Mark Levy’s book Accidental Genius (recommended by David Meerman Scott) promotes the technique of freewriting. One method Mark suggests is writing about a jargon word from your particular industry . The word which sprang to mind for me, probably because of its seeming pervasiveness, was “guru”.
Formal definitions of ”guru” include: “Hindu or Sikh religious teacher” and “leader or adviser of a movement”.
For me, a “guru” is a leader – an influential expert. Someone with great knowledge.
One of my favourite management experts, Tom Peters, is frequently referred to as a “guru”, yet despite his massive contributions to the world of management thought and practice, he resists the name. See Tom’s tweets here:
Some people believe it’s up to others to assign such labels – that professionals should not tag themselves. I think live and let live. However, isn’t it more important that business owners searching for a “guru” find the assistance they seek – a professional from whom they can learn and be guided?
Five Tips to Vet Your Guru
If you are searching for a “guru”– whether it be management, finance, marketing or other – here are five tips to help vet your quest:
1. Assess qualifications Are real credentials provided to support the proposed wisdom? Credentials are just a start but they provide evidence of the tools available in the particular professional’s tool box.
2. Assess experience What is the experience? How many years? In what industries? Is the experience relevant to your business? What are the transferrable outcomes of that experience that can be applied to your business?
3. Client testimonials What has been previously achieved in real terms? What have other people said? If case studies are provided – are there real names provided of people and companies?
4. Price “Gurus” or industry professionals don’t come cheap. Nor should they. In his book ‘Outliers’, Malcolm Gladwell spoke of 10,000 hours as the minimum investment of time required to acquire true world class expertise. Whether an artist or a humble marketer (like myself), fees charged should reflect the customer value created from the previous and ongoing investment in education and practical experience. Fees can be flexibly packaged. So ask for this.
5. Do you get on with them? Is there a personal connection? Let’s face it, life is short and sometimes business is challenging. Shouldn’t we enjoy the journey and have some fun along the way? Working with people with whom you can mutually learn and enjoy enriches the business experience. If you are choosing from a range of service providers who appear equal on other criteria, go with the one with whom you connect. Business can be fun.
So if you are seeking a “guru” or just professional assistance – I hope these thoughts assist!
In the end though, it is the value created for you the customer – not the label – that matters.
What do you think?
