The Practice of Professional Consulting

The Practice of Professional Coaching Change is the life-blood of consulting just as organizations endure only through successful change. The reality of this mutual need lies at the heart of what consulting is all about. Consultants solve problems created by the powerful forces of change in an organization's environment and in so doing, create change themselves. The Practice of Professional Consulting is a comprehensive examination of what has been called "the world's newest profession." In this practical resource Edward Verlander offers an overview of the industry and includes the most useful processes, tools, and skills used by successful consultants to produce solutions for their clients. The book also reveals why consulting is a growing and attractive career option. The best practices used by leading consulting firms are included in the book as well as the capabilities skillful consultant use in each stage of engagement. Verlander also recommends ways to ensure a consultant can solve a client's problems in a systematic, professional way. At the very heart of the book is the emphasis he puts on what is needed to become a truly trusted consultant. Filled with a wealth of must-have information from a wide range of consulting professionals, the book includes: a model of the consulting cycle; a diagnostic instrument for assessing consulting roles; ideas of how to develop political intelligence to navigate client organizations; tools for managing consulting meetings, risk assessment, and skills transfer; techniques in communications, emotional intelligence, presentations, and listening; and much more. Written for anyone wishing to start a consulting business, new employees at established consulting firms, facilitators of consulting training programs, and faculty at business schools, this important resource provides an easy way to understand the stages, roles, and tasks of consulting found in any type of consulting and it provides simple and easy-to-use techniques and templates for implementation.

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