Consulting: the engagement lifecycle & core consultancy skills
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Transcript of Consulting: the engagement lifecycle & core consultancy skills
London College of FashionExecutive MBA presentation10th July 2014
Consulting: the engagement lifecycle & core consultancy skills
CONSULTING ENGAGEMENT LIFECYCLE
Analysis & Critical Thinking
• Understanding of the problem• Proposed methodology• Timescales• Agreed outputs• Rates • Terms & Conditions
Brief
Proposal
Kick off meeting
Consultations
Update Meetings / Key Milestones
Draft Deliverables
Final Deliverable
Close-down
START MIDDLE END
Ensure the scope of work is clear – manage ‘scope creep’
Don’t get too hung up on the methodology – it can change, in agreement with the client
Ensure the scope of work is clear
Be clear about timescales – but they can change in agreement with the client
TOP TIPS
Make sure you understand the problem the client wants to solve – play it back to them
CORECONSULTANCY SKILLS
Depth of personal relationship
Bre
adth
of b
usin
ess
issu
es
Subject matter / process expert
Subject matter expert +
affiliated field
Valuable resource
Trusted Advisor
The Trusted Advisor (Maister, Green & Galford 1990)
Ask yourself:“What is going on
here?”
What the client thinks is the issue might not be the issue
Don’t assume you have the answer from the
beginning...
Hypothesise based upon your experience
Keep a very open mind from the start – you are dealing with limited information to begin with
Technical mastery is important
But ultimately you must build a trust-based relationship
“You don’t get the chance to employ advisory skills until you get someone to trust you enough to share their problems with you”
EARN TRUST
GIVE ADVICE EFFECTIVELY
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
The Trusted Advisor (Maister, Green & Galford 1990)
EARN TRUST
Care about their problem
If you say you are going to do something... do it!
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
Don’t be afraid to manage the elephant in the room
You can be creative with the truth but NEVER lie
Remember the client knows more about their
business than you
Know when you are outside your area of
expertise
Practice the art of thinking 3 questions
ahead
GIVE ADVICE EFFECTIVELY
Never ‘tell’ someone what to do
Express potential solutions as options
Provide clear rationale for each option
Remember it is the client’s decision not yours
That doesn’t mean you can’t exercise
professional opinion
Not enough to be right – you must be helpful!
Be mindful of internal politics in determining
options
You are there to make the client’s life easier not
harder
Ensure the client remains the centre of attention
The client should feel like they have come up with
the solution
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in that
order
Listen and understand... I mean really listen
Show an interest and establish (genuine)
rapport Earn the right to offer
advice
Set clear goals and outcomes
Manage the engagement effectively
Let the small stuff go...
Research them and their background