The Practice of Professional Consulting

<p>About This Book xii</p>
<p>Preface xv</p>
<p>Acknowledgments xviii</p>
<p>PART ONE: SETTING THE STAGE 1</p>
<p>1 The Nature of Consulting 3</p>
<p>It s an Industry 4</p>
<p>Types of Consulting 8</p>
<p>Scope of Consulting 10</p>
<p>Trusted Consultant and Advisor 12</p>
<p>Consultant Qualifications 14</p>
<p>What Is Professional Consulting? 16</p>
<p>2 Why Companies Hire Consultants 19</p>
<p>Why Consultants Are Needed 19</p>
<p>Fast, Bigger, Better, Cheaper Outcomes 21</p>
<p>Forces That Drive Business Consulting 25</p>
<p>Expectations of Consultant Services 30</p>
<p>Changes in Client s Business and Organization Needs 31</p>
<p>Future Challenges 34</p>
<p>3 A Model for Professional Consulting 38</p>
<p>What Do We Mean by Process ? 38</p>
<p>A Framework for Consulting 39</p>
<p>The Four Stages of Consulting 44</p>
<p>The Four Roles of Consulting 46</p>
<p>Consulting Competencies 48</p>
<p>PART TWO: APPLYING THE MODEL 53</p>
<p>4 Stage One: The Developing and Designing Process 55</p>
<p>Stage One Competencies: Winning the Business 56</p>
<p>Understanding the Client s Business and Industry 59</p>
<p>Making a Good First Impression 61</p>
<p>First Meeting Dynamics 63</p>
<p>5 Stage One, Continued: Assessing Client Needs and Managing Expectations 70</p>
<p>The Purpose of Conducting a Needs Assessment 70</p>
<p>Types of Questions: The Fundamentals 72</p>
<p>Conducting a Needs Assessment: A Question Strategy 74</p>
<p>Needs Assessment: Listening Actively 79</p>
<p>The Proposal Development Process 82</p>
<p>Managing Expectations 91</p>
<p>6 Stage Two: The Mobilizing and Aligning Process 96</p>
<p>Stage Two Competencies: Mobilizing and Aligning 96</p>
<p>Work and Project Plan Reviews 97</p>
<p>Risk Assessment Factors 106</p>
<p>Project Launch Meetings 108</p>
<p>7 Stage Two, Continued: Turning a Consulting Group into a Team 116</p>
<p>Defi ning a Team 116</p>
<p>Stages of Team Development 119</p>
<p>Diagnosing Project Team Performance 121</p>
<p>How Team Building Is Conducted 122</p>
<p>Special Problems in Building Project Teams 123</p>
<p>Characteristics of High–Performing Teams 126</p>
<p>The Project Leader Style Needed for Team Building 127</p>
<p>8 Stage Three: The Building and Producing Process 130</p>
<p>Stage Three Competencies: Building and Producing 131</p>
<p>Data Gathering 132</p>
<p>Performance Management and Coaching 137</p>
<p>Coaching Consultants 139</p>
<p>Motivating Consultants 146</p>
<p>Progress Review Meetings 151</p>
<p>Navigating Organizational Politics 155</p>
<p>Project Management Issues 161</p>
<p>9 Stage Four: The Implementing and Deploying Process 168</p>
<p>Stage Four Competencies: Implementing and Deploying 169</p>
<p>Managing Change 171</p>
<p>Implementation Strategies 175</p>
<p>Skills Transfer 180</p>
<p>Measuring Customer Satisfaction 186</p>
<p>Satisfaction Assessment Metrics 190</p>
<p>PART THREE: THE BIGGER PICTURE 195</p>
<p>10 Improving Consulting as a Professional Practice 197</p>
<p>A Reality Check About Consulting 198</p>
<p>The Need to Professionalize Consulting 200</p>
<p>Professional Capabilities of Consultants 205</p>
<p>Building Block One: Client s Business Focus 208</p>
<p>Building Block Two: Business Management 210</p>
<p>Building Block Three: Technical Requirements 214</p>
<p>Building Block Four: Interpersonal Attributes 215</p>
<p>Building Block Five: Effective Leadership 217</p>
<p>11 Lessons of Experience 222</p>
<p>How to Grow in Professional Capability 223</p>
<p>Lessons from McKinsey 225</p>
<p>The Pain and Joy of a Consulting Career 227</p>
<p>Professional Proficiencies in Consulting 231</p>
<p>Trends for the Twenty–First Century 234</p>
<p>Appendices</p>
<p>A The Consulting Role Preference Indicator 238</p>
<p>B Guidelines for Successful Consulting 250</p>
<p>C The Leadership Role of Consultants 258</p>
<p>D Consulting Case Applications 262</p>
<p>E Diagnostic Procedures and Instruments for Consulting Teams 264</p>
<p>Bibliography and Resources 274</p>
<p>About the Author 280</p>
<p>Index 282</p>