Self Sufficiency

I’m a big believer is doing things oneself.  I’d like to think that comes from the enjoyment of the task and not some weird paranoia about the incompetence of others.  I believe, as Shakespeare said, “Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.” Given that what I do is provide outside resources to folks, is that weird?Not at all. In my mind, one can only be self-sufficient when the ability to be so is there. In the case of my clients, I furnish a perspective they don’t have which comes from a different, and in some cases more extensive, set of business experiences.  Here are some things you should think about as you look at the dynamics of doing work internally vs. bringing in some outside help.

On the plus side, it’s usually more cost-effective  to bring in from the outside, especially if you look at the experience level per dollar.   Another plus is you’re bringing in an expert (if you hire carefully!) and in the areas of digital media, especially social media, it pays to have one.  On the minus side, there are a LOT of “experts” who aren’t.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to do a deep-dive on any outsider you bring in.  Consider it like hiring for an internal position times ten since you will have far less control over an outside person than you will over an internal hire.  As you’re interviewing a so-called expert, keep in mind that knowing the tools (or worse – some just some buzzwords) is NOT the same as knowing business and how to apply the tools of technology to make a business grow.

I spend a good chunk of time each day staying up to speed on the ever-changing landscape, something that’s another plus of bringing in the outsiders.  However, because they are experts, many outsiders can be stubborn and I’ve heard stories of some who have subordinated the client’s agenda to their own.  Again, you can mitigate this factor through careful interviewing and reference checks.

One of the great proponents of self-sufficiency was Emerson.  He also reminded us to “Always do what you are afraid to do.”  In this case, that might be admitting that you might be better-served being a bit less self-sufficient and calling on some outside help.