In last month’s blog post, we discussed how to ensure your productivity consultant has the right qualifications. This month’s blog post addresses what personality traits to look for when hiring a productivity consultant.

• Identify her problem-solving skills. A good productivity consultant not only has strong problem-solving skills but also can explain why she’s doing what she’s doing. She can see the big picture without losing sight of the details. She’ll be able to identify your goals, create a plan of action, and then work with you to get to where you want to be.

• Decide what type of communication style works best for you. Do you prefer someone who explains everything as he goes along, or do you work better with a professional who only elucidates the highlights? Those who work well with fewer words may find that listening to the details is overwhelming and counterproductive. Determine which communication style works better for you and then hire someone who matches that.

• Determine if you do better with toughness or gentleness. Some clients need more of a push than others; if so, you’ll want to go with a productivity professional who has a stronger personality. Others work best under more gentle and patient conditions. Ask yourself which situations works best for you, and then hire the professional that more closely models the type of behavior that you are comfortable with.

• Finally, look for determination, flexibility, honesty and ethical behavior. Determination coupled with flexibility can help your productivity consultant get you through the hard stuff. Honesty and ethics ensure integrity. An organizer with these personality traits will be able to ‘push the project through without pushing the client over the edge.’

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.