Consulting Tips and Tools

For many of us, early January is a time of reflection and renewal, accompanied by the resolve to realize more of our potential and dreams in the coming year.  What keeps resolutions alive as we return to desks, drawing boards, and existing commitments?

One answer lies in identifying how you will measure and track progress toward the results you want.  When developing New Year’s resolutions (or any other type of planning targets), many people skip this step.  Why bother?  Here are three convincing reasons to use the magic of measures:

** Measures make you pay attention, on a regular basis, to what you want.

Expressing what you want in specific, positive, and measurable terms with a definite due date focuses attention and action toward desired results.  For example, we have created a set of desired customer results, with associated success measures.  These measures include the total number of organizations and individuals served in 2009, repeat business (the percentage of all purchases or contracts in 2009 that come from customers who purchased during the previous three years), and the percentage of customers offering referrals, testimonials, or sponsorship for new opportunities.  Each of these success measures has a target for 2009 and a baseline established using corresponding 2008 results.  Regular review of these results reminds us of what we want to create this year.

** Measures reveal movement toward or away from target results.

This gives you (or your project team) early warning if a change is needed in the action plan you have established. As you monitor progress, you will learn which of your planned activities “grow corn.”  If planned activities are not contributing as expected, tweak the plan and invest associated resources in more promising pursuits.

** Measures can be motivating.

When you are working on long-term projects, recognizing milestones or increments of progress can be especially helpful.  Don’t wait for a quarterly review to enjoy and communicate evidence of success.  Celebrate each customer referral or new contract, and let your attention to success build the forward momentum.

It’s No Mystery:  How to Choose Measures That Promote Success

1.  Measure what matters to you:  You may wish to establish measurable results for health and well-being, family and relationships, investment and growth, or giving back, as well as for your business success.

2.  Decide what evidence will tell you that you are on track to success.  Make sure that you can collect the data you need easily and at the accuracy and frequency that enables you to monitor progress.

3.  Establish targets for your measures.  The success measure can be as simple as a “yes” or “no” indicating that the result exists, or you can specify an expected level of achievement on a 0 to 10 scale, or the target can be a percentage or number.

4.  Set a baseline or benchmark that describes where you are now.

5.  Establish responsibilities for collecting and recording data, and a calendar for review of results to-date.

Measurement systems are now “Go!” for your success.  Happy New Year!

Randy and Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Interest in SMART job objectives to guide staff performance is growing in both public and private sector organizations.  Over the past two years, Randy and I have provided training to more than 1,500 people who have moved into pay-for-performance systems.  This experience has convinced us that the organization’s Strategic Plan can be critical to the successful development, use, and impact of SMART job objectives in performance management.

Here are three points to consider if you are asked to assist the development of a SMART performance management system:

1.  SMART job objectives can be a great tool for communicating results that individuals are expected to produce, and for making sure that supervisor and staff member share common expectations about how these results are to be measured.  When individual objectives are clearly linked to the team or division mission, and when this mission is directly tied to achievement of the company’s strategic goals, people can see how their contribution enables success for the company.  This can be motivating for individual employees, and can provide a rational basis for rating and rewards.

2.  Clear and well-communicated strategic goals at the company level are the foundation for success with SMART job objectives.  Having these strategic goals enables leaders of divisions or work teams to define operational results expected from their group over a given time period.  Knowing these operational targets enables individual employees to  develop or understand their own job specific objectives.  If employees cannot link their job priorities to team mission and company goals, it’s tough to develop SMART objectives.  Therefore, it can be a good move to define measurable strategic goals and operational targets at the company and team levels BEFORE asking individuals to write their own objectives.  This can be done through facilitated planning meetings with leadership.

3.  The “M” in SMART stands for measurement, and the ability to measure achievement of objectives is key to the success of this performance management method.  If an objective is not measurable, there is no way to gauge progress or verify achievement.  Choosing meaningful performance indicators based on accessible data is essential.  This can require developing or modifying data collection and storage systems within the organization.

So… the first step in establishing an effective performance management system may be to clarify and communicate the company’s strategic goals and/or work unit operational targets for the coming year.  When Randy and I facilitate strategic planning meetings, we often include a component that explains results management in practical terms, so that planning teams can develop SMART targets.  When these SMART targets are in place, training for employees and supervisors on SMART job objectives is much more productive.

You can find more information on our training related to SMART Job Objectives by clicking here.

Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Strategic planning has become an annual ritual for many organizations.  The value of this effort seems obvious:

In a quickly changing global environment, organizations need a systematic check on environmental conditions and trends, customer needs, and their own ability to meet those needs.  Based on assessment of past results, current trends, and future opportunities, leaders can affirm or re-define top-level outcomes and goals, and re-align resources to achieve desired results.   Strategic plans form the framework for operational and business plans that set target objectives for a given period of time, and describe how the organization intends to achieve these objectives.

So what’s wrong with this picture?  In the words of an anonymous military leader:
“Strategy is like rain in the desert:  It evaporates before it hits the ground.”

Despite significant investment of leadership time, staff energy, and organizational resources, a high percent of strategic plans will sit on the shelf after development.  Execution of the plan is the critical issue.

What characterizes plans that work (those that support effective execution and guide on-the-ground action toward strategic outcomes)?  In the process of facilitating a wide variety of strategic planning sessions with government, non-profit and business organizations, we have found that five elements must be present:

(1) Customer Outlook and Alignment

The strategic plan must clearly define and align organizational strategy with customer needs and priorities. As companies evaluate their vision. mission, and goals in light of current realities, the customer’s voice is an reliable guide.  Organizations that tether top-level priorities to what their customers want build relevant plans that are more likely to produce effective action.

(2) Organizational Insight and Alignment

Assessing organizational capability and re-aligning resources to  achieve strategic outcomes is key to success.  A well-structured planning process enables participants to develop internal business and operational plans that support and enable execution of overall strategy.  This process includes specification of SMART objectives as targets for operational plans.  Target objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Aligned, Resourced, and Time-bound are the cornerstone for:

(3) An Effective Feedback System

Without feedback, a complex system can quickly get off track.  Building metrics, tracking tools, and a check-in system into strategic and operational plans enables progress reviews and greater flexibility in identifying and meeting challenges during implementation.  This keeps all contributors focused on how to best achieve operational targets and strategic goals.

(4) People Power

The people who will carry out the plan must be committed to its success.  People Power is the energy that puts plans into action.  Engaging stakeholders from all levels of the organization in plan development can build investment in implementation.  Additional benefits of participatory planning include front-line perspectives on customer priorities, organizational procedures, and resource needs.

(5) Continued Leadership Commitment and Focus

If the organization is to harvest the full pay-off of strategic planning, leaders must maintain their commitment and focus during execution.  When new priorities or requirements surface, it is critical to weigh investments and anticipated reward of on-going Plan initiatives against the benefit of change.   In many instances, new operational priorities can be aligned or coordinated with the efforts already underway.

Want to learn more about how to develop a plan that guides action and gets results?  Go to http://www.aligned4results.com and select “Facilitate Plans and Team Achievement” for information on how we link team development to a systematic, results-based strategic planning and implementation process.

Susan and Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC

In consulting, as in Chinese calligraphy, “change” can represent both crisis and opportunity.  Imagine this:  After you have worked with your consulting customer to establish a well-constructed outcome and target results for your work, your client’s needs change.   Are you required to change your approach or services to match new needs?

The specter of “scope creep”  haunts many consultants when they find that initially proposed services may no longer be relevant.   Scope creep refers to the addition of new consulting services that were not specified in your original contract.

Of course, when the proposed change is a high priority for your client, and significant extra time will be required, it will be prudent to discuss and agree with your consulting customer on specific changes in your deliverables or cost.

From another perspective, change gives you the opportunity to add value by customizing service to meet the client’s new situation or by including that extra option or parameter into what you are creating for them.

Because each of us exists in business, home, or community settings that continually evolve, you can be certain that your client’s needs will shift.  Agree at the outset of your engagement on how you will communicate and handle changing requirements.  This will prevent scope creep, and give you a framework for periodic check-ins to insure that your services are still on target to deliver high value.

Randy and Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

The research phase of consulting, commonly called assessment, is usually designed to reveal organizational trends, patterns of behavior or opinion, and points where action could be taken to make a productive difference in desired results.  With a little advance planning, research can also promote buy-in among the people who will later be called upon to ‘be the change.’  Engaging key stakeholders in participatory research can reduce resistance and promote collaboration in planning and practicing new ways of doing business.

Here are three research methods that can help you build participant buy-in:
Read the rest of this entry »

After you have determined what your consulting customer wants and you have an agreement to work together, you can turn your attention to discovering what is needed to achieve their desired outcome.  This phase of consulting may be referred to as “assessment”.

A trap at this point is to begin observing and collecting information without first getting clear on key questions to be answered in order to prepare a solid set of recommendations for the client.  Another trap is to limit assessment to description of existing problems or needs.  A third trap is to miss obtaining buy-in from key stakeholders.

The key in our experience is to focus on an assessment endpoint which produces:

a)  a draft of one or more SMART supporting results that together enable the customer to obtain their outcome, and
b)  a set of resources and action options to most efficiently achieve those results.

To conduct assessment in this way, we recommend asking and answering the 3 sets of questions below:

1)  Results Alignment:

Relative to achieving your customer’s desired outcome, what are the wants or needs of key stakeholders who may be impacted by this outcome, or upon whom the customer’s outcome may depend?

These stakeholders could be employees, family members, customers served, suppliers, investors, or others who have significant importance or influence related to your consulting customer’s outcome.

What specific results would fulfill these needs, and how can these results support achievement of your customer’s outcome? (You are looking for high alignment between stakeholder results and client outcome.)

Which of these results would have the highest leverage in realizing your client’s outcome?

2)  Current situation:

Relative to each of these key results, what is the current situation or state of affairs?

3)  Actions to Get from A to B:

Given the answers to questions in #1 and #2 above, and your knowledge of what the client wants, what are the actions or resources needed to realize the customer’s desired outcome?  Which of these resources are available to the client now, and which need to be added?  Which of the latter could you provide?

Answering these questions will help you understand and describe what results and actions are needed to most efficiently move the client and associated stakeholders from their current situation to the desired outcome.  Assessment is treated in more detail in our workshop “Consulting Tools” at http://www.aligned4results.com/ToolsforConsultingOverview.html .

Randy and Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

One important aspect of discovering and describing the outcome your consulting customer wants is to identify any concerns or conflicting desires associated with that result.

Your client may not be consciously aware of concerns or conflicts.  However, the customer’s body language or the way they speak about what they want may tip you off.  Unless concerns or conflicts are identified and their impact minimized, you may find that the client holds back during the consultancy, making achievement of their stated result much more difficult.

Bringing Concerns to Light

You are not expected to be a psychoanalyst when uncovering these concerns. Rather, you can ask your consulting customer: “How will achieving the result you want impact (or affect) you, the team you lead, others in the organization, customers, your family, or the community?”  Follow up with questions that enable the customer to be specific.

The customer may respond with additional benefits.  This will help both of you understand the importance of achieving the customer’s desired outcome, and can increase motivation to succeed.

If you still sense hesitance or incongruity, be patient.  To surface any concerns or other desires which may conflict with the stated result, you may need to ask the question in different ways over the course of one or more conversations.  Your question can be as simple as:  “Now that I understand the benefits you can achieve from this result, I would like to know if you see any downside to getting or having it.”

Using Concerns to Sharpen the Outcome

Make sure that, if and when you identify any concerns or conflicts, you obtain enough information to be effective in resolving them.  Ask about and discuss ways in which issues can be handled as part of achieving the overall outcome desired.  You’ll then have the chance to research details during your larger assessment.  Addressing client concerns as part of project assessment  gives you the opportunity to discover more about related factors and potential resources for resolution.  It also gives you the opportunity to present and discuss specific mechanisms for resolving concerns when you finalize specific results, targets, and strategy in a subsequent conversation.

Randy and Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

Consulting, like all contemporary business, has been transformed by the Internet.  Powerful and cost-effective ways to learn about, connect with, and serve customers are at our fingertips, if we are willing to learn about and use the new technologies.

As Randy and I experiment with today’s Internet information delivery, we are confronting the question of which channel to use-  Article Marketing? Blogs?  Teleseminars?  Social Networking?  Every channel has its proponents, and many of them proclaim that their way offers the foundation for Internet marketing success.

“Turn your blog into a book while you build an audience of eager buyers.”

“Re-purpose articles into blog posts, teleseminars, and downloadable information products.”

“Build credibility and make money with teleseminars.”

Listening to these engaging and emphatic voices can create so much static that it’s tough to hear your own voice.  Here’s a solution, one that I am using to separate the noise from the music.  Ask yourself the question:  “What  channel is my customer on?”

When I tune into the Customer Channel, I’m better able to figure out what message I want to send, and which delivery method(s) can carry it effectively to those I want to reach.

The Customer Channel reminds me that the real foundation of successful consulting is delivering results of value to those we serve.  Knowing who they are and what they want gives the guidance needed to choose information channels that connect and deliver.

For more on getting to know your customers, you may want to check out our upcoming Consulting Tools Information Pack “Tools of Engagement.”  If you have signed up for one of our articles previously, you will automatically be notified when this Information Pack is available.  If not, you can provide your name and email to us by clicking here, and we will let you know.

To your success!

Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

As FY 2008 draws to a close, many of the agencies we serve are planning for their new year. Some sponsor Renewal Retreats to explore future challenges and opportunities, and to re-ignite staff enthusiasm for the road ahead.

How can independent consultants renew their enthusiasm and business plans? A quick and surprisingly effective method is to arrange personal meetings with “out of your box” organizations that excite your interest.

How to Use Business Trips as a Renewal Retreat

This month we guided a two-day workshop on coaching skills for supervisors in Washington, DC. Because of its vibrant mix of cultures, politics, art, and history (not to mention amazing restaurants), Washington ranks high on our “love to work here” list. One of its top attractions is the remarkable roster of agencies, associations, institutes, and individuals that call this city home.

Before arriving in Washington, Randy assembled a list of organizations whose work inspired us. After completing our assignment, we called to see who was home on days that we could visit. “Not likely you could connect with anyone on such short notice!” you might be thinking. Yet our ’short list’ of organizations yielded as many meetings as we could enjoy in the time available. And each meeting opened the door to a new world of possibility for the training, team building, and collaborative planning work we facilitate.

For me, the value of such visits goes beyond learning about anticipated contract openings. The opportunity to meet people who are deeply engaged in work that they value is contagious. It gives meaning to the vision and mission statements I read on the Internet, and provides deep insight into how our work might assist progress. A match between the organization’s direction and our own creates an electric surge with the power to light up possible affiliation or project plans.

Drop By: A Surprise Tactic That Works

As we thanked one of our hosts at a national association for making time to talk with us on short notice and on a busy day, he remarked with a bemused expression. “It was a pleasure. Very few people stop by to see us.”

The Internet has given us an instant, arm’s length method for researching new business possibilities. Because of this, personal meetings to explore new connections have become less frequent. This means that for you, as well as those you meet, the visits have more potential power.

Susan

© Aligned for Results, LLC

When serving your client or consulting customer, one of the most important things you can do is enable them to discover:

1. what they specifically want, in measurable terms, regarding their subject of interest, and
2. their own internal or organizational resources which may assist in fulfilling that want.

As you do this, you lay the foundation for project success and client satisfaction. Serving in this way also builds relationship and trust. If there is a role for you in helping to achieve a client outcome, the trust you have built will encourage interest in or thoughtful consideration of what you may have to say.

One helpful question to connect your customer with their own guidance and resources is described in the following article:

Consulting-and-Sales-Success

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To your consulting success,

Randy

© Aligned for Results, LLC