Your schedule has you running from meeting to meeting with hardly enough time for lunch. These meetings are populated with roughly the same twenty-five people in various groups and sub-groups. They are bright, dedicated individuals, but they represent only a small slice of the organization. Is this group capable of giving you the depth and breadth of information you need to make the best decisions? In his book, The Brand You 50, Tom Peters cautions against becoming myopic ("deficiency of foresight or discernment" - Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary) by expanding your internal contacts. Great consultants make a beeline for the Front Line to get the Straight Scoop on any damn thing. Any problem. Any process. Make their habit your habit. Nurture a rich cadre of Front Line Folks with whom you can test the pulse of the organization and the results of your work. When was the last time you spoke with the people closest to the work regarding a problem? I can hear the skeptics saying; Won't this undermine the authority of my managers and supervisors? Only if you don't let them know what you will be doing.

If this recommendation feels like a huge step, try a more structured approach, such as skip-level interviews or coffee sessions with front line workers. Once these initiatives are established, it will be easy for you to navigate the shop floor, cubicles and labs of the people closest to the action. Don't be blind-sided by a lack of critical information. Make the effort to meet with front line employees and reap the benefits.

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