Are Search Consultants Crisis Counselors?

Are search consultants crisis counselors? What about accountants, construction foreman or teachers? According to Bryan Harris, this month’s guest for our team huddle, the answer would be a resounding yes, we just need to change the way we think about crisis.

Bryan is a longtime friend of The Grant Partners. Bryan spent 17 years at Jackson Spalding, which was where he first met Ryan Grant, who worked for a client of the agency.

When I began my entrepreneurial journey with The Grant Partners, Bryan became one of the sounding boards for our team as we grew. We’ve been able to serve some of the same clients over time, including the College Football Hall of Fame, Atlanta Braves, The Varsity, Padgett Business Services and others, so Bryan’s visit to the office was like welcoming an old friend into the living room.

Bryan led the sports practice at Jackson Spalding and, starting in 2020, took over leadership of the agency’s crisis practice. In that role, he helped organizations around the country manage through the host of issues that impacted the world over the past three years. 

In February of this year, Bryan left to start his own firm called 25 Hits. He talked about how hard it was to leave an agency where he had spent 17 years (he still serves as a strategic partner with Jackson Spalding on certain key accounts where he played a large role in the past), but he really believed that it was important to refocus on the sports industry where he had deepest ties and could use his 20 years of experience to impact organizations in a new way.  

Our lunch discussion revolved around the word crisis and how terrifying it is for some people. Throughout his career, Bryan heard many talented team members say they were not “crisis” people, which struck him as odd. These were mothers and fathers who managed households with multiple kids, coached youth baseball and soccer teams, cared for ailing parents and planned elaborate trips with their friends. While these may not fall in the category of crisis, they are complex problems that need solving. 

For that reason, Bryan prefers the term issues management rather than crisis. In his words, “Not every issue is a crisis, but every crisis is an issue that needs to be managed.” In the end, an issue is just a problem that is looking for a solution. Few people wake up in the morning looking for a crisis to manage, but nearly everyone can get excited about helping others solve problems.

Bryan helped us look at our world, executive search, and see that we are doing issues management every day. Whether replacing a long-time leader, helping re-evaluate an organization’s management structure or facilitating rapid growth, we are helping organizations solve a problem that is vital to their future success. 

In industries like ours, the goal should be to move from contracted consultant to trusted advisor. Bryan used the example of how metal is shaped into items like golf clubs. The first way is casting. That is where hot metal is poured into a mold. It is faster and easier to do, but casting can produce uneven results and have weak spots that can eventually break. The other production method is called forging. This is where metal rods are heated and hammered into shape. This takes more effort and takes longer, but produces stronger, more consistent results. We may be hired (cast) as a consultant to do a job, but through the fire of a complex issue, a relationship is forged, and we move into that role of trusted advisor.

Some traits that he has found valuable while helping clients manage complex issues include:

• We need to listen to Ted Lasso and learn to be a goldfish. No issue is managed perfectly, and we can’t let yesterday’s “could’ve been better” negatively affect what we do today. Have a short memory and move on.
• We need to be like Lloyd and Harry and ask the dumb question. Many times, we are brought in because everyone inside the decision-making room thinks the same way. Someone needs to ask the “dumb” question no one else is asking.
• Don’t believe you can be David Copperfield and make the issue magically go away. Your goal is not to make things disappear, but to help the client manage through the issue and open their doors tomorrow.
• Learn to be like Elsa and Let it Go. As problem solvers, we are brought in many times when times are tough, and spirits are down. We can’t let the issues of our clients weigh on us and prevent us from being present and joyful away from work. They need us at our best and we must learn to put their issues on the shelf when we are with those we love so we can come back whole tomorrow.

In the end, Bryan reminded us that our job, at its core, is to serve our client in their time of need. Crisis counselors are problem solvers who help their clients dig out of the deepest pits so that they can be with them to celebrate after their biggest victories.