In last month’s blog post, we discussed client goals to increase the odds of success when working with a productivity professional. This month’s blog post addresses what qualifications to look for when hiring a productivity consultant.

1. Determine her education and training. What type of certificates does your productivity consultant hold? How many hours of training has she taken? Does she keep up with the latest and greatest in industry knowledge? The Certified Professional Organizer designation (CPO®) is earned by professionals who have met specific standards and proven through examination and client experience that they comprehend the body of knowledge required to work effectively with their clients.

2. Discover his level of experience. How many years’ experience working with clients does your productivity consultant have? What did he do before he became a productivity consultant? Does that experience lend itself to productivity consulting? Many studies show that it takes 10,000 hours’ experience and training to achieve the level of expertise required to work effectively in difficult situations. Ask yourself if this level of experience is necessary for you to feel comfortable or if you would be OK with someone with less experience.

3. Deconstruct her professional service background. Ask which organizations your productivity consultant is a member of and how she has committed her time and resources to those associations. Productivity consultants who are members of professional associations generally show a high level of commitment to the industry. Serving for many years in volunteer roles not only demonstrates commitment to complete a project, but also provides experience and wisdom unavailable via traditional venues.

Lisa Mark, C.P.O. is a productivity expert and Certified Professional Organizer. Contact Lisa if you would like to find out if she is a good fit for your organizing or productivity needs.