Consulting Project Success Guide: Tips and Strategies

1. Consulting Kent Lundin Ideas taken from MBA Field Studies By E. Raymond Corey

2. Introduction • To give you to tools/motivation to start working now to accomplish a successful consulting project

3. Topics of Discussion • Consulting • Teams • Planning • Proposal preparation • 1st meeting • Reports • Data gathering • Consulting

4. Who will be the leader and what should the leader’s role be How will you ensure that workload is equitable How will you deal with the different goals of team members How will you handle personality clashes, different work styles, etc. Decide upfront on your leadership It won’t be—but decide beforehand how to handle it Talk about them Talk about these too. Take 7 minutes—keep minutesStart, stop, continue Teams—Likely concerns

5. Planning & Organizing Team Work • Create a Tasks plan (Example) • Instead of an overall tasks plan, create numerous 2 week plans • Divide work load according to strengths • Decide what core tasks are • Decide what do I expect of others (team members) in terms of commitment, contribution, and work load

6. Planning & Organizing Team Work, Cont. • Decide how decision should be made (consensus, vote, subcommittee, etc.) • How should the team be organized • When should we meet • Be sure to keep and read minutes • Plan to COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

7. Planning & Organizing Team Work, Cont. • Do tasks plan based on milestones set up in your proposal • Be flexible—things sometimes change—but be sure to document to changes—almost addendums to proposal • Front load your work, because things take longer than expected

8. Preparing a Project Proposal • GOAL: Approval by client and me • Proposal should • Provide something for me to grade • Establish feasibility of project • Establish scope of project • Provide for a meeting of the minds • Define objective and milestones • Outline the project plan

9. Project Proposal • Description of project • Objectives • Issue/question project is designed to answer (what keeps the client up at night) • List of data required/where you expect to get this data • Detailed schedule including milestones

10. Project Proposal, Cont. • Description of team organization, roles, and contact info • Proposed outline of final report • Summary of resources needed including expenses, time, etc. • Client’s Signature

11. Meeting the Client—1st meeting • Come with an agenda that allows their agenda—they will probably drive the agenda • You should come prepared with company description, preliminary statement of issue, contact info • Develop relationship (BRT) • Find out what they already know and can do

12. Meeting the Client—1st meeting, Cont. • Find out what either what they don’t know or can’t do themselves • Typically—you should determine what they perceive is their competitive advantage • Make sure you find out the issue (what keeps them up at night) that you can help solve and the boundaries

13. 1st Mtg.--Client’s Typical Agenda • Market Info: buyers, co. image, size of market, growth rate, customer service ranking, etc. • Problem Resolution: inter-functional conflicts, workflow inefficiencies, too much WIP, new product failures, etc. • Strategy Formation: business unit, marketing, finance, etc. • Evaluations • Etc.

14. 1st Meeting, Cont. • Determine their timing needs and urgency of items • Identify key players • Determine best ways to communicate with each and how often they expect and what to do if they get to busy • BRT again • Make sure the client doesn’t want you to do things you don’t want to or more importantly that I don’t want you to do

15. Final Reports • Written Report • Comprehensive document which presents conclusions, recommendations, action plans supported by qualitative and quantitative data • If client agrees it will be used to persuade others to accept • Need to accessible, use charts/tables, detail at the back

16. Final Reports • Oral Report • Start doing the following • Gaining client acceptance of recommendations • Raising questions • Dealing with resistance • Gaining commitment to take action • Chance to be graded

17. Final Reports • Oral Reports continued • I will be looking for • Clarity of presentation • Quality of visuals • Professionalism • Use of logical support/rationale • It should not just be an abridge version of the written report

18. Written Report--Notes • Should be well organized and well written • Reader should be able to track the line of argument from facts to analysis to conclusions to recommendations • Also, be sure to keep in mind who will see it and what they will do with it

19. Written Report--Structure • One page Executive Summary • Statement of issues, key findings and conclusions, recommendations, and implementation steps • Project background • Why the study was undertaken • What issues were addressed • Data sources

20. Written Report--Structure • Data analysis and conclusions • Recommendations; consequences of taking or not taking action • Implementation program (execution) • Data appendixes

21. Written Report—Writing Style • Plain, clear, and concise language • Short sentences and paragraphs • Use headings—various levels—be consistent • Graphics—tables, charts, graphs, etc—in line with text and explained • Footnote/reference appendixes

22. Written Report—The writing Process • Early on—meeting to discuss findings • Discuss conclusions, identify gaps, etc. • Have interim meeting with client to • Run ideas by him/her • Make sure you are going to wrong directions • Build consensus—sense of ownership

23. Written Report—The writing Process • Every involved on parts of initial draft • Meet periodically to coordinate work • One member should prepare final draft and do the following • Eliminate repetition • Ensure consistency of style • Ensure that is following a “line of argument”

24. Oral Presentation • Careful planning pays off • Goals • Win acceptance for • Deal with misunderstandings • Gain commitment for taking action

25. Oral Presentation • Do the following • Know who will be there and gear it towards them • Have an agenda—allow for questions • Have someone assigned to keep you on time • Meeting room—schedule what you need

26. Oral Presentation • To PowerPoint or not to PowerPoint • Use graphics • Don’t overcrowd slides

27. Gathering Data • Interviews • Web • Trade journals • Library • Focus group • Questionnaires

28. Gathering Data-- Interviews • Know what you are trying to accomplish • Listen for • Clues for relevant info • Tips on who else may be of help • What’s mentioned more than once • Interviewees values, beliefs, etc • Etc.

29. Gathering Data--Web • Search sites • Starts with unknown and ambiguity • Start search—find sites, skim, refine search, find more sites, take notes • Put in the time • Be sure to cite sites

30. Gather Data--Others • Trade Journals • Library • Focus groups • Questionnaires

31. Consulting--Summary • Find out what they do • Don’t get lost in technical jargon • Determine what need they fulfill or are trying to fulfill • Determine how their competitive advantage • Find out what keeps “them up at night” or what they are unable to determine themselves

32. Consulting--Summary • Get help from them on where to look • Look • Communicate, communicate… • “Trial closes” • Give them something they don’t already have • Be respectful—the client is usually right

33. Consulting--Summary • Consulting work is • WORK • Consistent work almost always wins • Oh yea!—Adapt this to your clients situation

34. Next Steps • Contact your client and set up you first meeting • Start by preparing your tasks plans • 1st the proposal • Represent BYU-Idaho well and gain valuable confidence for future jobs