Handling the Balance of Responsibility
We previously defined the importance of the collaborative role within the realm of consulting. Naturally, this type of relationship can bring about concerns of operating efficiency and undermining the consultant’s expertise. In Flawless Consulting, Peter Block defines preliminary action steps that do a great job in addressing these concerns as well as maximizing client commitment and involvement. Let’s break them down one step at a time:
Define the initial problem
A client will approach a consultant with a problem and explain what they see as the underlying issue. In Philosophie’s case, this can vary significantly from a new idea they’re interested in validating or perhaps a concern with an existing solution. In this stage, we reformulate the problem into our own words and add in our assumptions of what the underlying causes for a problem or important elements to consider for a new concept. The key thing here is that even at this stage the consultant should join in to define the problem.
Decide whether to proceed
It is abnormal that a consultant may decide against pursuing a project. However, this step is quite crucial. This stage commonly leads to unrealistic timelines and quixotic expectations. Naturally, you don’t want to deny client work but the decision to proceed should always be bipartisan. Don’t be afraid to push back. On the other hand, sometimes the work is not best suited for your expertise. Don’t be afraid to say so. Otherwise you will surely regret it later on!
Select dimensions to be studied
The problem has been jointly defined and both parties have agreed to continue. Now the consultant should have the expertise to know where to begin analyzing the problem. The client’s operating expertise will come in very handy in knowing what to look for. Ask the client for suggestions on what they want to investigate. Perhaps they have questions that they want answered. Keep in mind your desire for client commitment to the solution.
Decide who will be involved
Commonly, the consultant will go off and hammer away at the problem on their own and then emerge weeks later with a box wrapped solution. This is far from our preference for a collaborative consultant role. We need to maintain a consultant-client team when solving the problem at hand. At Philosophie, we find great value within a Balanced Team structure. Each team will generally consist of designers, developers, and product managers. Additionally, we ask the client to submit one individual that acts as the product owner (PO) and is capable of making real-time decisions. The PO is one of the keys to our success in rapidly validating ideas.
Select the Method
The approaches will always vary when tackling a project. One thing that should remain the same is the inclusion of the PO during this process. You may already know how to solve the problem and what methods you plan to use. Talk your PO through these methods and ask for suggestions on how they would approach the issue. This is partially for the potential of new information and mostly for alignment. The lasting benefit is the transfer of knowledge to the PO empowering them to solve future problems on their own.
Do Discovery
There are natural underlying risks with a PO running discovery, such as withheld or distorted information and reluctant feedback. This shouldn’t deter you from their inclusion. You will run your own research where you should be able to identify these distortions and filter them out. The real advantage comes from the PO seeing and hearing feedback firsthand allowing them to sympathize with a proposed solution.
Funneling the Data and Making Sense of it
Digesting the data can be somewhat of a lengthy and difficult process. Some of my colleagues thrive on funneling and qualifying raw data; while others evade it at all cost. Unless this is an extremely technical problem, the PO should be involved in the analysis. This process can be exciting from analyzing the data to drawing the right conclusions.
Present the results
If presenting to a group, allow the PO to present a portion of the findings. As Peter Block notes:
“When [clients] have the experience of reporting negative findings, their defensiveness goes down, and the feedback step is less likely to become an argument.”
Make Recommendations
More than ever the binding of the client’s operational and your technical expertise need to come together. Now that the findings have been reported, first ask the PO how they would resolve the situation. Allow them to struggle with the question as you would. Work hand in hand to develop a strategy.
Decide on Actions
With a strategy in mind, we can now develop an action plan to deliver. In most cases, our clients will hire us to implement the strategy as well. As a result, we are always a part of generating this action plan. On the off chance that you’re not meant to implement, make sure to remain a part of the decision making process. Traditional consulting services tend to deliver a deck and walk away with a fat pay check. This is not okay and will simply result in that deck collecting dust for years to come. Make sure to follow through with your plan. Both your client and your team will feel more accomplished.
Finem
“Each of these … steps is one in a series of opportunities to engage the client, reduce resistance, and increase the probabilities of success.” — Peter Block
Peter provides a checklist on his website that can help you analyze where you stand in each step. Use it on an existing project to identify the gaps that can be addressed the next time around. Keep in mind that these are simply preliminary steps. Involving the client here is difficult and against a consultant’s nature but not impossible. When executed properly, we can expect a long-lasting impact on the client and more fulfilling work.
This post was inspired by Peter Block’s Flawless Consulting. You can learn more about Peter and his book here.
