare

I hope none of you take the decision around luggage this seriously.  However, this week I watched a whole new level of chaos that may just change the way I think about checking forever.

A family of four walked on the plane only minute before the door was to be shut.  Mom, Dad, a 2 year old, and a toddler.  Mom has three large bags in tow.  Dad is carrying a large baby seat…and the toddler.  They are of course, the last to board.  There is no overhead bin space and two of the bags are too large to go under the seat.  What a quandary for this family for sure.  I am watching and thinking that I would never put myself in this position.

Where it gets more interesting is when the flight attendant told the mother they had to check the bags.  I was instantly sympathetic for the family as the mother started crying explaining that two of the bags had urns in them with the remains of her mother.  As I was in 1C, I got the direct eye contact and the guilt started pouring in.  No one was moving, no one was saying anything…everything had just stopped except for the tears falling down the mother’s face.

So, I stood up, removed my bag and told the agent to please check my bag, making enough room for the 2 bags that contained fragile content not suited for checking.  The guilt resided and I went back to playing backgammon as though nothing had happened.

After arriving to Boston, I was pleased to see my bag already on the belt as I walked through the doors.  I had no wait, no inconvenience, and helped a fellow passenger on their journey.

Now the question…to check or not to check.  My instinct after 13 years of traveling has always been to carry everything!  I pack so well, I can fit 5 days of clothes in my carry-on and not even need to iron! (ok, well, maybe a little steaming in the hotel bathroom). After this experience, my thoughts were mainly around giving the space, I don’t really need, to someone who really does.  I also started thinking about all the hassle associated with carrying this bag around for hours has on me.

There are so many inconveniences associate with carry-on bags.  First, I am always rushing to the gate to make sure I get overhead space.  I’m fighting with the bag when trying to find a place to eat dinner.  The elevator is always so slow at the lounge, forcing me to carry my heavy bag up several flights of stairs.  And half the time I’m on regional jets that make me gate side check anyway.  Why on earth do we do this?

Let’s face it, carrying on your bag is the norm for those of us who travel weekly.  I challenge you to try to check a couple times and share your experience.  I would bet that you’ll find the entire flying experience from security to deplaning to be a lot more relaxing and who knows, maybe you made someone else’s day for that truly fragile, sentimental, or valuable item that just can’t go down below.

During the gold and silver rush years in the second half of the 19th century, a number of the most famous and successful miners were Irish.  Over time the association of the Irish mining fortunes led to the expression ‘luck of the Irish.’  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that HIMSS is held every year right around St. Patrick’s Day.  The event has every consultant firm under the sun digging for gold, another words opportunities to provide resources to our clients.  This year’s event no doubt turned up a pot full of leads that could benefit consultants.

March and April are the busiest time of year for projects to kick off.  Many consultants have current engagements ending at the end of this month. Don’t wait to see if you’ll be extended…start your search now.  My suggestion is to proactively reach out to your contacts across firms to see what leads they are following up on from HIMSS.  The question to ask is, can I proactively be submitted?  Additionally look for job postings on LinkedIn, emails from recruiters, and phone calls from your contacts.  Don’t be surprised if you get multiple calls for the same opportunity.  We are all digging for the same rare metals.

Even if you are not coming available in the next 30 days, update your recruiters with your availability date.  Many hospital projects will lead to a request for a proposal (RFP), and often times those take several months.  These RFP’s may ask to include resumes.  Be sure your resume is included.  Keep your resume and all your contacts updated.  You could also benefit from the annual gold rush as well.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

As professional travelers we are experts when it comes to packing, dealing with security lines, managing our seats, and most of all handling our luggage.  No doubt we all shrug at the daily nonsense we experience from the infrequent traveler.  Some passengers are greatly dependent on the instructions of TSA, gate agents, and especially flight attendants.  The big question this story beckons to be answered is why did the passenger agree to put their dog in an overhead bin?

We’ve all seen the stories of being kicked off a plane or watched the passenger shaming videos.  Most the time we laugh at the craziness of the antics of our fellow passengers.  In this case, I’m not sure this was simply a nonsensical decision made by the passenger.  None of the news coverage talks about the passenger questioning the instructions of the flight attendant.  Why?  The potential for harm to the animal is obvious.  The fact that no one else around bothered to speak up is mind boggling.

Flying should be an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone.  I think those of us who travel weekly should lead by example and speak up when we see something wrong.  Do you ever ask the attendant to ask that woman to stop putting on nail polish or that guy to stop cutting his toe nails?  If you saw a passenger put a dog in the overhead bin, would you speak up?  I think we all would now.

Food for thought as you google this truly sad story.

You are reading that right, Consultant-Tips.blog is back and open for business, and this time for good!  No more corporate monitoring…with their silly rules of setting limits on networking, appropriate blogging, general communication, or just plain old sharing the truth.  The times are changing and the entire consulting industry is shifting to stay aligned with those changes.  Now more than ever we need a place to vent our frustrations, share our accomplishments, express our concerns, and most importantly…share our knowledge!

If you are a returning subscriber, I promise more of the same…tips on travel, industry breaking news, client activity, job postings, and fun topics in the healthcare consulting world.  Some changes will include the introduction to Special Alerts, 3rd Party Vendor Hot News Flashes, Coming Soon to your Local Airport section, and much more.  You’ll notice the slight name change from consultant-tips.com to consultant-tips.blog, but no other changes impacting the site.

For those first time readers, be sure to take a glance through the archive for years of tips and varies stories.  Most importantly, take advantage of my feedback section on the bottom of every story to share your information or give suggestions for future articles.

I am very excited to be back, and hope you…my friends, family, colleagues, associates, and avid readers are excited too!  Be sure to watch for the official first story coming out tomorrow.  🙂

Attending UGM this year?  Be sure to not miss the Leidos Health gathering on September 21st from 6pm – 9pm at The Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. in downtown Madison. Come meet and greet our Epic Leadership team, consultants, and sales team.

If interested in attending, please email me at Douglas.Herr@Leidoshealth.com.  If unable to attend UGM, but would like to hear more about Leidos Health, feel free to reach out to me directly as well.

Dust off those Passports and get ready for yet something else to bring with you on a weekly basis…but I wouldn’t panic or worry just yet.  I’ve seen TSA let travelers through with an insurance card…so good luck getting this pushed through.

Three quick facts:

• The Real ID Act will require Enhanced Driver’s License or a passport.
• These forms of identity are state-issued IDs with advanced security, a passport, or a passport card.
• TSA says it will happen sometime in 2016 (depending on what state you live in).

Check out the facts from Homeland Secrurity at http://www.dhs.gov/real-id-public-faqs

Reflective today on the decisions made in 2014. Without a doubt, the decision to take more direct flights and reduce my overall travel time, will have consequences well into the New Year. My resolution is to return to the age old philosophy all us travelers should have, stick to one airline!

Miles flown in 2014 (by airline):
Delta – 65,850
JetBlue – 15, 254
US Air – 21,345
United – 36, 418
American – 6, 400

That is a total of 145,267 flown this year. Yet, I’ve only made Gold on Delta, Mosaic on JetBlue, and Silver on United. Had I flown Delta, as I normally do, I would have made Diamond. I will never fly United again, so those miles are just wasted. This was the year I thought I would give JetBlue a try. While the direct flight options won me over…their horrible record for on time departure has convinced me to stay away.

After 10 years one would think that I would never deviate from the rules of the road. I’ve never left Marriot and never left National. Why I thought I would experiment with airlines, I’ll never know.

Wishing you all a very happy New Year! May we never be swayed again.

It is the season for shopping, holiday parties, decorating the tree, and of course…rushing to make status before the end of the year.  With only 22 more days to travel this year, we are down to the wire to meet those required miles, segments, and dollars spent for your airlines status.  Here are some ideas to get you where you need to be.

The most common scenario I’m hearing right now is…”I’m short on dollars.”  Above is an example of my United status, who I try to never fly.  I’m $123 short to meet status.  Are you kidding me?!  My options are really to buy another ticket, buy an upgrade or extended leg room seat, or call United and buy miles (dollars spent on purchases count towards status).

A colleague of mine was short $759 for Delta and her ticket was $756.69.  She was going to be $2.31 short for Diamond.  Crazy!!  Since she is already Platinum, upgrades to extended leg room seats is free.  She called the airlines and asked if they could remove that benefit, so she could pay for the seat upgrade ($70), which would then meet the qualifying dollars for the year.  Smart idea…but remember, that you have to do all this prior to flying.

Short miles for multiple airlines?  Buying multi-airline tickets can be a pain, but it often times can be cheaper, so the client won’t complain.  I just bought a Delta and JetBlue combination ticket which will give me my required miles for both airlines.  Most travel agencies used by consulting firms (Concur, for example) have this option.  You’ll be happy you changed terminals in 2015 when you’ve got that status.

Just a few ideas.  Share your ideas in the comments area below.  Hope you all make your status for next year.  Happy Holidays!

A good friend of mine, who is a fellow HIT consultant, recently posted a hilarious set of rules for the holiday travelers. With her permission, I’ve decided to share these with a couple edits and additions of my own. In hopes to ease the pain for those of you who have to travel, whether for work or to see family this holiday season. I’m sure you can all relate to these:

• If you get randomly selected for TSA PreCheck, that means you do not have to take anything out of your bag and you do not have to take off your shoes or coat. If you accidentally do, please do not hold up the line putting everything back on – wait until it goes through security!

• If do not have status with your airline nor are traveling first class, DO NOT stand in front of the gate or block those who are from boarding. Hang back a little and wait until they call your zone or section. Your seat is not going anywhere.

• You are only allowed 2 carry-on items. One bag (and be sure you can actually pick it up) as well as one personal item that will fit under the seat. Don’t try to bring on 3 or 4 or 5. The gate attendant will make you condense your items. Be smart and just check your bag! It truly will save you, and everyone else, time.

• If you must take a phone call on the plane before taking off, or after landing, DO NOT talk to your friend or family member on speaker. Nobody wants to hear your loud annoying conversation.

• Most importantly if you are sick,and have to travel, WEAR A MASK! Nobody will look at you funny and we will all thank you for not spreading your germs.

A couple more:

• Don’t bring wrapped presents through security
• If traveling with children, don’t drop them off in my row and sit four rows behind me.
• It’s ok to remain in your seat and let others get off the plane, you are clearly not in a hurry.
• If your baby stroller is the size of a subcompact vehicle, leave it at home.
• Remember, you are not in your own personal plane.

Now I can bet that you’ll have multiple experiences with several of these. So my suggestion is to take a deep breath and relax. There is no gain from making a scene with someone or having an altercation with the couple carrying 3 children and 6 bags on the plane in front of you. If anything, be thankful that is not you! Enjoy your holiday travel.