Issues in Consultant

Client Relationship
& Action Research
HIRE A CONSULTANT?
CONSULTANTS TAKE CHANCE TO
CHALLENGE CHANGE

The consulting firm's challenge is to constantly figure out

how to generate more client value per dollar of cost, and to
demonstrate this.

ain and Company would sometimes tell a client that a

proposed pro!ect would save the client a specific amount.
If it failed to do that, ain would ma"e up the difference.
They attracted a lot of clients that way.
SOME UNIVERSAL
PROBLEMS
Most client-consultant relationships have problems
for largely non-technical reasons, including:

#ac" of effective communication a$out how the

pro!ect will proceed

Improper e%pectations setting i.e. too high or too low

#ac" of follow through on small yet important details

&nder estimating pro!ect comple%ity or scope

'ailing to understand user re(uirements.

A number of Interrelated issues can arise in

consultant-client relationsi! in O"# acti$ities
and te% need to be mana&ed a!!ro!riatel%
if ad$erse effects are to be a$oided"

Tere are certain issues of O"# in

consultant-client relationsi! li'e entr% (
Contractin&) Etical Standard In O"# etc
Entry & Contracting

O"# consultin& Contract can occur in $arious *a%s

trou& tele!one call to face to face meetin&" Te
!otential client ma% be !resent te !roblem and te
consultant tries to fi+ te !roblem

Te consultants and clients be&in to sou&t out

*at &rou! sould do in order to start te lo&ical
O"# inter$ention"

,en bot te !arties a&ree tis becomes !art of

te o$erall !s%colo&ical contract bet*een
consultants and clients" Contractin&) in bot
!s%colo&ical and financial sense) occurs o$er and
o$er in O# consultin&"
Defining the Client Syste
-
st
.odel/ Te initial sin&le mana&er is te client but as te trusts and
confidence de$elo!s bet*een te 'e% clients and te consultant bot
be&in to $ie* te mana&er and is0er subordinate team as te client
and ten man&ers total or&ani1ation as te client"
2
nd
.odel/ Te to! mana&ement team com!rises te initial client &rou!"
3
rd
.odel/ te client mi&t be in a steerin& committee com!risin& of
re!resentati$es from different le$els and functional areas" In tis case) if
te CEO is not a member) te consultant *ill need to be sensiti$e"
Client , actually is more to do with
interactions, interrelationships and Interfaces
than to specific persons or units.
!he !r"st iss"e in cons"ltant
client relationshi#

A &ood deal of interaction bet*een consultant and

client is im!licitl% related to de$elo!in& a relationsi!
of mutual trust

Client4s Trust on te consultant/

Ke% clients ma% be 5earful tat-

6 Tin&s *ill &et out of ands *it an outsider inter$enin& in
te s%stem
6 Or&ani1ation *ill be o$er*elmed *it !ett% com!laints
6 7eo!le *ill be encoura&ed to critici1e tere su!eriors

Consultants trust of te client ma% start as neutral

6
Understandin& clients miti$e
6 Trust and resistance !roblem aslo centers on &ood &u% bad
&u% s%ndrome
6 Confidentialit% must be maintained
Cons"ltant$s E%#ertise
It is possible and desirable for the consultants to be an expert
Gi$in& substanti$e ad$ise *ill tend to ne&lect te O# Consultants effecti$eness
ence/

Ad O# Consultant need to resist te tem!tation of bein& a

content e+!ert ( need to clarif% is0er role
87urcase-of-e+!ertise9 or 8#octor-7atient :ole9 6 Te
o$erridin& desire to !lease te client ma% reduce er0is
effecti$eness
Ob;ecti$e of te O# e+!ert to el! te client to de$elo! its o*n
resources" Te e+!ert role creates a 'ind of de!endenc% tat
does not leads to te internal de$elo!ment

&Seduction into sellin& role' is dan&erous because suc

condition ma% lead te consultant to be no lon&er in e+!lorin&
te !roblem
Trust factor
E+!ectation
!he Cons"ltant Mo(el
Consultant acts as a role model for te client

Te consultant sould !ractice *at

e0se !reaces
6
Te consultant ma% ad$ocate o!en
s%stem but su!!resses is or er o*n
feelin&s about *at is a!!enin& in te
client s%stem
6
Te consultant sould &i$e out clear
messa&es
!he Cons"ltant !ea as a
Microcos
Te team must set an e+am!le of an
effecti$e unit to enance its credibilit%
7ractitioner sould also focus on
continuous &ro*t and !rocess rene*al
Te team sould a$e effecti$e
inter!ersonal relationsi!
Team maintenance
DIA)NOSIS & APPROPRIA!E
IN!ERVEN!IONS

Intervention should $e appropriate to

diagnosis

DEPTH O !"TE#$E"T!O"

In Roger )arrison*s terms, depth of intervention

can $e assessed using concepts of +
%ccessibility: data is pu$lic versus hidden
!ndividuality: self,perception of deviation

Consultant*s dilemma+ -to lead and push, or to

colla$orate and follow.

/erformance units

DO! & 'T(D) of formal, informal systems and

self
ON BEIN) ABSORBED B*
!+E CUL!URE

A$oid te tra! of see!in& into or&ani1ational

culture

Incom!lete <mis= communication of fears

Com!reensi$e feedbac' ten is off limits

Com!anion $s" collaborator

Internal can&e a&ents more susce!tible

!he De#en(ency iss"e an(
terinating the relationshi#

Te termination of relationsi! is directl%

!ro!ortional to te de!endenc% relationsi! bet*een
client and consultant

Te more de!endent te client is on te consultant

te more difficult it is to terminate te relationsi!

If te consultant is in te business of assistin& client

to internali1e s'ills and insi&ts 6ten it is ma'in&
client less de!endent on it and in suc case
terminatin& te relationsi! is not an issue

Tus te consultants role as a facilitator creates less

de!endenc% and more client &ro*t
!he De#en(ency iss"e an(
terinating the relationshi#

Consultants role as a !art educator-tis in$ol$es consultants

inter$ention on an on-&oin& basis" It re>uires o!en
communication *it client about ob;ecti$e of inter$entions
and about se>uence of !lanned e$ent"

:elationsi! bet*een client and consultant de!ends on/

6
Consultant com!etence / te lon&er te consultant are
able to !ro$ide inno$ati$e and !roducti$e inter$ention te
more lon&er te relationsi! *ill be
6
Clients resourcefulness and ca!abilities in O#
6
Or&ani1ational factors li'e/
Internal !o*er stru&&le
Crisis
To! mana&ement su!!ort
Action :esearc
Ste#s ,ollo-e( in Acton
Research Mo(el
-? A !reliminar% dia&nosis and action
2? #ata &aterin& from te client &rou!
3? #ata feedbac' to client &rou!
@? E+!loration of data b% te client &rou!
A? Action !lannin& b% te client &rou!
B? Action ta'in& b% te client &rou!
C? E$aluation and assessment of te results of te
actions b% te client &rou!
)eneric Process In OD
The "ey aspects of model are diagnosis, data gathering,
feed$ac" to the client group, data discuss and wor" $y the
client group, action planning, and action. The se(uence tends
to $e cynical, with the focus on new or advanced pro$lems as
the client group learns to wor" more effectively together.
This process is iterative & cynical
It is a se(uence of events and activities within each iteration
0data collection, feed$ac", and ta"ing action $ased on the
data12 and it is a cycle of iterations of these activities,
sometimes treating the same pro$lem several times and then
moving to different pro$lems.
*ey e+ecutive perception of
problems
,onsultation -ith behavioral
scientist consultant
Data gathering and
diagnosis by consultant
urther data gathering
eedbac. to .ey client
or client group
/oint action planning
Data gathering
eedbac. to client group
Discussion and -or. on data
feedbac. and data by client group
%ction planning
%ction
Data gathering
eedbac.
Discussion and -or.
on feedbac. and
emerging data
%ction planning
%ction
Etc0
ACTI34 R565ARC) 7385#
Ob1ective
Planning
%ction step 2
act finding
Planning
- - - -
3iven by: Herbert %0 'hepard
,eat"res

Normati$e nature

Centralit% of ob;ecti$es

#ifferent role re>uirements of consultant0

can&e a&ent $is-D-$is clients"

Lin'in& to te scientific metod of in>uir%

Collaborati$e relation amon& scientists)

!ractitioners and la%men

Increased ricness of 'no*led&e

Varieties of Action
Research

#ia&nostic
6
Te scientist enters in a !roblem situation)
dia&nose it and ma'es recommendations

7artici!ant
6
7eo!le affected ta'e !art in e entire !rocess of
researc

Em!irical
6
Te !artici!ant 'ee!s a s%stemic e+tensi$e
record of *at e0se did and *at effects it ad

E+!erimental
6
Controlled researc on te relati$e effecti$eness
of $arious action tecni>ues
Sol.e the sol"tions

Consulting firm needs to focus on areas of e%pertise and should

communicate its e%pertise through written articles, speeches, and
e%ceptional performance. The firm should prepare effective
$rochures, ads, and other media. They should $uild a networ" of
referral sources with accountants, lawyers, and other professionals.

Client relationship management

8evelop a good data$ase on each client's activities,

interests, opinions, and other pertinent information that
ena$les to customi9e services and communications to
each client.

rand,$uilding s"ills
.ANAGING CLIENT EE7ECTATIONS to #ELIFE:GGG
/PM)0 FOLLOW THE VALUE PROCESS
:, :A#I8AT5

%re -e on the right trac.4

Ho- are -e doing it4

%re -e meeting e+pectations4

A, A#I;4

(nderstand client e+pectations of -hat needs to be done

,larify -hat the client e+pects long 5 short term

%lign e+pectations -ith client6s .ey business priorities

#, #5:5RA;5

7oundarylessness

Most clients6 .ey business needs by utili8ing .no-ledge,

e+perience and resources
&, &485R6TA48

'ummarise your understanding of -hat needs to be done

9ho is doing -hat, -hen4

5, 548

%gree on ho- and -hen to revie- results

'chedule follo--up date

C :ECO..EN#ATIONS 5O:
CONSULTANT-CLIENT :ELATIONSHI7S
e transparent
Remem$er to align individual and organi9ational goals+
that client*s goals are in complete alignment with your
goals, personal growth, career growth, creation of
personal wealth.
&nder commit, over deliver
6ay when you*re going to do it,<T)54 83 IT=*
8on*t $e afraid to tell the client that you have a
difference of opinion
3ffer "nowledge transfer in the form of coaching and
mentoring
6ociali9e
CLIENT .EETING CHECKLIST

Histor% of Client4s business

In-de!t 'no*led&e of client4s !roducts and

ser$ices

Client4s critical business issues

Strate&ic direction set b% te client4s senior

e+ecuti$es

Consultanc%4s o*n !roducts and ser$ices

ali&ned *it needs of te client
HO, TO INFESTIGATE
Pre1testing Proce("res
Collaborati$e a!!roac
Foluntar% !artici!ation b% res!ondents
Site $isits

7ost-testin& follo*-trou&
.ulti!le rounds 6 test) re$ise) re-test
Post1testing Metho(ology
Hualitati$e researc
Traditional co&niti$e inter$ie*in& metods
Ada!tations
6 H%!otetical >uestions 0 !robes
6 5unnel a!!roac/ &eneral s!ecific
6 #irecti$e >uestions 0 !robes
In-de!t unstructured inter$ie*s
5i$e Common .%ts about
En&a&in& a .ana&ement
Consultant

3nly large companies and organi9ations use

management consultants.

Companies only use consultants when they are having

pro$lems.

3nce contracted, a consultant will often move (uietly

through the organi9ation stirring up concern with
employees.

6mall and medium si9ed companies cannot afford

consultants.

Consultants !ust s"im the surface and advise $ut they

don*t do an!thin"
.%tI-- Onl% lar&e com!anies (
or&ani1ations use mana&ement
consultants

There is and has $een a growing trend for small and medium
companies to use consultants. 6avvy $usiness owners are
utili9ing consultants as temporary and un$iased resources in a
variety of ways+

to conduct mar"et research2

to guide in the recruiting and development of a professional and

effective sales organi9ation2

to identify and resolve human resource issues2

to assist in designing an ongoing training process2

to guide the strategic planning e%ercise2

to facilitate team $uilding and team performance activities2

.%tI26 Com!anies onl% use
consultants *en te% are a$in&
!roblems"

:8on*t wait until you are thirsty to dig your

well.. 6uccessful $usiness owners ->now what
they don*t "now. and they anticipate issues that
will come up in the future. Today companies are
pro,active, and rope in e%perienced professionals
to give an e%ternal perspective.
.%t I 3 6 Once contracted a consultant *ill
mo$e >uietl% trou& te or&ani1ation stirrin&
u! concern *it em!lo%ees"

The message will $e conveyed that you are ta"ing the

ne%t steps to $e a successful and well run organi9ation.
Myth ; < - ,onsultant fees are only affordable by
large companies0

Contract on need $asis. Investment in a consultant is

far less than what you would pay to hire an
ine%perienced, un"nown employee. ?ith a seasoned
consultant you are receiving many years of successful
management e%perience and implementation s"ills.
.%t I A 6 Consultants ;ust s'im te
surface and ad$ice) but te% don4t reall%
do an%tin&"

#oo" for professionals who have real,world e%perience wal"ing in

the shoes of $usiness people li"e you and have wrestled with
similar challenges. The $est consultants are those with many years
of operational e%perience who are s"illed in clearly identifying the
pro$lem and solution areas that are important to you. This $reed
of consultant can not only provide e%pert advice, $ut can also roll
up their sleeves and help you confidently implement the solutions.