When to bring in a consultant and when to solve it yourself
Oliver Mercer has turned down engagements. Not many, but enough to have a clear sense of when external consulting adds genuine value and when it does not. This article is an attempt to share that framework honestly, because the answer is not always 'hire a consultant'.
When external help genuinely adds value
External help is most valuable when the problem is structural and the people inside the organisation are too close to it to see the structure clearly. This is not a criticism of those people. It is a description of a real cognitive limitation. When you are inside a system, the assumptions of that system are invisible to you. An outside perspective can name them.
External help is also valuable when the problem requires a conversation that cannot happen internally because of the power dynamics involved. A facilitator who is not part of the organisation can ask questions that a colleague cannot, and can hold space for answers that a colleague's presence would suppress.
When you should solve it internally
If the problem is primarily one of execution rather than structure, an external consultant is unlikely to add much. If your team knows what needs to be done and the issue is doing it, the answer is internal accountability, not external advice.
If the problem requires deep domain knowledge of your specific industry, a generalist consultant is the wrong tool. Logi Mastery does not claim to know your industry better than you do. The value is in the thinking structure, not the sector knowledge.
The honest version of the introductory call
The 30-minute introductory call at Logi Mastery is designed to answer this question honestly. Oliver will tell you if he thinks the problem is one he can usefully help with, and he will tell you if he thinks it is not. That conversation is free and carries no obligation.
The right answer to 'should I hire a consultant?' is sometimes no. Knowing that is part of what makes the yes more useful when it is the right call.