Principles

Consultants work in different ways, have different priorities, and make different assumptions about how best to work with their clients. After more than thirty-five years of consulting with hundreds of clients, you might imagine that I have some strong views about how to work with my clients.

1. Every Client is Unique

While I have a training manual and numerous books outlining change strategies, I recognize the reality that every client is unique. Every client is in motion, a moving train that you have to hop on and attempt to add value as it is needed. In this day and age, every organization has already engaged in numerous quality improvement efforts, efforts to become “lean”, efforts to become more innovative or to reduce cycle times. Any consultant walking into an organization should respect those efforts and build  on the good work that has been done to improve.

2. Organizations are Whole-Systems

Change can and should occur at three levels: the individual, the team and the organizational system. These three levels can be aligned to assure lasting change. Training and coaching can assist at the level of the individual. Team development and action learning address the second. The organizational systems have been built on assumptions that are often no longer appropriate. The organization is an organic whole, a whole-system, that include different subsystems such as the structure, the information systems, the work flow or processes, the human resources and other supportive systems. In order to optimize change, these systems need to be designed and aligned to common principles. This is “whole-system design.”

3. High Involvement = High Commitment

Many consulting processes rely heavily on the consultant to “do”, to study, to make recommendations, and to be the expert. I believe that many of these processes reduce the ownership of the client managers and are therefore self-defeating. Ultimately it is the internal client managers who must implement change and achieve results. The first rule of managing change is that we will be committed to what we create, what we own. The change process may be “facilitated” or guided by the consultant and the client managers must do, must think, must study, must recommend, must decide and must implement. Our process of change highly involves managers and employees as “the experts” who will feel ownership for the change.

With many of my clients I have served as the consultant and coach to an internal team of coaches. I provide training to these coaches who they do the majority of the training and coaching throughout the organization. This process maximizes the client’s internal capability, reduces their costs, and makes the best use of my time.

4. Business Focused Change

Be dedicated to business results, not technique. Too many change efforts over the past years have been a love affair with a technique (quality circles, Six Sigma, re-engineering, etc.). Use techniques as they apply, but remember that it is the on-going, regular process of management, that drives performance. Focus on improving the “norms” of management behavior and systems and those norms are best changed when focusing on the results that measure the effectiveness of the organization.

5. Teamwork Creates Collective Wisdom

I believe we live in an age in which the best results come from creating collective wisdom. Teamwork, effective group decision making, and trust among colleagues is the foundation on which successful companies are built. If I can leave my clients with a greater ability to engage in internal dialogue, honest and respectful communication with internal and external customers, I feel that I have left that with a significant asset.

6. When Learning Ends… It’s Over!

I love the work I do. I cherish my relationships with my clients. We are partners in learning. Most of what I know I have learned from my clients. I trust they have learned from me. But… we have learned together by co-creating solutions that are often unique. This is the greatest joy in doing this work.

7. Healthy Relationships are Built on Mutual Trust and Respect

With most of my clients I have no written contract. If the client wants one, that is fine. But, it is important that the client has the right to stop the work and withdraw from the relationship at any time they feel it is not working for them. It is important to me to only work with clients who feel a need for my assistance and with whom there is mutual trust and respect. All successful assignments are the result of close collaboration and shared learning.