Chapter 6. Stage one: Client
Trade is a social act
John Stuart Mill
The whole consulting process begins and ends with the client. And it is imperative you apply sufficient time and energy to understanding the person as well as the problem. The client is the voice of the organization, the paymaster and the confidant in times of trouble. It is important to establish a solid relationship that will hold together when unforeseen problems occur.
One reason why so many consulting projects fail or get a bad name is because the commercial need subsumes the drive to manage an effective relationship. As a result, the client is treated as a thing, rather than a real person. Just think of the Tom and Jerry cartoon films where Tom will look at Jerry and see the next meal rather than a mouse. In the same way, the client can feel like a large dollar sign, as a revenue stream rather than a valued individual. It is important that you never treat the client as a means to an end, where the end is a contract or money.
Whether you are already close to the client or the contact arose from a cold call, the one goal you have at this stage is to engage the individual emotionally. You must develop and agree a clear, concise and collaborative contract that sets out what action each party will take and what benefit will emerge from the collaboration. However, the journey from the first meeting through to the agreement of the contract is fraught with potential land mines and hidden traps. These traps are often so submerged that even the most experienced consultant can fail to spot the warning signs:
The IT specialist who finds that the new personnel system doesn't solve the client's problems because the real issue was the management team's inability to control a diverse and downhearted workforce.
The project manager who has signed a contract to lead a new product launch but suddenly realizes that what the client has asked for cannot be delivered because a new competitor is about to launch a more advanced product.
The process reengineering company that fails to secure a bid because the proposal is based upon a centralized control methodology whereas the client is looking for a style that allows freedom at a lower level.
If these types of problems are to be avoided, you must ensure that discipline and rigour are built into the early stages of the client relationship. Although this seems obvious, in reality this stage is often dealt with superficially, causing problems to emerge later. The seven steps outlined in the Client stage help to address many of these issues by offering a simple but effective framework to ensure that all of the key elements are dealt with at the start of the life cycle. They include:
Orientation: From the very beginning, seek to view the problem as the client sees it, not how you see it.
Desired outcome: Through the use of questions, draw out the client's real wished-for outcome.
Change ladder: Remove fog from the initial situation problem by focusing on the dominant area where the process might need to take place.
Situation viability: Question if you can deliver a successful outcome by asking "can this issue be successfully resolved?" and "is the timing right for a change?".
Decision makers: Root out and map the genuine decision makers so that a true and effective contract can be established.
Ethos: At the heart of any change is the underlying ethos being used to drive the change — will it be participate or coercive in nature?
Contract: Agree a contract that will set out a framework for action, define the roles and responsibilities of each party and offer a tool by which the success or failure of the change process can be measured.