Keep the Change: 4 Tips for Better Business Collaboration

Anyone in a business consulting role knows that the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Becoming a trusted advisor to clients and customers is no easy task. Success depends on the quality of the relationship you have with your customer, whether your chosen field is management consulting, marketing, public relations or law. This and other sound advice was shared recently at a leadership breakfast for members of the Patina Solutions consulting team, one of the nation's fastest growing networks for senior business consultants worldwide.

Patina Solutions is built on a new business model pairing experienced consultants (typically 50 plus) with companies requiring high-level expertise for temporary engagements. The Patina Nation retains skilled professionals in areas such as supply chain and information management, marketing and management consulting. When a business has the need for a specialized competency, Patina Solutions refers a contracted expert with wisdom, dedication and a proven track record to address the customer's unique circumstances. 

Drew Howick, national practice director for Leadership & Organizational Development at Patina Solutions, offered these insights to the roughly 75 consultants attending from the Milwaukee area (Patina is adding about 100 new consultants each week to its growing network): 

Establish Trust: This means developing a personal relationship with your customer, one based on both confidence in your capabilities and a place of mutual respect. Clarity of communication, adapting your communications style to build rapport with your customer, being consistent and committed throughout the assignment, and caring about the outcome by doing what you say you will all come into play.

"The relationship is the wiring through which our expertise passes." - Patina Solutions

Align Expectations: Clarify the scope of the consulting opportunity, define expectations, and determine roles and responsibilities. In addition, establish a clear timeframe and deadlines or milestones for the project, along with key deliverables and metrics for evaluating success. If the scope or nature of the work changes, make sure to update the work agreement so all parties are on the same page.

Ask the Right Questions: Every business consulting assignment begins with an accurate assessment and analysis of the situation, problem or opportunity. Who you talk with and how you ask your questions matters in order to develop the proper analysis. If key stakeholders are not involved in these discussions, or if they are not able or willing to give forthright answers, interpreting the true nature or factors contributing to the situation may be limited. High-gain questions are those that thoughtfully probe what currently is happening and what your customer thinks should be happening.

Measure Results: This can include hard data, such as production rates or manufacturing efficiencies, changes in employee attitudes or behaviors, sales figures or digital conversion rates. Softer measures, such as internal chatter or improved employee morale, buzz in your customer's marketplace around thought leader activities and other intangibles also should be evaluated. Most businesses have their own metrics and scorecard for measuring ROI, so find the tools and resources that are most meaningful to your customer.

I would add to Drew's insights this: build and implement effective communications strategies with internal and external stakeholders. You may want to start with more quantifiable research at the outset to guide your strategic planning and decision process. For businesses undergoing a major change initiative, this is especially important. Your client's customers may hold views and opinions that differ widely from what core managers at the organization think they are. And aligning employees behind the new company vision takes a great deal more than rolling out a new process to implement or holding an after-work party for the masses. They want to understand the rationale and benefit behind the change and how their role fits into the bigger picture. 

The workplace dynamics in today's successful companies are changing dramatically. As Baby Boomers retire and part-time or temporary engagements replace full-time opportunities, finding talented workers with the leadership skills and deep experience to drive business results will become harder. A new study from workplace and advisory site WorkplaceTrends.com finds that only 15 percent of employees aspire to executive level positions at their companies. 

This trend will surely open doors for consultants of all types with knowledge and expertise to share.  Getting off on the right foot with your customer, managing the relationship effectively and achieving the desired outcome takes a thoughtful approach blending style and substance: in-depth industry knowledge, good detective work and effective consulting practices. Let me know if you found these tips to be helpful and if you have a few of your own to share.

 The views expressed here are mine and mine alone. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my current or former employers, my friends and colleagues, nor anyone I have met or may meet in the future.