Experience as an International Ag Consultant
07/29/2021
What a New or Aspiring Ag Consultant Should Consider When Considering International Consulting:
I think being an international agricultural/agribusiness consultant involves many of the same skills as being a domestic consultant. Some of these skills include:
1. You must have an experience base that allows for helping clients with the agricultural/agribusiness problems they are experiencing. This goes without saying.
2. You must be able to listen to the client and be sure you understand his/her problem and/or project. This is particularly true when dealing with international clients that speak another language and function in a different culture.
3. You must communicate with the client to be sure they are following what you are doing on their behalf. This will ensure that recommendations you may be planning to suggest do not come as a big surprise.
4. When dealing with international clients it is extremely important to recognize cultural differences and what it may imply when analyzing projects and making recommendations.
5. When working internationally you may find yourself in situations where the creature comforts you are used to do not exist. And you must be prepared to deal with the situations without making a big issue about the discomfort.
6. To work internationally, unless you move to a country where you will work, it will require a lot of long-term travel (2 to 4 weeks at a minimum most times). I had times where I was away from home for several months but, in many of these cases the wife went along. Thus, it can be hard on family life so you must have an understanding wife and family.
How ASAC has helped me as an International Consultant:
The primary way that ASAC has helped me as an international agricultural/agribusiness consultant include three key items.
1. When I joined ASAC there were several members who were doing international consulting. This provided a chance to share ideas with these experienced consultants. It provided a good sounding board for testing ideas for dealing with clients from different cultures and technical and business backgrounds.
2. The members of ASAC, having different business and technological backgrounds, provided a pool of talent that could be drawn upon for some of the projects I was managing for our firm. Also, some of the firms that were members of ASAC could join forces with our firm on bids and this strengthened proposals we developed for international clients.
3. ASAC has a code of ethics which I think is very strong and this code has provided a guide for much of the work I did for domestic and international clients.
Why should an Aspiring Ag/Agribusiness Consultant Join ASAC:
For many of the same reasons mentioned under the prior topic aspiring consultants should join ASAC. A chance to share experiences with colleagues who face problems like yours. A chance to hear about ways to improve the way you conduct your business and interact with clients. A chance to hear about different ways to make quotes to potential clients. A chance to hear topics that help to inform the way you deal with issues that arise in conducting your business.
Robert Lee
You can contact Robert at:
leeagcon1@verizon.net
Phone: 207-415-6560.
(Posted by Don Tyler)
How I Started Doing International Consulting:
When I finished my PhD in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University in 1968, I had a choice of going to work for USDA, a University Agricultural Economics Department or for a private sector firm. I chose to go to work for a private sector firm by the name of Arthur D. Little, Inc. based in Cambridge, MA. By taking this position I found myself working for a firm that carried out consulting assignments internationally. And I found that the agricultural/agribusiness group which I was a part of within the firm was doing several projects internationally. Consequently, I became involved in some of this project work and the rest is history, I developed a career in international agriculture and agribusiness consulting because I found it to be rewarding working with agricultural and agribusiness professionals from all over the world. During my career I have worked in 79 different countries and worked on many agricultural/agribusiness projects that involved a wide range of temperate and tropical crops, and all types of poultry and livestock.
What a New or Aspiring Ag Consultant Should Consider When Considering International Consulting:
I think being an international agricultural/agribusiness consultant involves many of the same skills as being a domestic consultant. Some of these skills include:
1. You must have an experience base that allows for helping clients with the agricultural/agribusiness problems they are experiencing. This goes without saying.
2. You must be able to listen to the client and be sure you understand his/her problem and/or project. This is particularly true when dealing with international clients that speak another language and function in a different culture.
3. You must communicate with the client to be sure they are following what you are doing on their behalf. This will ensure that recommendations you may be planning to suggest do not come as a big surprise.
4. When dealing with international clients it is extremely important to recognize cultural differences and what it may imply when analyzing projects and making recommendations.
5. When working internationally you may find yourself in situations where the creature comforts you are used to do not exist. And you must be prepared to deal with the situations without making a big issue about the discomfort.
6. To work internationally, unless you move to a country where you will work, it will require a lot of long-term travel (2 to 4 weeks at a minimum most times). I had times where I was away from home for several months but, in many of these cases the wife went along. Thus, it can be hard on family life so you must have an understanding wife and family.
How ASAC has helped me as an International Consultant:
The primary way that ASAC has helped me as an international agricultural/agribusiness consultant include three key items.
1. When I joined ASAC there were several members who were doing international consulting. This provided a chance to share ideas with these experienced consultants. It provided a good sounding board for testing ideas for dealing with clients from different cultures and technical and business backgrounds.
2. The members of ASAC, having different business and technological backgrounds, provided a pool of talent that could be drawn upon for some of the projects I was managing for our firm. Also, some of the firms that were members of ASAC could join forces with our firm on bids and this strengthened proposals we developed for international clients.
3. ASAC has a code of ethics which I think is very strong and this code has provided a guide for much of the work I did for domestic and international clients.
Why should an Aspiring Ag/Agribusiness Consultant Join ASAC:
For many of the same reasons mentioned under the prior topic aspiring consultants should join ASAC. A chance to share experiences with colleagues who face problems like yours. A chance to hear about ways to improve the way you conduct your business and interact with clients. A chance to hear about different ways to make quotes to potential clients. A chance to hear topics that help to inform the way you deal with issues that arise in conducting your business.
Robert Lee
You can contact Robert at:
leeagcon1@verizon.net
Phone: 207-415-6560.
(Posted by Don Tyler)
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