How to Manage an Overly Communicative Consultant?

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses experiences and strategies related to managing communication with a highly communicative consultant. Participants share personal anecdotes and suggestions on how to handle frequent calls and emails from team members.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, expresses frustration with a team member who calls 5-6 times a day and sends multiple emails, seeking advice on how to manage this situation.
  • Another participant shares their experience of setting boundaries by limiting responses to one call and one email per day, emphasizing the importance of efficiency in communication.
  • Several users mention the effectiveness of asking team members to leave specific questions in voicemails to streamline responses.
  • One participant notes that there are no real emergencies in the business, suggesting that this perspective can help manage expectations.
  • Another participant recounts their approach of requiring team members to leave detailed messages to ensure productive communication.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the best approach to managing communication frequency, with some participants advocating for strict limits while others share more flexible strategies. No clear consensus emerges on a single effective method.

Contextual Notes

Participants share personal experiences from their roles as consultants, highlighting the challenges of balancing availability with personal time and the need for effective communication.

Who May Find This Useful

Consultants who are navigating similar challenges with team communication may find the shared experiences and strategies relevant to their situations.

B
bethsbiz
Gold Member
Messages
284
How to deal with a 4 call a day consultant?I pretty much know what I need to do...but I'd love to hear feedback from you all.

Here is the situation: I have a new recruit who actually resigned after time away from PC. She is a former director but she was quite new when she promoted and she left the biz pretty quickly after that advancement....a lot of personal issues were the reason.

Anyhow, she is calling me 5-6 times a day. I work full time and sometimes can take calls but often I need to let it go to voice mail. She is workign very hard to rebuild her biz -- and my style is completely different than the person she worked with previously so she is really revamping all elements of her biz. There in lies the content of a lot of her questions...the differences from her prior biz.

I'm just not sure how to handle to continuouus number of calls....and this doesn't even inlcude the 3 -4 emails a day either.

I want her to be a success...and I think she can actually rebuild and promote again to director. But...I'll be honest...she's driving me a bit crazy!

I am a very open, very available director and usually LOVE calls from my team. But...this is truly outside the norm.

I'm considering setting a 1 call a day limit and set a time to talk to her; all else via email. Exceptions would be for things like trying to answer a question for a guest while at a show, or when on deadline to transmit, etc.

Gentle advise needed to help back her down to a more normal contact rate. :eek:
 
WOW! And UGH!

Here is what I would do. (This is what I tell my team). When you call, if you get voicemail (and usually if I have a needy consultant, she ALWAYS gets my voicemail) leave your QUESTION. If you leave me a voicemail that just says, "I have a question.. call me," you will not get a call back because it is a waste of time for both of us if I need to look up the answer. Leave the question and I will call you back with the answer within 24 hours. (I refuse to be ON CALL for my team. It's no way to run a business or have a life!)

Since you work full time, I'd let her leave all of her messages, then call her back ONCE with the answers. E-mail her ONCE a day with the response (and I'd put them all in one, not reply to each individual). If she complains, say something along the lines that you work full time and have a personal life to attend to as well and that you schedule your PC time specifically and will respond then.

I also like to add in one other thing with the needy ones... I say it light-heartedly and they get the point... "One of the things I love most about PC is that there are no cookware crises or stoneware emergencies!" That makes the point and they get it.

Good luck and keep us posted!!!
 
Great advice about limiting it to one phone call back or one email back to answer all the questions at once. And I love the comment that there are REALLY NO dire emergencies in this biz!:)

ETA "NO". I realized that didn't make sense and I missed the "NO."
 
That's one thing that is really great about advancing technology. Caller ID, voicemail and email are all great tools for screening - yet they can still comunicate with us. I would definately limit your response to once a day and have her leave her questions on your voicemail or email so you can respnd specifically. I have relatives who always call and leave a voicemail to call them- but never say why. Drives me nuts!
 
I had a gal who would call me and either 1. not leave a message or 2. leave a message to call her and not tell me why. I flat out said "I don't have time to return your calls if you don't leave a message and when you do, I need you to tell me what you need so I can have the answer ready for you when I call." She also had the habit of forgetting why she called, so sometimes she calls and says "ask me about x" which works fine.
 
Where I can find good quality films?
Can anyone help me?
 
WHat kind of films are you referring to? DVD's?? Do you want to rent or buy?
 
You can now download movies to your pc via netflicks. Maybe blockbuster does it too.
 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs that a consultant is overly communicative?

Signs of an overly communicative consultant may include frequent messages or calls outside of scheduled meetings, sharing excessive information or updates that may not be relevant, and a tendency to dominate conversations in group settings. It's important to recognize these behaviors to manage communication effectively.

How can I set boundaries with an overly communicative consultant?

Setting boundaries can be done by clearly defining communication expectations. You can establish specific times for check-ins, limit the channels of communication (e.g., email only for updates), and communicate your availability. Be firm yet polite in reinforcing these boundaries to ensure they are respected.

What strategies can I use to redirect the conversation with an overly communicative consultant?

To redirect the conversation, you can use active listening techniques and then steer the discussion back to the main topic. You might say something like, "I appreciate your insights, but let's focus on the agenda for today." Additionally, summarizing their points and then transitioning to the next item can help maintain control of the conversation.

How can I encourage more concise communication from my consultant?

Encouraging concise communication can be achieved by modeling the behavior you want to see. Provide examples of brief and focused updates, and offer feedback when they communicate effectively. You might also suggest using bullet points or summaries in written communication to help them condense their thoughts.

What should I do if the situation doesn’t improve?

If the situation doesn’t improve despite your efforts, consider having a one-on-one conversation with the consultant. Address your concerns directly and provide specific examples of how their communication style is impacting the team. If necessary, involve a higher authority or mentor for additional support in resolving the issue.

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