How do you ensure that your consulting recommendations are fair, objective, and evidence-based?

Before recommendation it is important than any one should have passed it practically. Than their are many factors which may differ than assume oneself in that situation. Also evaluate the pons and cons of the recommendation. It will make the statement evaluable.

This article starts by stating that your recommendations should be “objective”. I am not sure I entirely agree, and I make sure to communicate that to a potential client. “Objective” is defined as not influenced by personal feelings or opinions. In fact, if you are hiring me its because you understand my personal opinions on the subject and want me to help bring those into you culture or processes. This is where defining the scope and purpose is critical.

One of the most popular reasons firms don't hire consultants when they should comes from the belief: "We know more about "it" than you do." I couldn't agree more! So, don't hire me to do what you already know how to do. Instead, let me bring a process for thinking that will help you to improve or change your current paradigm and position you to continue to flourish within your industry. By beginning the engagement with this in mind, I can drive to bespoke solutions by co-creating them with a team of client experts by my side. This modest and humble approach to consulting work has set me apart from much larger competitors for over 3 decades!

Empathy is required to build a workable SOW that articulates the factors that could affect the work. I mean the empathy of understanding the customer's point of view. Not that you need to feel their emotions, but have someone on your team play Devil's Advocate and advocate on behalf of the customer when writing the SOW. You will experience far less rewrites and addendum if you provide a fair and accurate SOW.

You should also map out the direct and indirect stakeholders, what access you’ll have to them, and what they can be expected to contribute.

There are not just industry expectations, but company expectations as well. Some ProServ companies have proprietary methodology which is expected to be maintained since it is the company's "branding" and what sets them apart from competitors.

Biased data will not advertise that it is biased, that's the whole thing about bias, it either doesn't know itself or is intentionally attempting to manipulate the consumer.

Rules Of Engagement (ROE) should be agreed upon especially for penetration tests. In order to "prove" a successful penetration and validate impact, usually sensitive information will be retrieved across insecure networks. This possibility must be addressed prior to the engagement.

I'd add that you should communicate your recommendations with kindness and caring. Although you may have been hired to critically evaluate something, that doesn't mean you should be brutal in the way you critique or that you should express glee at identifying problems. Remember that those stakeholders who you interact with may have been highly involved in the decisions of whatever you're reviewing and at the end of the day, you want to deliver what you were hired to deliver while making sure that everyone involved still feels good about themselves and their initial inputs.

As best as you can, depending upon the engagement, provide a roadmap for management guidance; what they should do immediately, in 30 days, two months, 90 days. Management will appreciate this guidance. It's not simply hitting them with issues they need to fix, but provides a guide as to what to fix first.

"We only use industry experts" is a thought that I hear quite a bit. This is a wonderful idea -- as long as you want the same old, tired strategies and solutions used by your competitors. Breakthrough thinking comes from outsiders who don't have a vested interest in preserving the "norms" of the industry. Find consultants that bring methods for solving problems to the table and not one's who are likely to deliver a "canned" solution that they used elsewhere. When I "parachute" into a new client, I usually have very little experience in the industry. But, I do have a way of thinking that inspires my clients to keep bringing me back to help them to solve their greatest challenges.

When possible, have the players responsible for the service delivery to be involved with the SOW negotiations. This provides them opportunity to build a rapport with the customer, build trust as a trusted advisor, and learn the environment and culture.

The purpose of bringing in a consultant is to have a fresh outside perspective on the issue your organization or business is working to solve. Think of a consultant as a 'thought partner' who provides honest feedback on your strategy and helps you consider new strategic approaches to solving that issue. Your receptivity to feedback and openness to new approaches will be directly related to the effectiveness of the consult or project.

To be able to produce a report with fair, objective, and evidence-based recommendations, a consultant will need to have a combination of skills – I recommend 20. 1. Client-Focused Mindset 2. Analytical Acumen 3. Strategic Thinking 4. Communication Skills 5. Ethical and Professional Conduct 6. Interdisciplinary Knowledge 7. Innovation and Creativity 8. Cultural Sensitivity 9. Problem-Solving Aptitude 10. Resilience and Adaptation 11. Client Advocacy 12. Adaptability 13. Teamwork 14. Global Perspective 15. Technical Proficiency 16. Leadership Potential 17. Pro Bono and Social Responsibility 18. Environmental Awareness 19. Educational Background 20. Diversity and Inclusion Noone may have all, so attempt to have many over a period.