a ten-step consulting process -...
TRANSCRIPT
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A Ten-Step Consulting Process
by
Geoff Bellman
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Copyright 2012 GMB Associates, Ltd.
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A TEN-STEP CONSULTING PROCESS
by Geoff Bellman
INTRODUCTION
I was a consultant before I knew what one was, and I have been one for over thirty years. Since
beginning in this work, I have been following “a consulting process”—whether I knew it or not,
whether I was effective or not. With experience--and help from associates, workshops, and patient
clients—I learned what worked and did not work for me. I talked about better ways of consulting with
my clients, my peers, and eventually consultants on my staff. When I was faced with helping my
staff members develop their consulting skills, I came up with ten steps that defined the consulting
process as I knew it.
It could have been four steps, or twelve, or seven; but for me, it’s ten. I created the steps based on
the many different skills involved, rather than the interaction with the client. The ten-step process
feels long and detailed to me when I think of it as a guide for my work with a client. But when I think
about helping consultants learn what they need to know, it feels just right!
In a few pages, we will begin exploring these ten steps. My presentation will be chronological,
detailed, and biased by my experience. This is not an academic treatise on what you should do;
these steps are based on personal real world practice, not research, and my consulting process has
been formed by what has worked for me. And what has not worked.
I see us consultants as custodians of the consulting process. We need to have answers when a
client asks, “What would you do if you were consulting to me?” “…Well…What do you want me to
do?” is not the correct answer! Based on your experience and training, you should be able to
describe to this new client just what the two of you might do together. You may be this client’s first-
ever consultant; they may know nothing about how to work with you. They will expect you to know
something about how you prefer to consult; more experienced clients would want the same. This is
a legitimate expectation. It comes with the consultant’s territory.
In my early years as a consultant, I read what others did; I depended on more experienced
colleagues to tell me how to approach clients—just as you may be doing as you read this booklet.
Over time, my own sense of my consulting process emerged, and I was able to more confidently talk
with clients about how I preferred to work.
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And that is what is happening with you right now. As you read through my ten steps, you may notice
yourself agreeing and disagreeing with me. This is not simply a matter of who’s right and who’s
wrong; it’s about your emerging consulting process. So pay attention. Pay attention to what you
especially like about what I propose; it may become part of your emerging process. And pay
attention to what you do not like; that may be a clue to something in your emerging consulting
process that is different from mine. Enough introduction! Let’s jump into the ten steps:
A TEN-STEP CONSULTING PROCESS
1. ENTRY
2. CONTRACTING
3. INQUIRY
4. INTERPRETATION
5. FEEDBACK
6. ALTERNATIVES
7. DECISION
8. ACTION
9. MEASUREMENT
10. ENDING
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Read through the list again, from one through ten. See if the step labels make sense to you…see if
they take you somewhere. The process begins with the initial contact with a potential client and ends
when the work is done. I will try to make each step clear to you as we spend this time together.
When I talk with clients, I seldom say, “Here’s the ten-step process I follow.” I am more likely to say,
“I follow a process that starts with today’s initial exploration of your concerns and of the issues and
opportunities you face. Then I’m likely to ask you to send me to a few other people to get their
perspective on what you told me. After that, I’ll come back to you in a couple of days to propose
what we do next.” Those three sentences are about the first two steps in the ten-step process. At
this early stage, I think these are the only steps I must discuss with clients. At this point, I have no
idea whether I’ll be working on a major project or something smaller. I need more information about
them and they need more about me; then we can decide.
But I’m getting ahead of myself….
The pages which follow offer explanation and guidance on each of the ten steps. Each step includes
a list of thoughts I find helpful in performing the step better. As you read through this process, think
about how it relates to what you do; think about your skills in performing each step. It may be useful
for you to make a few notes along the way:
Which steps are particularly important to you in your work?
Which steps are you most skillful in?
Which do you need to learn most about?
And, what is your consulting process?
As you become more aware of the elements of your process, you will find that you will also become
more grounded and focused in dealing with your clients.
STEP ONE: ENTRY
The client’s first steps toward seeking a consultant begin with an “itch.” An itch that they feel they
cannot scratch alone…and that’s when you or I might get a call, and that’s when the consulting
process begins. In my book, Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge, I talk at length
about “the itch.” More properly expressed, it’s an important difference between what the client has
and what they want. It’s that gap, perhaps clearly known, perhaps felt intuitively. And they call you
because they feel you might be able to help them narrow the gap. They usually call because they
think you might have the unique expertise they need. You answer their call because you are looking
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for work—and you share their belief that you might help….might help. That’s the beginning of a new
client/consultant relationship.
So…You are sitting at your desk, wondering what you could do to cause your phone to ring more
often…and the phone rings! It’s a potential client, reminding you of who she is, telling you she thinks
she might need a consultant, and wondering what you might be able to do for her. After a short
discussion, you reach for your empty calendar and ask when the two of you could meet to talk further
about this. You agree on a time and date. You put down the phone, scream “YES!” —and pick up
this booklet—which you will study daily until your meeting!
I’m going to follow your work with this client through this ten-step consulting process. (I know already
that you are going to get this work, so I’m not going to coach you on sales skills—that’s another
book.) You arrive at the first meeting with the client ready and willing to work. Here are some things
to think about before your first meeting:
1.1 Clients usually call because they have “a problem”; they sometimes call because they have
“an opportunity.” There is also a good chance that they have tried something else before calling
you. It is common for consultants to be called in long after the ideal intervention point has
passed. You hear about problems when they have become well-established and quite
uncomfortable.
1.2 Clients have often defined the problem and the solution--that is why this client called you. If you
are a trainer, she called because she thinks training is the solution to her problem. If you are a
strategic planning, she thinks she needs a plan. If you are a team builder, guess what? And of
course, that client may be right. On the other hand, she may not.
1.3 Respect the client's willingness to act on this problem. The fact that she called you indicates a
willingness to do something about it. With experience, you will discover that at least seventy
percent of the time the client’s presenting problem is not the real problem of the organization. A
good way to start things off badly is to tell her this--to suggest that what she thinks is the problem
is not. Respect her definition of the problem. There’s a very good chance that others in her
organization will have different definitions.
1.4 Begin where the client wants to begin, rather than where you would prefer to begin. She has a
story to tell and needs to tell it. This need is often as important as the story. Listen to both and
demonstrate your respect for what the client says and the feelings that come with that. Notice
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the parts of the problem that seem particularly important to her. Listen carefully to what she has
to say.
1.5 Demonstrate your interest through facial expressions, nonverbal behavior, and frequent eye
contact. After hearing the client out, restate in your own words what you have heard in terms of
what you think she wants. Check this statement with the client to make sure you are accurate.
It’s most important that the client knows she has been heard and that you understand her
problem as she understands it.
1.6 Establish your interest in helping the client. Tell her that this problem is interesting to you, that it
is important, and that you would like to help. Make sincere statements that establish your
willingness to take the next steps with her.
1.7 Elaborate on the related experience you have had. Offer a couple of examples of other projects
you’ve worked on. Build her confidence in you. Talk generally about how you like to work with
clients: How you engage them in projects, what you expect of them, and what they can expect
of you. (You have to know this ahead of time, and you do, because you have been thinking
about it since she called!) As you talk with her, focus on the results you can deliver. Also tell
her the fee for your work.
1.8 Get client support for the first few steps that you want to take over the next several days.
Ask for copies of related materials that you can read to help you understand the problem.
(Just 1-3 hours of reading; do not overwhelm yourself.)
Ask the client to arrange individual meetings for you with three or four others who could add
their perspectives to hers. Short meetings (30-40 minutes) will do.
Supplement what the client provides with some on-line research of your own.
1.9 Schedule your next meeting before you leave this one. Tell the client what you will bring her at
that meeting: Your updated impressions based on reading and interviews, and your proposed
next steps.
1.10 As you finish this meeting, ask the client how the meeting went: Did it give her what she
needed? Is there anything else she wants from you?
If you stick to the Entry step, this first meeting will be an hour, perhaps two. If it is longer, you have
probably moved into later steps in the consulting process. In this initial step, you may find you need
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to learn more about conflicts standing in the way of the client's need for action. This is a common
discussion point throughout many consultations. You often need more information before committing
to action because (as we said earlier) the client’s presenting problem is often not the real problem.
Respect the client’s need to act now, while the two of you negotiate a way for you to find out more.
Between now and the next meeting with the client:
Read materials the client sends your way
Interview those few people she wants you to talk with
Assess what you have learned
Design your Inquiry (Step Three)
Make notes on the Contracting (Step Two) that you want to make with the client.
STEP TWO: CONTRACTING
A contract is the primary outcome of your next meeting with the client. That meeting concludes with
agreement between you and the client on what services you will offer, and what support you will
expect from each other. This is not a legal contract; it is more dynamic than that; it can be changed
by mutual agreement (not a bad idea to include that stipulation in the document). Put your
agreements in writing so that later you will know your original agreement. Contracting includes these
questions.
What is the work? The issue? The opportunity? The problem?>
What are the outcomes expected? By the client? By you?
How will you approach the problem together?
What information with you gather from whom? How? By when?
How will you report information back? In what format? By when? To whome?
How will you and the client work with together? Keep each other informed? Deal with
issues? Support each other? Measure progress? Alter your contract?
What will this contract cost in time, money, equipment, and materials?
Come to this meeting with notes on your answers to these questions, knowing that you will revise
what you have written. Suggest that the client do the same. Assume that the contract you make will
be revised later as the work itself informs you. Some specific suggestions for creating contracts:
2.1 Make the contracting portion of your meeting more business-like, emphasizing mutual
understanding, clarity, and agreement. Take notes throughout the meeting, knowing you will
prepare the agreement from what is discussed.
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2.2 Early on, before laying out all of your ideas, ask the client what she sees as the important
questions you need to answer together, and talk about her answers to her own questions. Take
notes on all of this.
2.3 Weave your own questions and answers into and around what the client offers. Make this a
conversation with real dialogue, with full give-and-take. Then tell the client when you would like
to meet again and what information you will bring to that meeting.
2.4 Follow the meeting with a memo that describes the main elements of the contract. This way
you both will have a copy as you review the agreed-upon points for moving forward.
2.5 Set up times when the two of you will periodically reconsider how the contract is working.
Contracting is dynamic and can be altered whenever the two of you want to change it. Unlike a
legal contract, a consulting agreement is expected to change; both client and consultant are
expected to keep the contract up to date.
2.6 If you have not already emphasized the point, ask the client how everyone will know whether
the project has been successful when it is all over. Write down the response. Return to those
notes in the measurement step.
One uncomfortable pattern I can see in my career as a consultant: Most of my problems with clients
came through unclear contracting. I thought I was to do something different from what the client
expected. We thought we understood each other when we didn’t. Or, I wanted to do something, but
I wasn’t clear with the client. After the collapse of an engagement, when I look back, I almost always
find an ill-defined contract was the cause.
STEP THREE: INQUIRY
This step is all about intentional learning—learning about the client organization. It is often labeled
“Data Collection.” I called it that myself for years. But I like the tone of “inquiry” better, because it
implies a genuine and positive curiosity; it is not simply the assembling of random, dry information.
Inquiry involves a intentional search, an openness to what is going on in this place. (“Appreciative
Inquiry” and its disciples would go farther with this--see the Resources at the end of this booklet for
more information about the AI perspective and methods.)
You, with the support of your client, have to decide how you are going to learn more about the
problem and what surrounds it. You will use different methods to explore the organization for the
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information you need. And your inquiry in large part will be directed toward people. You gather
information by watching, listening, asking, and reading. You can do any of these in more-or-less
structured ways.
You will watch people and interpret what you see.
You will likely read about what has been happening around the organization.
You will talk with/interview some individuals.
You may gather people in groups to talk with them—or have them talk with each other.
You may ask people to complete a questionnaire of your own or someone else’s design.
You may watch people systematically for particular aspects of their behavior.
You may ask them to perform certain tasks to see what they do and how they do it.
Any of these methods, and more, can be appropriate; it just depends on the project’s purposes and
resources (for example: time, money, energy, geography, culture). You can deal with people face-to-
face, in groups, on the telephone, or on-line. You can do the inquiry yourself, or you can have
people in the client organization do it. The key is to be aware of the information you are looking for,
to consciously select an appropriate inquiry method, and to ensure that method is employed
skillfully.
This Inquiry step should be closely coordinated with the client’s project manager. Here’s what I try to
think about as I inquire:
3.1 Draft your approach to Inquiry before completing the Contracting step; you should have at least
a roughed-out Inquiry strategy up front. Use the information the client gave you, plus any
interviews you’ve conducted, in designing your information-gathering plan. Select inquiry
methods that are easy to use and easy for the client to understand and buy into. (If the client
doesn't understand and get behind what you are doing, chances are she may not believe the
data that comes out of this step.)
3.2 Build out bias. One common mistake is gathering information in a way that confirms your
assumptions. For example, suppose you were to ask managers, “What are your three biggest
problems in working here?” You would likely leave the inquiry convinced that this organization
has BIG problems within the management team! But your question created the bias reflected in
the data. Instead, you might ask the same managers, “What are your three greatest joys in
working here?” Quite a different bias would likely emerge…And both questions combined might
not get at the really important issues here. Your challenge: Inquire in a way that does not bias
the response you receive.
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3.3 Gather information in a way that allows people to speak to what is happening at work that is
important to them and the organization. If you are a trainer, do not ask what kind of training they
need. If you do, they will tell you, and you will have misled yourself into thinking you have
discovered something important. Not likely. Instead, ask what is happening at work and what
should be happening. Or, ask what present performance is like, and what they think it should
be. Get people to talk about what they know best: their work, their performance, and their
results. Later in your consulting process, you can help them decide what needs to be done and
consider how you might contribute.
3.4 When the client first called you, she had already done a preliminary diagnosis that resulted in
her pushing the buttons of her telephone. Your buttons. When you received her call, you had
the opportunity to confirm the client's early and usually hasty diagnosis. This Inquiry step is
about getting past what the client figured out ahead of time and into what is really going on.
3.5 Polish your interviewing and observing skills. Inquiry always includes interviewing and
observing. There is no avoiding talking to and seeing people along the way—even if it is just the
initial contact person.
3.6 Collect lots of paper and electronic data. Recorded data is all history; it has already happened,
and indicates how things have been done. The future usually builds on the past, so paying
attention to history will help you be wiser about influencing what comes next. And attending to
history also shows the client that you respect their past It’s not as if everything really important
began with your arrival!
3.7 My ideal is to inquire of everyone who might be invested in the issue and its resolution. I never
realize this ideal; it’s just too time-consuming and expensive. But it does bias me toward
including more rather than less people. The change that happens down the road will require the
support of many people. And people are more likely to support change when they have
participated in the steps leading to it.
3.8 Inquire of management first. These are the people who invited you in. Working with them first
reassures them about what will be happening in the organizations they lead. It also allows them
to influence your approach, build their trust in you, and commit to the project.
3.9 Tell those you involve as much as you can about what you are doing. Be as open with them as
you expect them to be with you. Know that when you are less than open, this will be sensed and
will affect that data you are given. Be open about the process you are using. Tell them what you
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have learned so far—but not until you have heard from them. You don’t want your comments to
influence what they say.
3.10 Do not collect secrets or gossip. When people load you up with confidential data, they are
giving you a responsibility that you cannot carry. You can only help this client when you can use
what you learn. I find it useful to tell people that what they tell me is not confidential but
anonymous. They can expect to see anything they tell me in a report, but written in a way that
protects their identity.
3.11 Do not yield to the temptation to analyze the data while you are still collecting it. Doing so
usually results in premature conclusions and affects the way you collect data from that point
forward, and biases your results. Wait until the Interpretation step.
Inquiry creates expectations. Change of some sort—mostly imagined at this point—has already
started. People’s expectations will vary greatly and will not be eliminated by saying, “Don't worry.”
These concerns can be reduced by carrying out the Inquiry quickly and reporting out the results to
those involved.
You are biased; we all are. Give up the notion that you are an objective observer; you aren't. Know
your biases and put them aside during Inquiry. At this point, you want to ensure that you are really
seeing what is going on in the organization. Later on, you will make judgments about what ought to
be done, and you want to be certain those judgments are based on your clear vision of reality.
STEP FOUR: INTERPRETATION
I’m tempted to rename this fourth step “Discovery,” because that is what most engages me…and
“Inquiry” and “Discovery” fit so well together. But discovery is only a small, important part of this step;
the larger part of it truly is interpretation.
There are two parts to analyzing the information you have collected: What does it say, and, What
does it mean? What it says is the more literal part. What it means is the more interpretive part.
Sorting data for content (what it says) leads to what it means…At least that’s how I approach it.
You have piles of data spread out before you…what the hell does it all say…and what does it all
mean? That’s what you and your client have to figure out. Because there is much at stake here, it’s
very useful to engage the client in this Interpretation step. Here are my observations on analyzing
reams of data with no prepackaged way of doing so:
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4.1 Find the new order. Make sense of what’s in front of you in a new way. That is what this
interpretation is about. How could all of this data make sense in a way that would be useful to the
organization? That sense may emerge…or it may have to be imposed…or it may never come
about (…my lingering fear).
4.2 It is easier to do this step if your information is displayed so that you can move it about easily.
For example, it is a lot easier to move around 3" x 5" cards, each containing one line of data,
than it is to move around 8 1/2" x 14" sheets, each containing twelve to twenty lines of data.
Juxtapose separate bits of data so you can build the patterns in front of you. When you are
back at Step Three, Inquiry, think about how you can gather information in a way that makes it
easier to sort.
4.3 Sort the data more than once withholding your commitment to any one interpretation. For
example, you might sort the data by who said it, looking for patterns among the job titles or levels
of those interviewed. And then you might sort again based on geographic location. Or shift. And
yet another sort would be by common issues. Don't finish this step too quickly. Sleep on it if you
can. You will have your own opinions, but sorting the data a few different ways will put your
opinions in a larger perspective.
4.4 Do not be afraid to get lost in the data; be willing to not understand what it all means. The client
may have been struggling with the issue for years. Why should you immediately understand it?
A natural part of the interpretation process is to be confused for a while; the data does not
always make sense As the saying goes, if you are not confused, then maybe you just don't
understand the issues! Being clear too early can mean that you are blind to what is really
happening…But then again, maybe you really do understand. Either is possible—which tells me
that you should consider more alternatives than the first to present itself.
4.5 If a clear sort of the information does not emerge, then force one. This can allow other possible
sorts to present themselves. Yes, there are times when no significant patterns exist. Sometimes
it means there was nothing to find; other times it means you need to know more. And what you
have may present you with clues for where to look next.
4.6 Shape your resulting interpretation to be readily understood by the people who will be seeing
and using it. If they cannot understand it—or don’t believe it—you will be in the position of selling
them on what you think they told you…not a comfortable position.
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To reinforce an earlier point, when you can, involve the client deeply in this interpretation step. She
can help your understanding of what the data means. And her involvement in the interpretation builds
her commitment to the process and its outcomes. If you want the client to believe your eventual
recommendations, she needs to agree on the validity of the data you’ve collected and understand
the way you analyzed it.
Your product from this step is a written report that contains:
A brief explanation of how the Inquiry and Interpretation were done
Identification of who was involved
The data—what it says, sorted without interpretation
The interpretation—what it means.
All of this feeds the step which follows.
STEP FIVE: FEEDBACK
This step has to do with giving the data and the interpretation to the client in a way that she can
understand it and accept it. She needs to believe it. She needs to “own” it. She might say something
like, "Yes…I understand your report…It’s organized in a helpful way…This data is clearly from our
organization… I think it accurately reflects what is going on around here." That’s the ownership we
are looking for: She has made your report her own.
The formal presentation of feedback is often a focal and challenging session with your primary client
and others. You are usually bringing important issues into sharp focus. She and others in the room
likely had a hand in creating the issues that the report reveals. Thanks to your fine work, they are
now being confronted with the need to take action! And frequently the real issues revealed are
different from the presenting issues the client originally called you about. Yes, this is a culminating,
exciting, and tough step. Here are some tips that have helped me—when I’ve been successful in
feeding back cumulative data and my interpretation:
5.1 Arrange to present the data in a meeting attended by key people critical to understanding,
support, and eventual buy-in. You collected the data, so you run the meeting. Plan sufficient
time for people to absorb what the data says and figure out what it means. This task is often
quite time-consuming, and there is nothing worse than having to quit in the middle of the group’s
work on the data.
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5.2 You’ve prepared the data for feedback, and sorted it in a way that will make ready sense to the
client. For example, if your Inquiry process included a series of interview questions, list each
question with the responses you gathered beneath it. This is simple and understandable; it is a
logical extension of the interview process they went through. Your sort needs to fit with the
expectations you helped create when you contracted with your client.
5.3 Separate the sorted data from your interpretation of the data; do not give it all to the client at
once. My experience has shown that the client usually wants the data and your interpretation
together—and frequently your recommendations too! What’s wrong with this, you ask?
Showing your interpretation before clients have made their own, can both preclude important
analytical work on their part, and reduce ownership of your interpretation. When you can, avoid
committing yourself to any interpretation before the client has seen all the data. What if they
don’t like the data? What if they don’t like your interpretation? What if you are wrong?
5.4 Seek their ownership of the data. Ask them if they agree that this data is probably
representative of the organization. Do not ask them whether they agree with the data; that is
quite a different point! When people challenge the data as false, invalid, or distorted, ask them
for the data that is missing, and promise to add it to what you have already collected. You need
not defend the data, because it is not yours. It comes from them and their people.
5.5 After they “own” the data, help them move to interpreting it. Draw out their interpretation and
weave in your own. Acknowledge that your views came from hearing them; what they have said
affected you. Build on their contributions rather than present a separate (no doubt brilliant)
interpretation that feeds your ego but starves your effectiveness.
5.6 Expect some negative reactions. This is important stuff! If the people in the room had known
how resolve the issues, they would have done so without inviting you in. Some people may feel
challenged, criticized, and defensive. This feedback step may be their first indication that they
are not doing as well as they thought—and they are getting the bad news in front of their peers.
Yes, all of this suggests a more “formal” presentation to the client group. Find out how they typically
do this; what are they likely to expect? Then do it better. As you prepare, keep in mind the client’s
focus on action and results. Too often we consultants are entranced by our own methodology, and
we waste precious time explaining how we did what we did, while the client just wants to know what
we came up with. They need to know about both the how and the what, with an emphasis on the
what. In preparing your presentation, plan:
What you are going to say
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What you are going to show
What you are not going to say, but are ready to talk about
How you are going to involve them
What outcomes you expect.
(TIME OUT)
We have completed five of the ten steps and we are still a long way from our Action step. Let’s use
this time out to reflect on how you are liking/not liking this ten-step consulting process: How natural
does the process feel to you? What has this process asked you to do that you would not ordinarily
do? What have you learned from the early steps? Where do you feel that the process and I are off-
base? And, what does my process sequencing suggest about your own?
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STEP SIX: ALTERNATIVES
Now that your client group and you agree on what the data says and what it means, it’s time to
explore what can possibly be done about it—with the emphasis on "possibly." Too often, we and our
clients rush to judgment and action; this step intends to slow us down enough to consider the array
of actions we might take before we decide what we will do. This potentially creative step is not as
limited by practical considerations as are the two steps that follow--Decision and Action.
6.1 Develop alternatives against your clear, shared interpretation of the situation, plus a set of
parameters related to the desired outcomes—delineated in your early Contracting step.
Decisions chosen from alternatives give the decision-makers increased confidence in their
actions,because they know they have deliberated; they have been in control.
6.2 Involve the clients in developing the alternatives. Again, you may run up against client
demands to move ahead, and you may have to compromise. But push back when you can.
Their involvement results in more and better ideas without sacrificing any of the ideas you have
developed. The amount of client involvement in this step depends on a number of factors: their
expertise in your area, the amount of support they will be asked to contribute to the eventual
decision to move forward, time pressures, and your own ability to generate alternatives.
6.3 Don’t make your suggested alternatives into a beautiful report, but do have good ideas in
reserve on what the client might do next. Having thought of alternatives ahead also allows you to
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ask questions and present thoughts that stimulate the group to deal more deeply with the data
before them. Plan how you will involve them in developing their own alternatives. Do not
preempt them, but do think ahead. Then, weave your alternatives in with those that come from
the group.
Three actions you can perform within this step include:
Develop alternatives
Help clients develop their own alternatives
Then add your harmonic alternatives to the mix.
Our cultural bias toward do-it-now action often means this Alternatives step gets short shrift. The
result too often can be less creative and less complete solutions.
STEP SEVEN: DECISION
The Decision is usually wound up with Step Six: Alternatives. I separated out decision-making here
because it involves a different set of skills for you, the consultant. And also for the client. Where
Alternatives involves a creative reach outward; the Decision involves a narrowing in on the best
choice. Both usually involve people who were not present when you and the client began the initial
steps of the consulting process.
7.1 For the decision to work when it is taken to Action (in the next step), it’s critical to involve the
people who will be affected by that decision. Suggest to the client that these kinds of people be
invited to the alternative-building and decision-making meeting:
People with related and useful expertise
People with necessary authority
People affected by the decision
People whose commitment is needed
People who need to support the decision.
7.2 Involving people does not necessarily mean they will all make the decision together. They may
act instead as listeners or advisors—with the boss making the final decision. Whoever is
involved, just make sure that they know their role in relation to the decision-making process.
7.3 Make sure that people know what is being decided and the potential impact on them and the
organization. They will have to live with the decision from day to day, and you want it to be well
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supported. If a decision is hard-sold to them, their implementation of it will be less than
enthusiastic.
7.4 In summary, try to keep the client group from endorsing a final action until they have a
complete and shared understanding of the data, its interpretation, and all available alternatives.
After the decision, help the client lay out who will do what, where, and by when. Make this widely
understood among those present. Those specifics will inform what happens next—in the Action
step.
STEP EIGHT: ACTION
You and the client have done a lot of work to get to this Action step. Without you, the client no doubt
would probably have acted earlier--and most likely have acted differently. With this action step, the
client’s real talents come to the fore. Many organizations are much better at action than they are at
preparing for it. (That same truth stands for many of us consultants, too—at least in our private
lives!) With many clients, I feel like turning them loose, now that they have pointed themselves in the
right direction. Others, heavy with committees and bureaucracy, meet their first real test with this
action step: They are too talented in preparation. . .and lack the will to act. This action step may be
the first point that you detect resistance to change. Before now, we were just talking about it, but
now that we are beginning action, that is threatening! Here are some ideas that may help:
8.1 Encourage immediate action, building on the momentum established in earlier steps. Resist the
temptation to relax now that the client has decided to act. Very important work is about to begin.
Help it happen! All the good inquiry, interpretation, and planning will be lost if the momentum is
not maintained. Momentum is precious; don’t squander it!
8.2 Participants involved in the last few steps of the process should see a direct, dynamic
relationship between the action that is beginning and what they participated in earlier. Current
action should be consistent with earlier plans and the underlying assumptions. For example, if
earlier steps anticipated involving a wide array of people, that should be happening right now.
Participation put aside in favor of unilateral direction would undermine the project.
8.3 Help the key leaders find and take specific, observable, immediate action that demonstrates
change in line with the initiative’s direction.
What could key leaders do right now? They are the models others will look to.
What could an individual employee do? How is the organization supporting that?
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What information, familiarization, or training would help people move into action more
quickly?
How could recent changes be communicated across the organization?
What could be done to reinforce individual and group initiatives that support the change?
Carry out your part of the action promptly with no doubt that others will do their parts. Be a good and
public example of support for the changes being implemented.
8.4 Observe early actions closely; see them as a measure of commitment, and understanding of
the project. Encourage and reinforce people who are trying new behaviors as a result of the
changes being instituted. Applaud all changes, even those that don't work that well, in
recognition of the fact that at least they were tried.
8.5 Find ways to coach and counsel your clients through their new actions rather than taking over
and doing the job for them. Avoid the tendency to “fill the breach” because you think they don’t
know how to do it, are neglecting it, or lack commitment. It’s their organization, not yours. They
live here; you don’t. Certainly help; but they should be extending far more energy than you.
8.6 Expect setbacks and help your clients expect them. Your and their idealism can put you on
what looks like a constantly rising, starry path. Know that you will have problems. The more
noble your aspirations, the more likely problems will occur. Anticipate those problems and
develop contingency plans for dealing with them. Make "unexpected" problems "expected." Help
your clients build this anticipation into their actions in Step Seven. Encourage and lead meetings
that help people review how they are doing, accept their success and slippage, and figure out
what they can do to build on their success.
All these ideas are ways to maintain project progress and priority through time. My most common
difficulty is with this step: Project initiators and leaders feel great about what they have done; they
feel the change has been instituted; they expect others to carry it out as they shift their attention to
more immediate priorities. I’ve seen more projects fail for this reason than any other.
STEP NINE: MEASUREMENT
We arrive at a most difficult and often neglected step in the consulting process: Measurement. Few
of those involved look forward to it. I’m not in love with it myself! If the project is very successful,
people are inclined to celebrate their successes and exaggerate accomplishments. If it fails,
participants often run for cover—including the consultant! I’m not bragging about this; I’m reporting
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on what I’ve seen myself and clients do. Most often, the results are some combination of success
and failure. We made a net gain, but not without some losses along the way. Or, we didn’t come
close to accomplishing what we intended in the beginning, but we did make a significant difference.
We have at least two difficulties with measurement: First of all, it can’t be accurately done, and
secondly, we might be held accountable. To the first point, the breadth and depth of the impact of
even a small change effort seeps out in directions too numerous and expensive to document.
Nobody knows how much difference this change project made in any absolute ways. Yes, we might
be able to quantify the time and money we put into it, but what about the energy? The commitment?
The excitement? And the same holds for what comes out of the effort.
And to my second concern: Measurement of projects often links to issues of personal responsibility
and control. As in, “I’m being held responsible for something I do not control.” Or, “I am being
measured by others who do not understand, and I cannot control their conclusions about me.”
Measurement works much better when approached as the opportunity to learn—rather to establish
targets for potential punishment.
These concerns should not outweigh the organizational necessity of asking: How are we doing on
this project in relation to what we intended? Are we getting what we wanted? How has the
organization been affected? What have we learned along the way? How does what we did affect
what we will do next time? How is our client/consultant relationship developing?
Most measurement questions can be sorted into four realms:
Impact within the organization: What is happening differently? What is being done? How
are people behaving? What do they understand? How is overall morale?
Results outside the organization: How are our outcomes, products, image, and services
different because of this project?
Meeting our commitment: How well have we honored our original and evolving
improvement plan?
Learning: What have we learned as a result of this change initiative?
These are the kinds of questions you and your client should be talking about. You should certainly
be talking about them during the project as well as at the end. In addition to the dialogue between
you and your client, there will also be a dialogue evaluating your work. The following ideas can be
useful in either dialogue:
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9.1 Expect the project to be evaluated. Organizations attempt to measure what is important to
them and don't measure what is unimportant. Push to have the project evaluated. Clarify what
will be measured, when, and how. Know who will do it and how much it will cost, in time and
money. (This ties back to the Contracting step.)
9.2 Do not wait until this ninth step to measure. Build in progress reviews that happen regularly
during the project. For example, after reviewing the data coming from Inquiry and Interpretation,
check with the client on how the project is going. Another example: When the client group is
planning next steps, encourage them to generate meetings to assess actions taken, recognize
success, and strengthen areas of weakness.
9.3 Do not make measurement a separate activity. Instead, incorporate measurement mileposts
within the Action plans discussed earlier. Help your client see measurement as necessary to
project success, rather than something tacked on as an afterthought. When they are
consistently planned for ahead of time, tracking measures can be quite constructive. When they
are suddenly added because of immediate negative concerns, they can be destructive.
9.4 If you want regular progress reviews with your client, chances are you will have to initiate the
meetings. Most of my clients only initiate an evaluation, update, or progress review when they
feel like they are trouble. You don't want to find out about problems that late. And, there is a very
positive side to regular reviews: Together you can look at the success you have had together.
Success reinforces mutual commitment to the effort. . .it builds trust. . .and it’s sure nice to be
able to remind yourself of it when the bad times hit!
9.5 Separate from the client: check with yourself to see that you are getting what you want out of
the project. When there are other consultants involved, make sure that you check progress
amongst yourselves. This will knit you closer, reveal results to celebrate, give recognition to key
players, and can often result in early identification of potential problems.
9.6 Consider measurement as another version of the Inquiry-through-Action steps in this consulting
process. Isn’t that what you do when you evaluate? You inquire; you analyze; you feed back
what you learn; you consider what to do; you decide what to do; you act.
9.7 Help your client (and yourself) understand that your attempts at measurement may fall far short
of accurate. And that is just fine! The simple act of data-gathering affects what people do and
see, and can make a positive difference in the results achieved.
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Evaluated projects get more attention than unevaluated projects. When people know that their
project is being measured, they usually deliver better results. Some people see this measurement
as a sign that their work is worth following, and that it is valued. Others perform better to avoid
looking bad, or because they think they are being watched. If your project is important, the
organization should know enough about what you are doing to help ensure it succeeds—and
periodic measurement can help keep it on track.
STEP TEN: ENDING
It is time to finish your work and leave--at least for now. This is more difficult than it might seem,
especially with a very successful project. This means saying, "Our work together is winding down; we
have little more to do under our agreement. This project is ending; how might we best conclude it?"
Sometimes you are ending the entire project. Other times, you are completing a phase and moving
on to what’s next. A third alternative is that you’ve completed this project and are now beginning a
similar project elsewhere in the client organization. Whatever is happening, it’s appropriate to
recognize that the project that has engaged you all is now coming to an end. Some of these ideas
may help you do that:
10.1 A summary report from you near project completion is one good way to acknowledge the work
is coming to a close. The report helps both you and the client step back from the work and
collect your thoughts before letting go. And it is also an opportunity to suggest getting together
to close the project in person.
10.2 One of the primary ways that people build relationships is through working together. That’s
likely happened with you and your client…and perhaps with some others in the organization.
How might you best end? There are better ways to finish than to just walking out the door.
Closing often involves some combination of reflection—on what you’ve done together, and
acknowledgment—of what you have gained through your working partnership. And sometimes
liquid refreshments and/or cake are involved!
10.3 Create a small occasion. Not an measurement session; that was in the previous step of this
process. No, this closure, this separation, has more the feel of a birthday party than an audit
meeting. There may be a little storytelling about some particular triumph…Or, a near-tragedy
that everyone can laugh about now…And, maybe some acknowledgement about what everyone
poured into this work you all did together. This is the time to recognize the group more than
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individuals. This is not the time to objectively sort out who deserves more and less recognition.
It’s a good time with good feelings, and may last ten minutes or over dinner or over a weekend.
10.4 Model the kind of behavior you would like to see coming from others. Tell a few stories; ask
others to tell theirs. Tell how the project has positively affected you, and ask others how it’s
affected them. Acknowledge that these people are important to you, and that you will miss them.
10.5 A successful project often means a closer and unique work relationship with this client.
Wonderful! Celebrate it—as discussed above. And separate that celebration from
considerations of other work. Don’t build on the emotion of the moment to propose more work,
or accept work that the client puts forth while under the influence of the moment. Make an
appointment to talk about future work sometime soon back at the office.
10.6 We consultants sometimes become dependent on our clients…financially dependent. And
we are tempted to make our clients dependent on us. Some of us are rewarded within our
consulting firms for helping our clients understand why they cannot get along without continued,
close consulting support, extending our contract indefinitely. Watch for this temptation in
yourself. Too many of us derive both our wealth and our sense of importance from making
clients dependent on us. We end up doing work the client should be doing, or recommending
work that does not have the priority we say it does.
After you have left the project, and you valued the experience, maintain regular, informal contact. I’m
not talking about calling to make a sales pitch. You don’t need to do that; the client already knows
your work. Just call to catch up and remember the good work you did together. Sure, there will be
an opportunities to check in on future work, but that should not the primary intent of those
conversations.
* * *
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SUMMARY: Diverging and Converging
Let’s conclude this booklet with one more look at the ten steps:
1. ENTRY 6. ALTERNATIVES
2. CONTRACTING 7. DECISION
3. INQUIRY 8. ACTION
4. INTERPRETATION 9. MEASUREMENT
5. FEEDBACK 10. ENDING
There is an important underlying pattern to this process that we have yet to talk about. These ten
steps are about diverging--reaching out—as in stretching your arms outward. And the steps are
also about converging-- gathering in—as in pulling your arms together in front of you. In the
diverging steps, you gather information, you develop alternatives, you explore, you think
creatively. In the converging steps, you pull things together, you decide, you consolidate. This
diverging and converging pattern repeats through the ten steps.
In the Entry step, you and the client converge; you meet. Together, you agree that you
should make an initial, brief exploration to learn a bit more—and that reaching out is
diverging. You converge on your new information together and decide how you will reach
out/diverge next which forms the basis for Contracting.
In Inquiry, you reach out to gather information from the larger organization. In
Interpretation and Feedback, you gather this information together for client
consideration. Again: diverge and converge.
In Alternatives, you reach out for the possibilities. In Decision and Action, you narrow
your options and act. See the pattern?
In Measurement, first you diverge to gather data on how the project went, then you
converge as you decide what it means.
Even the Ending step has this diverging and converging characteristic. You reach out to
those involved for their experiences; you gather them together to create a good ending of
the project.
The ten steps are held together by this underlying, back and forth, natural rhythm.
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AUTHOR
Geoff Bellman is a Seattle-based author and consultant. Over the last forty years, he has
consulted to the private, public, and social sectors. He has written six books along the way. This
booklet is based primarily on two of his books: Getting Things Done When You Are Not in
Charge (Berrett-Koehler, 2001) and The Consultant’s Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What
You Do (Jossey-Bass/Pfieffer, 2002).
Reach Geoff by phone at 206-365-321 or e-mail at [email protected].
MORE CONSULTING RESOURCES
Bellman, Geoffrey. The Beauty of the Beast: Breathing New Life into Organizations. San
Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2000. About our aspirations to change organizations and the reality
of doing it. Twenty assertions about making change work.
Block, Peter. Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2000. A classic. Practical help in all phases of the consulting process.
Hiebert, Murray and Eilis. Powerful Professionals: Getting Your Expertise Used Inside Your
Organization. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Recursion Press, 1999. A very specific and detailed
how-to book for consultants. Useful to all of us, but especially to newer consultants.
Holman, Peggy, & Devane, Tom (eds.). The Change Handbook: Group Methods for Shaping the
Future. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2001. High leverage change methods collected in one
book including, Appreciative Inquiry, Future Search, Open Space, and many more.
Schwarz, Roger M. The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective Groups..
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, Second Edition in 2002. More help on leading groups than
you will ever be able to absorb. A wonderful analysis of what goes on among people and how a
talented facilitator (i.e. you) can assist a team’s effectiveness. Very practical.
The Ten-Step Consulting Process Contributing Editor:
Kevin O’Sullivan
Principle Consultant, Colleague Consulting, LLC