Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.1 Consultant–client engagement for project implementation Spectrum of consultant–client relationships depends on level of intimacy – see slide 8.2. Intimacy is low with market research reports. Next level, a project such as due diligence where business is being assessed for sale. Most consulting projects lie in third group where client team is involved. Final category – the consultant practically becomes an employee. Issue whether a standard or customised process is offered.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.2 Consultant–client engagement for project implementation (Continued) Figure 8.1 Consultant-client interaction

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.3 Benchmarking project progression A process through which specific achievements predicted, defined and evidenced. Useful if the project is long and complex. Involves: –Identifying the relevant intermediate stages. –Defining specific objectives for the above. –Measurements. –Delivering on the objective and producing the evidence. Example on slide 8.5 for completion of marketing plan.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.4 Benchmarking project progression (Continued) Table 8.1 Example of a benchmarking document

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.5 Understanding the roles of client team members Roles, members of the client team play, represented by the responsibility assignment matrix (RAM). Four main categories: –Responsible: who performs task. –Accountable: who ensures completion. –Consulted: who asked for their opinions. –Informed: who told what happens. Also supports category for those who provide further resources. Example of RAM on slide 8.6.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.6 Understanding the roles of client team members (Continued) Table 8.2 Example of a responsibility assignment matrix

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.7 Relationship with the client during the project A consultant seen to be helping a client to be successful. Emotions the client may feel when using consultants: Trust is the key to building and maintaining good relationship. Relies on truth, responsiveness, uniformity, discreet and competence. InsecureThreatened Personal riskImpatient WorriedExposed IgnorantSceptical ConcernedSuspicious

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.8 The desire for change by the client organisation Kotter’s eight-stage process: –Establish a sense of urgency. –Create a powerful coalition. –Develop a vision. –Communicate the change vision. –Empower employees to act on the vision. –Generate short-term wins. –Consolidate improvements and produce more change. –Anchor new approaches to culture.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.9 The desire for change by the client organisation (Continued) Why firms fail with change programmes: –Complacency in creating a sense of urgency. –Don’t create powerful coalition. –Underestimate the power of a vision. –Undercommunicate the vision. –Obstacles block the vision. –Fail to create short-term wins. –Declare victory too soon. –Neglect to anchor changes firmly.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.10 Change-enhancing interactions A consultant can: –Provide information to highlight need for change. –Ensure information is put into managers’ decision- making. –Challenge ‘groupthink’. –Provide new options for consideration. –Manage political dimension. –Explore change process and take away fear of it.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.11 Cope identified 7 themes to understand ‘human elements of change’: –System dynamics. –Organisation and disorganisation. –Understand the resistance. –Change spectrum. –Consumer segmentation. –Methodology. –Energy mapping. Understanding the ‘unwritten rules’ of the organisation helps. Change-enhancing interactions (Continued)

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.12 Types of project shock Changes in client’s interests. Changes in client’s business situation. Cuts in expenditure. Loss of key people. Misinterpretation of information.

Philip Wickham and Louise Wickham, Management Consulting, 3 rd Edition © Pearson Education Limited 2008 Slide 8.13 Responding to project shocks Be prepared. Avoid panic. Refer back to aims and objectives. Evaluate resource implication. Modify plans. Communicate.