Course Content

Day 1
The CONSULT process
Introduction to the CONSULT delivery process – the basis of the remainder of the course

Entry 1 – situation appraisal. Making sense of complex situations through useful analytical tools

Entry 2 – positioning yourself with the client. Consultants have to have appropriate interpersonal as well as consultancy skills to make a favourable impression when meeting a client for the first time

Entry 3 – influencing clients. Consultants have to use their personal influencing skills to get things done in a client environment. This session considers the basics of persuasion and negotiation as applied in consultancy.

Contracting 1 – managing client relationships. Successful consultants not only do the work well, but also keep their clients happy. This session considers the issues in so doing, using the medium of a case study on video

Contracting 2 – defining terms of reference. Terms of reference define the nature of a consultancy project. This session presents an approach that will be helpful to all consultants, whether or not they are responsible for the initial negotiation and selling of projects

Day 2
Contracting 3 – assignment management. We assume that participants will be familiar with planning techniques to the extent they need them in their work. This session therefore provides an overview of estimating and management processes in consultancy projects

Contracting 4 – working in teams. Consultants often have to work in teams, with clients and/or colleagues. This session reviews some of the difficulties involved and how they can be addressed.

Diagnosis 1 – problem solving. Consultants need to recognise and address different types of problems. This session focuses on “messy” problems where much of the work in a project is concerned with defining the problem in the first place

Diagnosis 2 – data collection. This session reviews how to decide what data to collect; various methods of collecting data; and practical skills in interviewing

Diagnosis 3 – assessing the readiness for change. This is an important area of data that influences intervention design

Diagnosis 4 – solution generation. In this session we look at creative ways in which solutions can be generated. We also look briefly at helpful techniques for doing this in groups

Intervention 1 – developing recommendations. Recommendations must be not only “right” but also attuned to the client environment if they are to be really helpful

Day 3
Intervention 2 – managing change. The test of a good consultant is not only to come out with good solutions, but also to make things happen at the client. This session examines issues involved in managing change and practical tips and techniques to facilitate it

Intervention 3 – reporting to clients. This is not a presentation skills course, but often the test of the quality of a consultant’s thinking is through presentations. This session suggests an approach to the preparatory work required and then practise it

Closure and action planning - There will be many pressures back at work that will make it difficult to apply what has been learned on the course. The aim of this session is to facilitate the translation of the learning into practice.