What are the best ways to lead a consulting intervention remotely?

In managing remote engagements, it is important to provide clear responsibilities to each team member and elaborating on how their contribution will impact the goals intended. This helps establish trust in team and also makes team equally responsible and aware of engagement objectives.

Just as with most project management endeavors, when leading a remote consulting intervention, it’s important to at the design phase to document and agree with the client a clear scope of work which will contain intended goals, anticipated outcomes, key activities and associated deliverables. These elements should be clarified during the inception meeting and alignment secured with the client. Taking these actions will ultimately minimize scope creep during the implementation phase of the project. Where possible, it’s good practice to develop and share and inception report which essentially details your approach to meeting the needs of the client. It will include tools, stakeholders you will consult, a workplan of activities, etc.

Beyond the tactical tools and common practices a key element that can make or brake communication while managing remote consultation is Empathy. One of the most scarce and sought after soft skills to manage communication is speaking and even more relevant, listening with empathy to understand the nuances of every person to the same challenges to resolve collectively. That is in my experience something that bring a wider platform towards achieving goals and communicating effectively.

It’s important to establish consistent communication channels within the consulting team but also most importantly with the client. Agree on periodic check-in schedules for real time conversations while creating room for asynchronous feedback. Leverage strategic technology suites that support team collaboration. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, there has been an increase in the use of project management tools like Asana, communication platforms such as Zoom, WhatsApp, Telegram and Skype, and the use of shared files and associated communication apps through Google and Microsoft suites among stakeholders in the social impact sector. Depending on the context and needs, these could be adapted to enhance communication.

One way to build trust and rapport with the client is to consistently show up as a solution provider within the scope of your engagement. Look for creative ways to resolve conflicts, be flexible as much as possible, surf the tide when risks and constraints arise. Also, consistently meeting deadlines builds trust with most clients and so as much as possible, stick to timelines indicated in your workplan, while acknowledging things will change. When you perceive things will change, promptly communicate with the client and have potential alternative solutions to suggest. Empathy is underrated. However, this skill is super important in building trust within teams and with the client. Be empathetic! Try walking a mile in their shoes!

It’s important to intentionally integrate learning elements when leading remote consulting assignments. Learning should be integrated across key phases of the project - design, implementation, monitoring, and close out rather than as a one-off activity. Start with the participatory development of a Learning Agenda in consultation with the client and your team. Learning activities such as After Action Reviews (AAR) which encourage knowledge sharing and peer learning can be integrated across all phases of the project. Generate insights from what you’ve learned and share evidence-based information aimed at improving the quality of results delivered to and for the client.

In today’s business environment there are a myriad number of platforms and tools that can be effectively used if the goals and metrics are aligned to the ultimate goal and allocated in a balanced way. However there is a fine line between collaborative work and excessive interaction around the same topics. Hence the right choice of tools is key as well as a code of efficiency in the use each tool to avoid losing the teams in an ocean of data difficult to manage for analysis towards achieving goals.

When trying to solve problems, move beyond addressing symptoms to addressing the underlying causes of the problems identified, as addressing symptoms is comparable to putting a bandaid on an infected wound without first making efforts to clean and disinfect the wound! Techniques such as iceberg and problem tree analysis are useful tools in identifying the root causes of problems. The perspective of the client and each member of your team is super important in the problem solving process so be sure to iteratively engage with all of them and co-create solutions together.

The key to have sustainable progress is setting the right expectations at the right time according to milestones. The biggest mistake is changing expectations on the fly and turning milestones in a moving target. That’s when a project starts to drift immediately. In my experience setting and achieving the right expectations are a source of trust and progress for any project. A rule of thumb is bad news are shared immediately and surprises are avoided.

Create a structured agenda and Foster engagement and participation. Ensure that all participants have access to the necessary resources, materials, and instructions for their involvement in the intervention. Share documents, templates, or guidelines in advance, and provide clear instructions on how to use them effectively.