There’s no denying that public health consulting in most parts of the world is a challenging field that requires consultants to navigate complex social, cultural, and economic factors that affect health outcomes in different communities. Whether you plan on working at 1FSS or any other healthcare organization, you need to get everything right from the word go.
Even though there are many strategies with the potential to help consultant succeed in this field, there are also certain pitfalls to avoid. And that’s what this quick guide will look into. Below are things to avoid as a public health consultant.
Late Deliveries
Meeting deadlines is vital in any consulting work. Things are not any different when working as a healthcare consultant at 1FSS. Failing to deliver on time can lead to missed opportunities, damage to relationships with shareholders, and even loss of credibility. That’s the last thing you want to make do with as a consultant.
Keep in mind late deliveries can be a result of taking on work which may be beyond your level of knowledge and expertise. It is okay to not take on work that you’re not well-qualified for since nobody will discriminate you for that.
Failing to Get Buy-In
Honing strong relationships with stakeholders and gaining their buy-in is essential for the success of any public health intervention. Skimping on this can lead to interventions that are not well-supported by the community, which sometimes undermines the effectiveness of the intervention.
As a healthcare consultant, you are often only there for a limited time and it is these stakeholders who will make use of your input and carry it forward. In this regard, it is in your best interest to engage them throughout the process and their buy-in.
The Bottom Line
To be a successful public health consultant, it is important to avoid the above pitfalls. By making it the norm to deliver on time, tailor interventions to the local context, engaging key stakeholders, and building a team, you can rest in knowing good things are destined to follow.
There is nothing wrong with learning from experiences public health consultants since they understand what is expected. Remember to avoid over-pricing yourself as it can lead to missed opportunities and damage to relationships with stakeholders. The same applies to under pricing yourself as it undermines the perceived value for your work.