THE INTERNAL CONSULTANT

How competitive is your offering?

As an expert within a company do you even see the need for a competitive offer?  Is it possible you are looking the wrong way in this?

Are you losing work to people outside of your organisation who do what you do? With the emphasis on outsourcing, business units in organisations are finding other resources for the work they require.  Corporate resources are finding they need to adopt a competitive view of the work they offer.  This has blurred the line between managers and consultants in many organisations.  In fact it is often more effective to view staff roles as a bit of both.  Are you making the most of the opportunity to package and deliver your service in a competitive way?

You can learn to consult flawlessly

Operating as ‘consultant’ rather than ‘employee is valuable to you and your ‘clients’. The distinction can be difficult to accept but if you see your role in a consulting context it can be refreshing and invigorating.  Furthermore, it is possible to consult with ease and without error.  Of course you will find it more rewarding if your consulting approach allows you to develop strong relationships with those who use your services.  Especially if you are able to offer more effective solutions more regularly.

This may different from what you are doing now

Successful consulting begins with an understanding of how consulting actually works. The process of consulting can look complicated and amorphous.  Sometimes we present ourselves as the all-knowing consultant.  Or we offer ourselves as labour, nothing more than a pair of hands.  Both of these approaches can lead to misunderstanding and frustration.  And throughout we need to shift from our old mindset in which we are entitled to the work.

But consulting does not have to be complicated.

Master seven phases for successful implementation

There is a process to consulting. For each step in the consulting process there is a specific business to complete.  In this coaching process we will work through the phases of a successful consulting intervention as well as the business to be completed in each phase.  You and if appropriate your team will go out and implement the phases.  We will then meet regularly to reflect on what is working and to consider how you can address what is not.

Together we may focus on the following outcomes:
  • Developing a consulting mindset to your tasks.
  • Having your expertise utilised more effectively.
  • Clients implementing your recommendations more often.
  • Developing healthy partnerships with your clients, built on strong trust and commitment.
  • Increasing your influence with your clients.
  • Avoiding No-win consulting situations

The coaching may cover the following areas:

An overview of the consulting process

We define seven generic phases of involvement with clients and their problems.

The roles and goals of a consultant

As a consultant your goal is to find sustainable solutions for your clients.  As you work you may wish to adopt a particular relationship with your client.  This module reviews different models for the consultant client relationship.

Flawless consulting

What is the most effective approach to consulting?  The term ‘flawless consulting’ was coined by Peter Block in the book he wrote, with that name.  This module covers reasons why this approach is important as well as the core business of each phase in the consulting process that should be completed for an effective consultation.

The consulting process

This module allows delegates to understand the steps of each phase in the consulting process.  This includes the business of the phase and the skills required to achieve their success.

Dealing with resistance

Resistance is a natural part of learning and is part of any consulting process.  Resistance may not be overt and extreme but when it does happen it can be confusing and frustrating to a consultant.  Resistance, like conflict, is not a logical rational process but is a reaction to the emotional process occurring within the client.  This module covers the background to resistance, how to recognise it and how to manage it.

Marketing

Even as an internal  consultant you need to market your services.  The days when we sat back and received the next task are all but over.  Today if we want to be in the game and we want to have our expertise used, we need to let prospective clients know who we are and what we do.  This part of consulting causes confusion, people say they don’t like to push themselves.  This is one area where a little understanding can take you a long way.  In this module we cover a short overview of how to get your message out to the clients who will use your skills.