• Unit: CMI 5032
• Ofqual Reference M/503/7161
• CMI SYLLABUS | LEVEL 5 IN PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING
THE CLIENT RELATIONSHIP
8
Aims of the Unit
This unit is about understanding how a client/ consultant relationship is forged and developed in a positive way and the skills required of a consultant in order to gain the trust of clients.
CMI 5032 Reading , Research , Referencing
Professional consulting practice research and reading
• Block, P. (2011). Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used, 3 rd Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
• Chappell, T. (2008). MoralPerception, Philosophy, 83 (326), pp. 421-437.
• Cheng, V. (2012). Case Interview Secrets: A Former McKinsey Interviewer Reveals How to Get Multiple Job Offers in Consulting. Wheeling, W.VA: Innovation Press.
• Coles, R., Vaz Costa, S. and Watson, S. eds. (2018). PathwaystoWell-Being in Design Examples from the Arts, Humanities and the Built Environment. Oxford: Routledge.
• Cooper, C. and Hesketh, I. (2019). Wellbeing at Work: How to Design, Implement and Evaluate an Effective Strategy. London:Kogan Page/CIPD.
Professional consulting practice research and reading
• Fisher, R., Ury, W. and Patton, B. (2012). Getting to Yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in. London: Random House Business.
• Freed, R. and Romano, J. (2010). Writing Winning Business Proposals: Your Guide to Landing the Client, Making the Sale and Persuading the Boss, 3 rd Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
• Gould, S. (2017). The Shape of Engagement: The Art of Building Enduring Connections with Your Customers, Employees and Communities. Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
• Hargie. O. (2018). The Handbook of Communication Skills, 4 th Edition. London: Routledge.
• Harrison, C. (2012). The Consultant with Pink Hair. Nashville, TN: RockBench Publishing Corp.
Professional consulting practice research and reading
• Harvard Business Review, Christensen, C.M. Drucker, P.F., Goleman, D., and Porter, M.E. (2010). HBR’s 10 Must Reads: The Essentials. Brighton, MA: Harvard Business Review Press.
• Lopata, A. (2011). Recommended: How to Sell Through Networking and Referrals. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Prentice Hall.
• Maister, D.H., Green, C. and Galford, R. (2001). The Trusted Advisor. London: Simon and Schuster UK.
• McKenna, C. (2010). The World’s Newest Profession: Management Consulting in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Professional consulting practice research and reading
• McKinsey and Company Inc., Goedhart, M., Koller, T., and Wessels, D. (2010). Valuation:Measuringand Managingthe Value of Companies, 5th Edition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
• Minto, B. (2010). The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writingand Thinking, 3 rd Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: FT Prentice Hall.
• Newton, R. (2019). The Management Consultant:Masteringthe Art of Consultancy, Second Edition. Financial Times Series. Harlow: Pearson EducationLimited.
• Patterson, K., Grenny, J., McMillan, R. and Switzler, A. (2011). Crucial Conversations for TalkingWhen Stakes are High, 2 nd Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
• Rasiel, E. (1999). The McKinsey Way. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Additional Consultancy Research and Reading
• The Mckinsey Way- Ethan M Rasiel 2003
• The Trusted Adviser - David H Maister, Robert Galford, Charles Green 2002
• Case Interview Secrets - Victor Cheng 2012
• The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking –Barbara Minto 2009
• The Practice of Professional Consulting- Edward G Verlander 2012
• Valuation: Measuring and Managing the Value of Companies- Tim Koller , Marc Goedhart, David Wessels 2010
• The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures- Dan Roam 2008
• McKinsey’s -Marvin Bower, Elizabeth Haas Edersheim 2010
Additional Consultancy Research and Reading
• The Art of Consultancy- Stuart Wyatt 2019
• The New Business of Consulting - Elaine Biech 2019
• The Management Consultant - Richard Newton 2019
• The Execution Essentials -Stephen R Covey 2018
• Humble Consulting -Edgar H Schein 2016
• Flawless Consulting - Peter Block 2011
• Value –Based Fees- Alan Weiss 2008
• The Consultant’s Handbook- Samir Parikh 2015
Additional Consultancy Research and Reading
• The New Consultants Quick Start Guide - Elaine Biech 2019
• Getting Started in Consulting- Alan Weiss 2019
• Essential Tools for Management Consulting- Simon Burton Shaw-Gunn 2010
• It Starts With Clients- Andrew Sobel 2020
• Out Think - G Shawn Hunter 2013
• The Consulting Bible- Alan Weiss 2011
• Million Dollar Consulting Proposals- Alan Weiss 2011
• Reinventing Professional Services - Ari Kaplan 2011
• The Trusted Advisor Field book -Charles H Green & Andrea P Howe 2011
The Performance Consultant’s Field book- Judith Hale 2012
Guerrilla Marketing For Consultants - Jay Conrad Levinson 2011
Additional Consultancy Research and Reading
Non Profit Consulting Essentials- Penelope Cagney 2010
Effective Group Coaching - Jennifer J Britton 2010
Creating a Successful Consulting Practice- Gary W Randazzo 2018
The Highly Paid Expert -Debbie Allen 2015
Evaluating Organization Development - Maureen Connelly Jones, William J Rothwell 2017
Management Consulting Today and Tomorrow - Flemming Poulfelt, Thomas H. Olson 2017
Learning Outcomes
Understand Understand the importance of the client/consultant relationship
Be able to develop and manage the client relationship
Be able to use negotiation and influencing skills in the client/consultant relationship
Be
Be
• Learning Outcome 1:
• Understand the importance of the client/consultant relationship
•
Assessment Criteria
• AC 1.1 Evaluate the impact different organisational structures and processes have on the client/consultant relationship
• AC 1.2 Identify the key factors in developing a positive client/consultant relationship
• AC 1.3 Assess the impact that client/consultant relationships have on consultancy interventions
• AC1.4 Evaluate the importance of trust in a client/consultant relationship
Good Practice and Indicative Content
• Professional consulting provides clients with objective, independent expertise, advice and guidance. It can act as a facilitator for individual and organisational success.
• To succeed in the role, professional consultants must be knowledgeable, creative, agile and resilient.
• They must be proactive and able to adapt their practice to respond to client requirements in the contemporary workplace.
Good Practice and Indicative Content
• Professional consulting requires a multi-dimensional approach to leadership. Within the role, consultantsneed to be adept, confident and have credibility. Scenarios for consulting will typically be complex and involve building relationships with other senior leaders.
• Consultants may lead internal and/or external teams and work at board level.
• Consultants must not only have a macro view of an organisation’s strategic context, they must also understandthe impact of digital, technological and geo-political change.
Good Practice and Indicative Content
• Professional consulting can be transformational, shaping the way organisations think and operate.
• Consultants may assist clients to develop strategic objectives, consider new market opportunities, explore innovative ways of working and build organisational and staff capability.
• For professional consultants to deliver effective client-centric consulting they must have an in-depth understanding of consulting practice.
Effective consulting has the power to drive organisational success. However, to respond creativelyto client requirements, consultants must have an in-depth knowledge of the industry, sector or specialist area they consult in.
Good Practice and Indicative Content
Deliveringconsulting, which has a tangible,positiveimpact on the client, requires a plethora of knowledge and skills.
Consultantsmust be great communicators, agile, creative, able to problem-solveand develop solutions.
They must be able to respond to client need and build relationships which are trusted and sustainable
Purpose of consulting:
• Provides objective, independent expertise, advice and guidance.
• Development of organisational strategy (Ansoff, 1984).
• Organisational development and design (McKinsey, 1982).
• Management. Leadership.
• Development of people and capabilities.
• Organisational governance.
• Legal and regulatory requirements.
Purpose of consulting:
• Innovation and change.
• Continuous improvement.
• Technological development (e.g. impact of disruptive technologies (Bower and Christensen, 1995).
• Brandand reputationmanagement.
• Stakeholder/customerrelationship management.
• Resource management.
• Financial sustainability, accountability, competitive advantage(Hoskisson, Hitt and Ireland, 2004).
• Niche consultancyexpertise.
Focus for LO1
• Focus and evaluate the impact different organisational structures and processes have on the client/consultant relationship
• Who are they ?
• What is their operating environment ?
• How is their business model designed ?
• How can you meet their needs ?
• See the following slides
Different clients: Organisational contexts:
• Public sector (local and national government).
• Private.
• Third sector.
• Local, international, global, cross-border organisations.
• Internal.
• Project and programme-based organisations.
• SMEs.
• Partnerships.
• Sole Traders.
• Limited liabilities Companies (LLPs).
Levels of organisational maturity (Carnegie Mellon Maturity Index ‘CMMI’, 1990).
Business Growth Models
• Boston Matrix A simple 2 x 2 matrix that categorises products or businesses as ‘Stars’ (high potential);‘Cash Cows’ (mature profitable businesses);‘Dogs’ (Small market share in mature market); and Question Marks (Uncertainty with regards to viability).
• Ansoff Matrix – Used to help understand the difference between new products with an existingmarket, such as brand extensions; new markets with an existingproduct, such as new geographies;and genuine diversification – a new product and new market.
• Greiner’s Five Stages – First developed in the early 1970s by Larry Greiner, and revised in the late 1990s, this model describes the phases of company growth and development, and identifies the managerialchallenge at each stage. The five stages are: Creativity, Direction, Delegation, Co-ordination, Collaboration. Greiner later suggested a sixth stage, relatingto extra-organisational relationships.
• Churchill’s Five Phases – First produced in 1983 by Neil Churchill of INSEAD. The five phases are: Existence, Survival, Success, Takeoff, Resource-maturity.
• Adizes Model – A livingorganism metaphor, developed by Ichak Adizes. This describes the company as going through birth, adolescence, maturity, prime and so on.
• The DIAMOND model – developed by BDO Stoy Hayward, this stands for: Dreamingup the idea; Initiatingthe business plan; Attackingproblems of growth; Maturing;Overhaulingthe business;Networking;and Diversifying.
• Three Horizons – Developed by McKinsey consultants. Horizonone is the business core; Horizon two is a newer line of business activity;Horizon three is experimentation.
● Organisationalcontexts:
● Strategic objectives:
Relationship between the organisation’svision, mission, strategy, assets/resources, corporatesocial responsibility and sustainability, people and environment and strategic objectives (e.g. to improve efficiency and effectiveness).
● Legal and organisationalframeworks (UK/international): e.g. Equality Act (2010), Modern Slavery Act (2015).
Customs and practicesrelevant to industry sector. (e.g. HSE requirements, working time directives, age requirements).
● Organisational contexts:
●Assets management/organisational assets:
• Physical infrastructure (e.g. premises types, internal layout).
• Manufacturing equipment.
• Transport and logistics.
• IT systems.
• Intellectual property.
• Brand and reputational value.
● Organisational contexts:
● Human resourcing:
• Human capital.
• Talent management.
• Workforce structure and planning (e.g. Hierarchy, matrix, partnership, professional practice, flexible and unstructured ‘boundaryless’).
• Demographics of workforce.
• Succession/pipeline planning.
• Employment contracts (e.g. Full time, part-time, precariat working, contractors, subcontractors, consultants, partners, apprentices, interns, seasonal contractors).
• Flexible Firm model (Atkinson, 1984).
• The Shamrock Organisation (Handy, 1989).
Organisationalcontexts:
• Development/change to organisationstructure.
• Business processes.
• Activities/workflows.
• Roles, responsibilities and accountabilities.
• Span of control (e.g. number and levels of management, level of constraint/freedomawarded to specific roles).
• Centralisation/decentralisationof task/activities (e.g.decision-making, levels of autonomy).
• Organisationof workforce (divisions, departments, team structures,
• projects).
• Relationships among individuals, groups, departments (e.g. team dynamics, cross-functionalteams).
• Allocation and deployment of resources.
• Organisational contexts:
• Consulting with individuals, teams, boards.
• Changing nature of consulting, competition.
• Organisational contexts (own organisation/client organisation)
• Organisational purpose (strategic definition, vision, mission).
• Strategic narrative (historical perspective).
• Culture and politics. Myths, stories.
• Systems, processes, structure (Johnson et al., 2011).
• Governance (e.g. public, private, third sector).
• Type (operational, local, international, global, project/programme based, departmental and strategic business unit).
• Focusing on client-centric consulting
• Conceptualise:
• Diagram, model, chart or graphic with annotations. Holistic overview of process.
• Process for client-centric consulting:
• Process tailored to the needs of client/own organisation(process can begin at any stage dependent on client requirement).
• Cycle of consultancy.
• Dimensions of consulting engagement (Newton, 2019).
• The Seven C’s of Consulting (Cope, 2010).
• Client engagement (relationship building, trusted advisor).
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
• Identificationof client issue/requirement for consulting.
• Consulting type (e.g
● Organisational contexts:
• Purpose, governance (e.g. public, private, third sector).
• Legal status of the organisation.
• Organisational structure (e.g. mechanistic, bureaucratic, organic, virtual, hub, spoke).
• Organisational culture.
• Type (e.g. operational, local, international, global, project/programme based, departmental and strategic business unit).
• International factors (e.g. ethno-centric, geo-centric).
• Size of the organisation (including the impact of increasing/decreasing workforce).
• Levels of Organisational maturity (Carnegie Mellon Maturity Index (CMMI), 1990).
• External environment (Political, economic, social, technological).
• Organisational contexts:
• Commitment to corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
• Equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Stakeholder (internal and external) expectations and existing perceptions.
• Ability to change and innovate.
• Organisational ethics.
• Obligations (e.g. founding principles, charitable requirements such as commitment to offering specific services and support).
• Levels of leadership responsibility, autonomy, accountability.
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Own specialist expertise, technical knowledge, understanding of methodologies, tools, models, frameworks.
• Ability to establish credibility, reputation and currency of knowledge (e.g. within industry, sector, body, own/client organisation). Horizon scan. Benchmark against good practice.
• Leadership capability:
• Ability to lead, guide and influence work streams and teams through assimilation of data, discourse, events, environment.
• Delegate and set priorities (Hersey and Blanchard, 2012).
• Embed social and emotional intelligence into leadership practice (Goleman, 1995).
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Proactively seek feedback.
• Monitor own performance.
• Take responsibility for own career development (Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell, 2013)
• . Act as a coach and mentor for others (Rogers et al., 2012).
• Create a culture of self-awareness to enhance performance of self and others.
• Develop and maintain a culture of lifelong learning (Senge, 2006).
• Drive inclusion and diversity
• (Kirton et al., 2014). Continually question and challenge professional practice within area of specialism (e.g. modify day-to-day working practice).
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Stakeholder and relationship development:
• Ability to build and sustain extensive/diverse stakeholder networks and collaborate with others in target organisations, industry bodies, intermediaries and in own organisation (Lindgreen et al., 2019). Ability to influence, persuade, motivate and engage others to realise objectives (Jung, 1921; Graves, 1970; Carnegie, 1936).
• Ability to show a genuine interest in stakeholders’ thoughts, ideas and expectations.
• Ability to create an environment in which team members find common ground, builds mutual respect and fosters team cohesion (Belbin, 1981).
Requirements of the consulting operating environment: Technical specialism:
Consideration of own specialist area of consulting expertise (e.g. finance, technology, leadership, education).
Requirements of the consulting operating environment: Technical specialism:
Research methods:
• Application of primary and secondary research (Quantitative and/or qualitative).
• Case study, mixed-methods, action research, grounded theory, narrative enquiry, experiment.
• Surveys, interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, experiments, observations. Document screening (e.g. financial reports).
• Sampling and data collection.
• Methods of analysis (e.g. software packages).
• Reliability, validity of research undertaken.
• Compliance with ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks.
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Expertise within the industry, sector or technical specialism to consult with confidence:
• Evidential proof of continual professional development related to technical competence, knowledge of subject matterspecialism.
• Qualifications, licence to practice, professional recognition (e.g. ChMC). Membership of professional bodies (e.g. CMI, MCA, IC).
• Actively encouragesothers to undertake CPD relevant to specialism.
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Ability to apply methodologies, analytical approaches, tools, models, theory and frameworks to develop tailored solutions (create offers) to address client issues.
• Application of specialism to address future challenges of industry/sector/functional areas.
• Knowledge of technical, operational, budget and resource constraints, organisational and legal guidelines which impact on clients in the market (e.g. local, national, global).
• Recognition of boundaries and limitations of the selected specialisms and technical knowledge.
• Record of delivering client centric consulting in industry, sector or technical specialism.
• Evidence of building client skills, providing challenge.
• Knowledge transfer, maintaining and sustaining relationships with clients.
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Compelling proposal, written report, presentation or marketing promotion which articulates the value of consulting expertise for the client, their organisation and its context.
• Proposition content:
• Presents, promotes own knowledge, skills, values, behaviours (in the consulting role).
• Outlines suitability (match of skills) to the consulting opportunity.
• Evidences ability to integrate own specialism, technical knowledge and methodologies to develop specific, unique, innovative insights, forming the basis of potential client relationships.
• Contextualises strategic issues/issues faced by client, organisation, sector.
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
• Deconstructs issues to determine root causes.
• Provides clarity on cause and effect.
• Design thinking (Dorst, 2012)
• Identifies solutions (e.g. feasible, address technical, operational, budget and resource constraints of the client, risk management).
• Develops tactical modifications, trade-offs which take account of the client’s position, forecasted future in the industry, sector or function, technical capability within organisation.
• Develops recommendations.
• Articulates and communicates strategy (e.g. tailored/contextualised to respond to client, stakeholder needs/level of technical knowledge, capability).
Requirements of the consulting operating environment:
Approaches to problem solving.
• Root cause analysis/Paretoanalysis (Ishikawa, 1968).
• Messy/ Wicked Problems (Rittel and Webber, 2000).
• Takes account of practicalboundaries, limitations of selected specialisms, technical knowledge and methodologies (Systematic Boundary Critique. Ulrich, 1996, 2000).
• Multi Perspectives Analysis (Lindstone, 1993).
• Dealing with open and closed systems.
Key Factors in Organisational Design
• Business strategy and organisation design:
• alignment between business strategy and organisation design decisions; growth; structural change, downsizing; delayering, out-sourcing, off-shoring, internationalisation.
External environment: the importance of scoping the external environment and range of tools and techniques available, for example environmental scanning and stakeholder mapping; the impact of external environment on design decisions to ensure organisational agility, adaptability and flexibility.
Key Factors in Organisational Design
• Organisation culture: identifying organisation culture and its impact on design decisions; power culture, role culture, task culture, person culture; leadership, group dynamics; application of cultural web.
• Technology: the impact of technology on design decisions.
• The physical aspects of organisation design: ergonomics, health and safety, well-being, environment and space.
Key Factors in Organisational Design
• The psychological aspects of organisationdesign: discretion, autonomy, job satisfaction, the psychological contract, commitment, engagement, specialisation or generalisation of skill, working with others, communication, power and politics.
• Organisationalresource and performance aspects: work processes, communication flows, efficiency, productivity, monitoring and evaluation, budgetary requirements.
• Human resource practices: the consequences of all the above for people management and development strategies;skills and capability requirements; formalisation and standardisationof job roles, role specifications, job descriptions, pay structures, knowledge sharing and knowledge management, employee communication, employee relations.
• Figure 16.1 Top management’s role in organizational strategy and organizational design
• Source: From Organizational Behaviour 1st edition by Daft, 2001. Reprinted with permission of SouthWestern, a division of Thomson Learning: www.thomsonrights.com.
Fax 800 730–2215. Adapted from Arie Y. Lewin and Carroll U. Stephens, ‘CEO attributes as determinants of organization design: an integrated model’, Organization Studies, vol. 14, no. 2, 1994, pp. 183–212
The relationship between organisational elements, business strategy and design
• Organisational strategy and design are inter-related and involve laying the foundations to build a successful business.
• Strategy is used as planning tool to enable organisations to gain a competitive advantage in the market.
• Strategy enables organisations to decide the direction they are heading in terms of their aims, vision, values, mission and long-term goals.
• Organisational design transforms those goals and desires into tangible plansdetermining how tasks, decisions and information flow through the company in order to meet strategic objectives.
Organisational Elements
What are they?
Business strategy: objectives, goals, vision, mission, operating principles
structures: formal and informal, hierarchical, flat, functional, divisional, matrix, flexible, process-based, network, virtual, cluster
processes: work flow, tasks, and activities
Strategy
Structures
Processes
What are they?
Organisational Elements
Systems: IT infrastructures that ‘carry’ the work flow
Systems
Performance measures: individual and organisational.
Performance –
Individual
Performance –
Organisational
Business strategy isn’t static
The organisational design needs to be Appropriatefor the MVG & O
It depends on the stage at which the business operates, ie new start, growth
The operational priorities
The competitiveposition in markets
Key Design Output – organizing and Resourcing – strategy drives
Strategy
organisational structure
The steps to devise and implement strategy
Execute, Review, Evaluate Mission , Vision, Goals & Objectives
Structure
• The design -
Business strategy isn’t static
The organisational design needs to be
Appropriatefor the MVG & O
It depends on the stage at which the business operates, ie new start, growth
The operational priorities
The competitiveposition in markets
Execute, Review, Evaluate Mission, Vision, Goals & Objectives
Processes
Design must be appropriate
Driven by industry, method & output
A service organisation will still have process
Think about Just in Time methods (Honda)
• Difference in design due to ways of working
Size of organisation, geography, and type, i.e.
How much autonomy, delegation and Delegation occurs will impact on design
Project management – each person is responsible for the whole job from start to finish
Process is continuous – departments are responsible for a piece of the whole, but there must be a flow to achieve whole.
•
Learning Outcome 2:
• Be able to develop and manage the client relationship
•
Assessment Criteria
• AC 2.1 Evaluatetools and techniques which may be used to identify the needs of clients and key stakeholders
• AC 2.2 Describe a range of skills used by the consultantto build a rapport with the client
• AC 2.3 Evaluatethe impact of professionalism, ethical conduct and confidentialityin buildingand maintainingclient relationships
• AC 2.4 Explain the common causes of breakdown in the client/consultantrelationship and the means by which these can be monitored
• AC 2.5 Devise a plan to minimise potential conflicts in the client/managementconsultantrelationship
Model - 7 Cs of consulting
Model - 7
Cs of consulting
• The 7 Cs framework is an approach to consultancy devised by an experienced transformation consultant, Mick Cope. It is usually represented as in the diagram to the right. The seven stages are interactive and dynamic, and can run independently, jointly, or in parallel. Each stagerepresents a phase within the general consultancy process. All include sub-elements, with tools and diagnostic techniques to make engagement within the consultancy process easier. The seven stages are briefly described opposite.
• The 7 Cs cycle of stages would be used in an iterative, spiralling process, with different questions being asked in various contexts or in different phases of the consultancy project. Samples of questions appropriate to each stage are offered, but these would vary to suit the unique project concerned.
Model - 7 Cs of consulting
• Client: define client orientation, perception of situation, and final outcome goals. Understand who has the power to influence outcomes. Agree with the client on the value to be delivered and value client will offer.
• Clarify: set out the nature of the problem. Map the construction of the system under consideration. Identify what and who will be included or excluded from the change, and determine risk areas for the assignment.
• Create: develop a sustainable solution. Use creative techniques to critically develop a solution that is measured against success criteria and takes as divergent a view as possible to find possible options. Then choose an option that meets the criteria.
Model - 7 Cs of consulting
• Change: understand the fundamental aspects driving and underpinning the change process, especially the human factors that need to be managed.
• Confirm: ensure that change has taken place, using quantitative and qualitative measures.
• Continue: ensure that the change will be sustained, using learning that emerges from the transition, the skills of the change agents, and the sharing of new knowledge and skills.
• Close: end the engagement process with the client, emphasizing the need to understand the final outcomes, the added value, new learning and further possible action.
The consultancy cycle
• The consultancy cycle is the line of processes from inception to conclusion that should be applied by consultants in their approaches to project management as well as wider professional outputs. It is important to realise that there are many organisations and key business thinkers who have designed their own preferred ‘consultancy cycle’.
Hammond sixstep consultancy cycle framework
Johnny
Burwell Ventures 4 stage approach:
• “Your ability to understand your customer’s needs and deliver services and products that meet their expectations is key to success”
180 Degrees Consulting 7 step framework:
Figure
2: Advanced Management Skills’ consultancy cycle framework
• Source: https://amskills.com/consult ing-course/04-buildingeffectiveclientrelationships/04-3lesson-the-consultancycycle/
Stakeholder Management, The Client Relationship
• After establishing the aims and objectives, the actual process of consultation will need to be planned, i.e.:
• Who are the key stakeholder groups?
• How accessible are they?
• Are there any hard-to-reach groups?
• How can their co-operation and engagement be gained?
• What is the best method of consulting with the groups?
• What do they need to see beforehand?
• How can this be disseminated?
• Will any pre-consultation be required to prepare stakeholders for the exercise?
• The method of consultation will need to be identified, balancing the resources available and the level of feedback required.
• The “process” stage is the “doing” stage; this involves carrying out the consultation. Good planning will ensure this stage runs smoothly. Considerations in this stage mainly centre on developing effective relationships with stakeholders and facilitating open and honest sharing of views, and accurate recording of the process and the data.
Stakeholder Management, The Client Relationship
• The next stage, “presentation“, is concerned with the analysis and the reporting of the data. The data will need to be analysed and reporting prepared for the relevant audiences i.e. back to the corporation, to policy makers, etc. but also feedback to those who have engaged in the process and taken part. The form of reporting will need to take into account audiences and ensure the highest possibility of actions as a result of the consultation.
• The final stage relates to actions as a result of the consultation; the “promise“. Part of the process of engaging with stakeholders is the investment in a longer-term relationship of mutual benefit and trust.
• Without demonstrable use of stakeholder feedback in resultant action, this can be damaged. The final stage, therefore, has an element of PR contained within it; communications about resultant actions need to be carefully considered to reach stakeholder audiences.
Stakeholder Definitions
• The term stakeholder first “appeared in the management literature in an internal memorandum at the StanfordResearch Institute, in 1963” (Freeman, 1984, p. 31).
• The word means “any group or individual who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization'sobjectives” (Freeman, 1984, p. 46).
• Bryson (1995, p. 27) proposed a more comprehensive definition for the term: “A stakeholder is defined as any person, group, or organizationthat can place a claim on an organization'sattention, resources, or output or is affected by that output”.
Definition: What Is Stakeholder Theory?
• Freemans stakeholder theory holds that a company’s stakeholders include just about anyone affected by the company and its workings.
• That view is in opposition to the long-held shareholder theory proposed by economist Milton Friedman that in capitalism, the only stakeholders a company should care about are its shareholders - and thus, its bottom line.
• Friedman’s view is that companies are compelled to make a profit, to satisfy their shareholders, and to continue positive growth.
Power-Interest Grid Source: Eden and Ackermann (1998)
• Power-Interest Grid Source: Eden and Ackermann (1998) cited in Bryson, John 2004. “What to do When Stakeholders Matter: Stakeholder Identification and Analysis Techniques.” Policy Management Review 6(1): 21-53.
• The power-interest grid, as shown to the right, helps to visualise the positions of individual stakeholdersand the relationsamongthem. The two dimensions of the grid – power and interest – speak to the reality that not all of the players who have an interest in agricultural land use planningalso have power to influence decisions. The two-dimensionalgrid generates four categories of stakeholders:
Players:have both an interest and significant power
Subjects: have an interest but little power
Context setters:have power but little direct interest
Crowd:have little interest or power
Eden and Ackermann, 1998
Ladderof Inference (Argyris& Senge, 2006), The Ladder of Inference was first put forward by organizational psychologist Chris Argyris and used by PeterSenge in The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practiceof the Learning Organization. The Ladder of Inference describes the thinking process that we go through, usuallywithout realizing it, to get from a fact to a decision or action. The thinking stagescan be seen as rungs on a ladder
The Six Thinking Hats Edward de Bono in 1986
• The Six Thinking Hats is a role-playing model presented by. It serves as a team-based problem solving and brainstorming technique that can be used to explore problems and solutions and uncover ideas and options that might otherwise be overlooked by a homogeneously thinking group.
• De Bono's Six Thinking Hats is a powerful technique for looking at decision making from different points of view. It allows emotion and skepticism to be brought into what might normally be a purely rational process, and it opens up the opportunity for creativity within decision making.
The Six Thinking Hats Edward
de Bono in 1986
Horizon scanning technique
Horizon scanning technique
Good Practice and Indicative Content
Application of decision-making tools, techniques:
• Attribute trade off models (MRD/ARM Analysis).
• Use of Logframes (U.S. Agency for International Development,1969).
• The Pugh matrix (Pugh,1980).
• Quality Function Deployment ‘QFD’ (Akao, 1966).
• Paretoanalysis.
Good Practice and Indicative Content
Application of decision-making tools, techniques:
• Decision trees.
• Sensitivity and what if analysis.
• OODA loops (Boyd ,1985).
• Monte Carlo Simulation Method (Ulam, 1947)
• Six Thinking Hats technique (De Bono, 1985).
• Multi Voting / Delphi Technique (1944).
Good Practice and Indicative Content
Implementation plan to lead/drive the change process:
• Application of project management approaches (e.g. PRINCE2, PMI (Project Management Institute).
• APM (Association of Project Managers).
• PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge).
Good Practice and Indicative Content
Application of tool/s to review the impact of change:
• Periodic reporting, surveys and questionnaires, benchmarking activities, balanced scorecards (Nolan and Norton, 1992).
• Post implementation reviews.
• Application of quantitative techniques e.g. data and metrics, audits, targets, statistical analysis (e.g. SPC).
• Qualitative techniques e.g. interviews, observation, walk through, conversations.
• Framework Analysis (Pope et al., 2000).
• Thematic Network Analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001).
• Systematic/systemic triangulation (Urich, 1983).
Good Practice and Indicative Content
• Structure of industry/sector/functional areas. Emerging disruptive trends (causation, impact).
• Scenario planning (van der Heijden et al., 2002).
• Future structural changes, risks (risk-reward analysis (Speradeo, 1994)). Strategies/approaches being taken by market leaders.
• Contemporary approaches and innovation.
• Benchmarking (Washington, 1998).
• Strategy operational/market, elements critical to stability, opportunities, threats, challenges.
• Drivers (and levels of impact) of organisational success.
• Role of specific phenomena which impact on market leaders/organisational success in the industry, sector or function (Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Framework, 1979).
• Ethical/cultural considerations.
Delivering client centric professional consulting
Process for client-centric consulting:
• Process tailored to the needs of client/own organisation (process can begin at any stage dependent on client requirement).
• Cycle of consultancy. Dimensions of consulting engagement (Newton, 2019).
• The Seven C’s of Consulting (Cope, 2010).
• Client engagement (relationship building, trusted advisor).
Customer Relationship Management (CRM).
• Identificationof client issue/requirement for consulting.
• Consulting type (e.g. process/expert).
Delivering client centric professional consulting
Process for client-centricconsulting:
• Identify/establishhypothesis for consulting.
• Proposal development (Freed and Romano, 2010).
• Negotiation (‘Getting to Yes’ Fisher et al., 2012).
• Gain agreement to proceed.
• Contracting.
• Data and information collection and analysis to test a hypothesis.
• Reaching a conclusion.
• Make recommendations.
Delivering client centric professional consulting
Process for client-centric consulting:
• Develop plans to deliver the consulting recommendations to respond to client issues/requirements for consulting.
• Implement plans (deliver consulting).
• Articulate lessons learnt.
• Evaluate outcomes.
• Close consultancy engagement (withdrawal phase).
• Conduct impact assessment of consultancy.
• Assess learning needs of client.
• Determine opportunities for further consulting.
Approaches to identify and generateconsulting opportunities:
• Porter’s 5 Forces Analysis Framework (1979).
• Facing the external environment (P.E.S.T.L.E. Analysis).
• Use of social media.
• Branding.
• Customer relationship management (CRM) operations.
• Referrals from existing clients.
• Register to receive consulting opportunities.
• Respond to consulting opportunities (e.g. RFP (Request for Proposal)). RFI (Request for Information).
• ITT (Invitation to Tender).
Proposal structure and content:
• Overview of proposed consultancy (Terms of Reference).
• Rationale for consultancy.
• Value proposition (the value the client will gain if they proceed with the
• consultancy).
• Statement of client issue (e.g. areas to be addressed, beneficiaries of consulting, strategic context).
• Methodology (approach taken to consult with client, activities/people involved in the consultancy, communication strategy).
• Evaluation/summary.
• Quality assurance (e.g. progress reviews/evaluation (lessons learned)).
Proposal structure and content:
• Terms of contract (e.g. cost, payment terms/schedule, liabilities, indemnities, confidentiality, ownership, delivery of consulting KPIs, risk management and mitigation).
• Additional information as specifically required by the client (e.g. client references, dataand information, financial statements).
• Policies (e.g. equality and diversity, sustainability, conflict of interest, confidentiality).
• Clarification and conditions for consulting (e.g. reporting structure, organisational, legal and regulatory requirements).
• Proposal development is underpinned by professionalism (e.g. ethics, cultural norms, transparency, confidentiality, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, compliance with organisational, legal and regulatory frameworks).
Methodologies for delivering clientcentric consulting:
• Consultancy engagement begins (e.g. Review aims, objectives, assumptions, hypothesis which form the basis of consulting.
• Determine/allocate resources.
• Scope and plan delivery.
• Appraise type/level of involvement with client.
• Risk management strategy).
• Collect, analyse data and information/evaluation of the impact of data and information on hypothesis for consulting.
• Apply principles of design thinking (Dorst, 2015 and Kolko, 2018).
• Consider evidence against original hypothesis for consulting.
• Make sense of ambiguity (e.g. accept, reject, develop, revise findings.
• Negotiate.
• Make trade-offs.
• Agree nature, content, format, delivery of outcomes).
Methodologies for delivering client-centric consulting:
• Communicate recommendations in a straightforward, understandable and non-technical manner (Communicate, counsel, consult, provide advice and guidance to client throughout engagement (Patterson et al., 2011).
• Implement delivery methodologies (e.g. Project management methodologies: PRINCE2, PMBOK, Agile, Waterfall, Six Sigma Project, SCRUM).
• Organisational strategies/tools.
• Devise quality assurance strategy (reporting and monitoring against KPIs, ROI and SROI (Social Return on Investment)).
• Resource management plan (e.g. finance, people, technology, materials).
• Agree next steps (withdrawal phase/identify requirement to extend/consult further).
Approaches to extend client engagement beyond the consultancy contract:
• Deliver recommendations which add value to the client’s organisation/individualon conclusion of contract.
• Measure success (short, medium, long term).
• Determine client satisfaction.
• Maintainand grow client contact/strategic business network.
• Add value through coaching, education (for an agreed period) to support client in new ways of working/transferof capability.
• Offer networking opportunities/introductionsforclient.
• Compliance to organisational, ethical and legal frameworks (e.g. Bribery Act, 2010).
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Tailors objective, independent expertise, advice and guidance to the needs of the client
• Builds trust, rapport, respect and confidence with others.
• Supports stakeholders to understand their responsibilities, areas of authority, accountability.
• Enables others to take risks.
• Acts consistently, fairly (when addressing personal performance or standards of behaviour).
• Displays understanding, empathy.
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Role models exemplary behaviour to internal and external stakeholders (Mintzberg, 1973).
• Adopts an ethical approachto leadership (Mendoncaand Kanungo, 2007).
• Personal presence (visibility, credibility, gravitas).
• Mental toughness (Lyons, 2015).
• Engenders empowerment.
• Drives a culture of resilience.
• Takes ownership and responsibility.
• Reflects on own practice.
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Acts with integrity, is honest and accountable.
• Able to influence people (e.g. intra/inter-organisational).
• Ability to act as an advocate and/or sponsor.
• Uses negotiation strategies.
• Applies emotional and social intelligence (Goleman, 2006).
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Values equality, inclusion and diversity.
• Empowers and engages stakeholders.
• Uses diplomacy.
• Manages conflict (Thomas-Kilmann, 1997; Rahim, 2002).
• Delegates effectively.
• Understands approaches to enabling mental health and wellbeing.
• Works as part of a team.
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Understandsand applies legal and regulatory frameworks and governance
• Uses experiential knowledge, data/big data and information to implement and manage change.
• Communicates with impact (uses concise 'storytelling' to articulate and translatevision into operational strategies, demonstratesclarity in thinking and uses inspirational communication).
• Gives, receives and acts on feedback.
• Provides challenge at all levels.
• Organisationalsilence ‘why organisationsdon’t communicate’ (Morrison and Milliken, 2000).
• Different organisationalcommunication strategies(Clampitt et al., 2000).
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Awareness of and ability to deal with inter/intra-organisational politics. Organisational gossip (Michelson and Mouly, 2000).
• Tailors leadership approach to the needs of the client: Leading with integrity (Blanchard, 2011).
• Leadership Styles (Goleman, 1995).
• Entrepreneurial Leadership (Roebuck, 2014).
• Authentic Leadership (Goffee and Jones, 2011).
• The Servant Leader (Greenleaf, 1977). Cross Cultural Leadership (Hofstede, 1991).
• Start with Why (Sinek, 2011).
• Project GLOBE ‘Global Leadership and Organisational Behaviour Effectiveness’ (House et al, 2004).
Behaviours, skills for developing stakeholder relationships
• Strategies for developing stakeholder relationships
• Client focus.
• Sustain and build professional network (scope, scale).
• Targeted networking (e.g. organisations, industry bodies, intermediaries within own organisation).
• Activities to sustain and develop relationships (e.g. events, communication strategies, face to face meetings).
• Reflect cultural characteristics.
• Willingness to give without expectation of return.
• Added value creation.
• Realistic delivery.
• Confidence between client and consultant.
Scope of ethics:
Role and influence of ethics in professional consulting:
• Consultant, client engagement (individuals/organisation)
• Requirement to act in the best interests of the organisation
• Ethical, authentic (George, 2003).
• Consultants operate within own competencies (qualified and capable to carry out engagement).
• Adherence to professional and/or organisational code of ethics and governance framework.
• Use of ethical approaches to leadership (Mendonca and Kanungo, 2007).
Role and influence of ethics in professional consulting:
Scope of ethics:
• Commitment to developingsolutions for the client which are appropriateand proportionate.
• Use of professionalism between consultantand client (avoiding dependency).
• Application oflegal and regulatory frameworks and governance e.g. EqualityAct (2010), Prevent Strategy (2011), Modern Slavery Act (2015), Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2018), Companies Act (2006).
• Respect for client information (confidentialityin line with legal and regulatory frameworks).
• Use and development of contractual agreements.
• Transparencywith charging for consulting activities.
• Declaring conflicts of interest.
Approaches for responding to ethical dilemmas in professional consulting:
Ethical dilemmas:
• Clash between different definitions of ‘ethics’.
• Ethical conflict between consultant and client (e.g. data sharing, human rights, modern slavery).
• Impact of globalisation and cultural/legal differences.
• Confidentiality.
• Moral compass.
Approaches for responding to ethical dilemmas in professional consulting:
Ethical dilemmas:
Approaches to ethical dilemmas:
• Use of decision-making tools and techniques (Ethical decision making, Barr and Campbell, 2011.
• Six Thinking Hats, De Bono, 1985.
• Decision trees).
• ‘Calling out’ unethical behaviour.
• Disclosure and whistleblowing (Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998).
• Role modelling ethical behaviour.
• Risk assessment/mitigation.
• Provide advice and guidance.
Learning Outcome3:
Be ableto use negotiation and influencingskills in the client/consultant relationship
Assessment Criteria
• AC 3.1 Explain how the principles of negotiation can be used in the work of a consultant
• AC 3.2 Evaluate how a variety of influencing and negotiation tools techniques and models can be used in different consultancy interventions
• AC 3.3 Explain how the consultant may use influencing skills to ensure the intervention recommendations are implemented by the client
How can the principlesof negotiation be used in the work of a consultant
Negotiation
According to Tracy (2013), negotiation is an indispensable aspect of nearly all interactions –professionally or personally. It is a factor of how individual’s set-up relations, work in collaboration and reach results for their clients, their organizations and themselves.
In simple words, those individuals who don’t negotiate effectively expose themselves to those who do effectively.
How can the principlesof
negotiation
beusedin the work of a consultant
Negotiation
“The process through which two or more parties come toan agreementon an action to be carriedout”
“Negotiationis aninteractive activitythat requires a variety of skills”
“.....it requires self-awareness, good questioning, listening, and conflictresolution skills, as well as an abilityto understand the needs and interests of others”
Horton (2016) Asherman(2012)
How can the principles of negotiation be used in the work of a consultant
P inciples of negotiation Ward 2018
Elements
Objectives
Description
Determine what is to be attained
Information Gather the data
Team Roles
Team allocation, team leader, role and task allocation
Strategy Target ‘win-win’ situation and know the ‘Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement’ (BATNA)
How can the principles of negotiation be used in the work of a consultant
P inciples of negotiation 1 Negotiation preparation Ward 2018
How can the principlesof negotiation beusedin the work of a consultant
2. Discuss interests
Listen don’t suppose
Exchange data
investigateassumptions ask questions
Discover interests and focus on determinereserves and resistance
Ward (2018)3. Signal
• Open practically
• Listenand observe for signals
• Confirm and distinguishmessages
• Implement ideas
• Eliminate revealing of emotions
How can the principles of negotiation be used in the work of a consultant
4. Propose for movement
• Proposals proceed negotiations
• Attempt should be made to meet the other parti es requirements
• Implement options for mutual attainment
• Question, conclude, clarifyand react with an opposite proposal
Ward (2018)How can the principles of negotiation
be used in the work of a consultant
5. Package
• Express the proposalin a way that tackles the interests of the other party
• Be firmwith objective criteria
7. Close the deal
• Close practically
• Should consider how the closing contractwouldimpact relations, if there is a plan to do further business with the same party
6. Bargain
• Determine circumstances prior making offers
• Always attainsomething in exchange
• Target‘win-win’ situation
8. Agree the deal
• Bothparties shouldexperience joy with the agreement
• Concludeand record the contract
• Agree onimplementationactivity and action plan
Ward(2018)How can the principles of negotiation be usedin the work of a consultant
Principles of negotiation
9. Techniques and tricks
• Determine the other parties weak points using probing questions
• Use pressure:explicit signals of irritation, advantages of rank or impose time pressure
• Devalue some points to incite a revelation of the other party’s viewpoint
• Impose a plausible low offer
• Adopt hard/soft approach
Ward (2018)
How can the principlesof negotiationbe used in the work of a consultant
The wayin which negotiationprinciples canbe adopted in consultant work
Work of consultants
➢Performing need analysis
➢Preparing proposals
➢Interviewing stakeholders
➢Performing focus-groups
➢Aiding workshops
➢Creating presentations
➢Writing analytical reports
➢Being on-field with clients
➢Determining problems
➢Structuring issues
➢Hypothesis validation
➢Making suggestions
➢Supporting clients development
➢Handling projects
➢Guiding teams
➢Handling client relations
Verlander (2012)
The way in which negotiationprinciples can be adoptedin consultant work
How can the principlesof negotiationbe used in the workof a consultant
• Preliminary meetings demandthorough preparation by the consultant. Without revealing much information, the consultant needstogather necessary orientation dataonthe client, atmosphereandthe issues of the field of activity concerned.
• The preliminary meetingis a typeof investigationalinterviewinwhicheach member tries tolearn about the other. The consultant needsto motivatethe client to do most of the talking, to speak about the company, thehopes, challenges and anticipations.
• After agreeing the deal, it would not be rational to begin a project without some preliminary investigationandplanning of work. The business termsneed to be explained andagreed.
• Kubr (2002)
How can the influencingand negotiationtools
techniques and models be used in the consultancy interventions
• According to Behrmann (2016), negotiations are essential aspects of interpersonal communication both in professional and personal domains. Negotiations often focus on attaining middle ground between involved parties while influencing or persuasion focus on convincing individuals to strive for specific deals. Besides, persuasive efforts are often deemed to be more challenging than negotiations.
Even though we habitually negotiate orattempt to persuade individuals almost casually or subconsciously, in certain cases we do so intentionally and methodically.
Lewicki et al. (2006)
How can the influencing andnegotiationtoolstechniquesand modelsbe used in the consultancyinterventions
•
• The methods and tactics associated with influencing and negotiation arepivotal for influencing subjective inclinations of involved parties.
• The consultants perfect thesetools, techniquesand models through years of experiential learning and incorporateappropriate techniquesbased onspecific scenarios.
• Cordell (2019)
How can the influencing and negotiation tools techniques and models be used in the consultancy interventions
• Persuasion methods
• The idea of a series of persuasion tools adopted in negotiation derived from F.K. Berrien (1994).
•
This concept was later implemented by a group of psychologists and ended in a famous model listing 5 persuasion tools such as Bargaining, Compromise, Emotion, Logic and Threat, which are usually exhibited over a wide spectrum of negotiations.
• Reynolds (2003)
How can the influencing and negotiation tools techniques and models be used in the consultancy interventions
• Elements of the 5 persuasion methods
How can the influencing andnegotiationtoolstechniquesandmodels be used in the consultancyinterventions
Different consultancy interventions
Blake and Mouton’s (1976) matrix was proposed for the evaluation of interventions made in management consultancy.
Their Diagnosis/Development Matrix (D/D Matrix) comprised 5 categories of consultancy interventions.
Sloan (2001) and Vougis (1982)
How can the influencingskills be used to assure the adequate implementationof interventionrecommendations
Negotiationand influencing skills
“Negotiatingand Influencing Skills addresseshow to negotiatewith difficult people and in difficult situations, and covers essentialskills such as self-control,empathyand assertioninthe negotiating process.”
(1997)
McRae
How can the influencing skillsbeused to assure the adequate implementationof intervention recommendations
• Negotiationand influencingskills
• Verlander(2012) in their book ‘The Practice of Professional Consulting’ discussed thesignificance of 3 core proficiencies/skills of negotiating – negotiating skills, influencing skills and political skills.
How can the influencing
skills be used to assure the adequate implementation of intervention recommendations
Negotiation and influencing skills
• The consultants acquire proficiency through experiential learning; which enables them to utilisea diversified range of resources to cope with the complexities innate implementation of interventions in distinct contexts.
• The experiential learning of consultants enables them to acquire emotional intelligence and acclimatisethemselves with conflict resolution techniques that are vital in cumbersome and strenuous negotiations, influencing or persuading.
• The networking skills and connections of the consultants enable them to acquire political power or authority that is necessaryfor persuading the involved parties to comply with acceptable agreements as well.
Verlander(2012)
How can the influencingskills be used to assure the adequate implementation of intervention recommendation
Influencing skills
• Consultants aremandatedto possess negotiationandinfluencing skills as well as the political authority tobe proficient in their operational domains.
• Nevertheless, influencingskills are oftendeemed as the most crucial factor while striving to implement various consultancyinterventions.
• Besides, the influencing skills are oftenconsidered as exemplifications of proficiency in communication;thatinvolves the exercise of individual ability toinfluence people andstrategic constraintsalike (Verlander, 2012).
• According to Carnegie (1981), strangely enough, consultants couldbe more influentialif they permit themselves tobe influenced.
s
How can the influencingskills be used to assure the adequate implementation of interventionrecommendations
nf luencing skills
Key influencing tacticsinclude;
• Clarifying the advantagesfor the involved parties.
• Strengthening one’s argument.
• Simulating thepossibilities thatcouldbe perceived with the agreement.
• Projecting the capabilities of theinterventions for nurturing stakeholder relations.
• Revealing admirationfor themembers of the team.
• Offering guidelines whenthere mightbe none.
Verlander (2012)
How can the influencingskills be used to assure the adequate implementation of intervention recommendations
Accordingto Verlander (2012)being influentialmandated attentiontofollowing focus areas
• Clarity about the outcomes of an intervention.
• Understanding other individual’s wishes andrequirements
• Implementing flexible notions and approaches tocope with uncertaintiesinnate to conversations
• Being purposefuland self-conscious on utilising personal energy toimpact other individuals
• Ability toreachmutually acceptable outcomes.
A key aspect of consultingis providing recommendation on implementation;otherwisethe early application processes would be wasted. The consultantneeds toinfluence clients to gain action.
Margerison(2001)
How can the influencing skills be used to assure the adequate implementation of intervention recommendations
• As mentioned by Jacobson (2005), in the post-exit stageof consulting process, after the agreementof the consultant hadbeen satisfied,client couldincorporateefforts for implementing recommendations.
• The client needs to create animplementation strategy basedonthe recommendations providedby consultants. This mayinvolveshiftsfrom prevailing allocations associated withtime, budget and resources.
• Nevertheless, theclient has the sole right to choosewhether or not to implement the suggestions stipulated by the consultants. The personalinterestsor even socio-politicalinfluencers are criticalin the client’s decision toembrace or reject the suggestion of the consultant.
Jacobson (2005)How can the influencingskills be used to assure the adequate implementation of intervention recommendations
Jacobson (2005)
• The consultants need to provide precise and truthful information about the possibilities and complexities of intervention recommendations.
• The clients have the right to choose or deny the intervention recommended by consultants. The consultants are bound to comply with the client's
• The influencing or persuasive skills of consultants play a vital role in convincing the clients about the benefits of integrating the intervention recommendations to the system under consideration. decisions.
Margerison (2001)
Rational Decision Making 8-step Process
• 1. Identification of problem
• 2. Identification of Decision Criteria
• 3. Allocation of weights to criteria
• 4. Development of alternatives
• 5. Analysis of alternatives
• 6. Decide on an alternative
• 7. Implementation of decision
• 8. Evaluation of decision
All alternatives and consequences areknown
Single,welldefined goal is to be achieved
Preferences areclear
Rational Decision Making
Problemis clearand unambiguous
Finalchoice will maximize payoff
Preferences areconstant and stable Notime orcost constraintsexist
127
Persuasion
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Clientrequirements
• External and internal business drivers.
• Response to digitalisation, new, disruptive technologies (Brand, 2005).
• Markets and customerexpectations.
• Legal and regulatory requirements.
• Environmentalfactors.
• CSR and sustainability.
• Economicopportunities.
• Diversification.
• Cultural shift.
• Process improvement.
• Leadership change.
• Organisationalchange developmentand design.
• Restructure.
• Consolidation.
• Innovation.
• Expansion. Merger. Partnership.
• Divest.
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Develop strategy:
• Application of theoretical approaches to change (e.g. to scope, plan, drive,
• deliver, and evaluate change).
• Leadership and management approaches to engage with stakeholders throughout process.
Implementation strategy:
• Big bang strategy.
• Kaizen.
• Prototyping.
• Developing a pilot.
• Parallel operations
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Implementation plan to lead/drive the change process:
• Key features (e.g. scope of change, objectives, actions, stages, milestones, resource requirements, learning and development).
• Establish roles and responsibilities.
• Set KPIs.
• Establish a culture of continuous improvement.
• Risk management.
• Quality assurance.
• Communication strategy and plan (internal and external communications, i.e. presentations, meetings and briefings, use of media, consultations, huddles,
• webinars, podcasts, conference calls, blog posts, letters, articles, case studies).
• Communication skills (e.g. emotional and social intelligence, influencing and persuasion, use of clear, succinct language appropriate to the audience.
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Implementation plan to lead/drive the change process:
Assessment and responseto barriersand challenges (internal and external):
• Logistical barriers.
• Working patterns such as remote, virtual, shift working. Finance.
• Influence of trades union and professional bodies.
• Changing management priorities.
• Levels of commitment, motivation, delaying tactics.
• Cultural dimensions of innovation (diversity, ethnicity and gender divide to entrepreneurial practice).
• Group Think (Janis, 1982).
• Organisational politics.
• Supplier power. Buyer power. Bargaining power. Competition. Threat of substitution. (Porter, 1979).
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Implementation plan to lead/drive the change process:
Applicationofdecision-makingtools,techniques:
• Attribute trade offmodels (MRD/ARMAnalysis).
• Use of Logframes(U.S.AgencyforInternational Development,1969).
• The Pugh matrix (Pugh,1980).
• Quality Function Deployment‘QFD’(Akao, 1966).
• Pareto analysis.
• Decisiontrees.
• Sensitivity and what if analysis. OODAloops(Boyd ,1985).
• Monte Carlo Simulation Method (Ulam, 1947).
• Six Thinking Hats technique (De Bono,1985).
• Multi Voting / DelphiTechnique(1944).
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Implementationplan to lead/drive the change process:
Application of project management approaches
• PRINCE2, PMI (Project Management Institute).
• APM (Association of Project Managers).
• PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge).
Develop a strategy for leading and managing change in response to a client requirement
Implementation plan to lead/drive the change process:
• Application of tool/s to review the impact of change:
• Periodic reporting, surveys and questionnaires, benchmarking activities, balanced scorecards(Nolan and Norton, 1992).
• Post implementation reviews.
• Application of quantitativetechniques e.g. dataand metrics, audits, targets, statisticalanalysis (e.g. SPC).
• Qualitative techniques e.g. interviews, observation, walk through,
• conversations.
• Framework Analysis (Pope et al., 2000).
• Thematic Network Analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001).
• Systematic/systemic triangulation(Urich, 1983).
Challenge of delivering client centric professional consulting
Client-centric:e.g. consulting with individuals, teams, board members.
Challengesin leading others:
• Understanding of who is leading and who is being led.
• Scope of leadership (e.g. leading consultants, clients, researchers, administrators, other team members, suppliers, partners).
• Different organisationalbehaviours and knowledge requirements.
• Leading without authority.
• Lack of buy-in from individuals within client organisation.
• Ability to adapt leadership style (adaptability).
Challenge of delivering client centric professional consulting
Client-centric:e.g. consulting with individuals, teams, board members.
Challengesin leading others:
• Establishing credibility (e.g. leadership credentials not recognised, disconnect between industry specialists and career consultants).
• Communication breakdown/lack of communication.
• Ability to interpret and articulatesolutions back to the client.
• Client perception (e.g. challenges are unique to the sector).
• Delivering difficult news.
• Articulating value of consultancy(e.g. financial and non-financial benefits). Reputation/stereotypesregarding consultants.
Challenge of delivering client centric professional consulting
Challenge in relation to own and client’s organisation:
• Organisation Type (e.g. local, international, global, project/programme based, operational, departmental or strategic business unit).
• Organisational purpose (strategic definition, vision, mission).
• Strategic narrative (historical perspective).
• Governance (e.g. public, private, third sector).
• Legal status of the organisation.
• Levels of organisational maturity.
• External environment.
Challenge of delivering client centric professional consulting
Challenge in relation to organisational culture
• Myths, stories, systems, processes, structure, internal politics, structure and demographic of the workforce (Cultural Web Johnson et al., 2011).
• The Three Levels of Culture (Schein, 1992).
• Internal factors. ‘The way we do things around here’ (Deal and Kennedy, 1982 & 2000).
• Internal influences (Hofstede, 1980).
• Toxic cultures (e.g. leadership, bullying, discrimination, me first attitudes, hostility, infighting).
• Competing Values Framework (Quinn and Rohrbaugh, 1983).
• Performance targets.
• Organisational climate (e.g. short-term peaks and troughs in operational activity, seasonality).
• Change (e.g. projects, innovation, restructuring, new ways of working, leadership).
• Challenges in relation to digital landscape, impact of disruptive technologies.
Strategies for building people capability:
Learning and skills development.
• Coaching and mentoring.
• Talent management.
• Reward and recognition.
• Role requirements/role modelling.
• Succession/pipeline planning.
• Equality diversity and inclusion (Equality Act, 2010).
• Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability.
• Human resourcemanagement (Beardwell and Thompson, 2017).
• Human resourcedevelopment (Ulrich and Brockbank, 2005).
• People : individuals or teams.
• Own organisation or client organisation.
Approaches to valuing people and promoting mental health and well-being:
• Development of healthy work systems.
• Targeted approaches to tackling stress, anxiety, depression.
• Fair and decent work (The Taylor review of modern working practices, 2017).
• Flexible working/work life integration.
• Safeguard of individuals rights and responsibilities.
• Creating safe environments which enable mental health and well-being to be discussed.
• Removal of structures (e.g. self-determined annual leave, empowered individuals (Ricardo Semler,1993)).
Approachesto valuingpeopleand promoting mental health and wellbeing:
• Mental Health First Aid.
• Building confidence, rapport, trust.
• Honest conversations (Miles, Munilla and Darroch,2006; Beer and Eisenstat, 2004).
• Social corporate responsibility as part of community to reduce discrimination and offer opportunities to all.
• Embedding/promoting equality, diversity and inclusion into overarching aims and objectives of an organisation.
• The case for equality, diversity and inclusion (Kirton et al. 2014).
• Valuing diversity (Griggs, 1995).
• Super-diversity (Vertovec, 2007).
• Turning adversity into competitive advantage (Sutanto, 2010).
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Fishbone Diagram (Ishikawa, c.1968)
SIX SIGMA
• "Six Sigma is considered a disciplined effort that closely examines a company’s repetitive processes for product design, production, suppliers, products and services, and the organisation as a whole (Defeo, 1999)."
• The Six Sigma concept is designed for professionals who are not familiar with it but need to have a basic understanding of what it means and how it can benefit their organisations. You will learn Six Sigma basics, advantages and limitations.
• Six Sigma Definition
• Six Sigma is a method of comparing organisation process performance with critical customer needs, ensuring that business outputs (its products and services) are consistently designed to exact customer requirements. The technique aims to produce products that are virtually defect-free (Antony and Banuelas, 2002; Simmons, 2002).
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
• CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
• "The things we fear most in organizations– fluctuations, disturbances, imbalances – are the primary source of creativity (Margaret J. Wheatley)"
• Continuous improvement strategyhas been mostly applied in the field of quality improvement. The concept reviews initiatives that enhance operational performance and reports on research in the area highlighting key success factors, capabilities and business evidence.
Continuous Improvement Definition
• The term continuous improvement (CI) is derived from the Japanese management concept Kaizen. It is a process of constantlyintroducing small incremental changes in a business in order to improve quality and/or efficiency. Bhuiyan and Baghel (2005) define CI more generally as a culture of sustained improvement targeting the elimination of waste in all systems and processes of an organisation. It involves collective working to make improvements without necessarily making huge capital investments (Bhuiyan and Baghel, 2005).
COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS
• "In the final analysis, you get what you pay for (James Sinegal, CEO Costco)."
• The concept will enable business owners, project leaders and practitionersto graspthe basics of cost-benefit analysis and understand the systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis Definition
• Cost-Benefit analysis is an approachto activity appraisal that involves the estimation of the overall cost and benefits in monetary value terms. The activity could be an impending project or proposed policy. The approachis used to determine whether a particularactivity is viable or to evaluate the effects of alternative decisions (Barnett, 1985).
The Deming Cycle
The Deming or PDCA Cycle (also known as PDSA Cycle), is a continuous quality improvement model consisting out of a logical sequence of four repetitive steps for continuous improvement and learning: Plan, Do, Study (Check) and Act. The PDSA cycle (or PDCA) is also known as the Deming Cycle, the Deming wheel of continuous improvement spiral.
KAIZEN
• "Kaizen is a management strategythat focuses on constant, processoriented improvement (Imai, 1986)."
• Kaizen is a Japanese word typically translatedas 'continuous improvement'. The term refers to the strategyof making small improvements on a continuousbasis. The concept will help managers and practitionersto better understandhow to benefit from applying Kaizen in their organisations.
Kaizen Definition
• Kaizen, as a philosophy, is defined as the spirit of improvement based on the spirit of cooperationand commitment; equally relevant in personal, home, social and working life (Brunet, 2000). The specific application of Kaizen to the workplace means continuing (and relatively inexpensive) improvement involving everyone: top management, managers and workers alike (Imai, 1986).
DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS
• "In pursuing the goal of improving decision making, many different types of computerised DSS have been built to help decision teams and individual decision makers (Arnott and Pervan, 2008)."
• The concept explains the usefulness of decision support systems for organisational problem solving. It describes the types of decision support systems available, their advantages and limitations, as well as real case studies of firms using DSS across different industries and sectors.
• Decision Support Systems Definition
• Decision Support Systems (DSS) are interactive computer-based systems that enable people to use IT communications, data, documents, knowledge and models to solve problems and make decisions. DSS are intended to improve and speed-up the processes by which people make and communicate decisions. However, they are designed to be auxiliary systems instead of replacing skilled decision makers (Power, 2002).
DECISION TREES
• "Decision trees can assist executives in making strategic decisions (Buckley and Dudley, 1999). "
• The concept describes one of the most used decision-making models, a decision tree, which explores all possible decisions and their consequences and allows for comparison of such alternatives in one single pane.
• Decision Trees Definition
• A decision tree is an analytical tool for partitioning a dataset based on the relationships between a group of independent variables and a dependent variable (Coles and Rowley, 1995). It is a pictorial representation of the flow of events in a logical and time-sequenced manner so that the decision-maker can consider the probabilities of each outcome (Marsh, 1993). In other words, it is a decision support tool that uses a tree-like graph or model of decisions and their possible consequences, such as chance event outcomes, resource costs, and utility.
Learning Outcomes
1. Understand the importance of the client/consultant relationship
2. Be able to develop and manage the client relationship
3. Be able to use negotiation and influencing skills in the client/consultant relationship