AparnaChowdhry_BLP040_Consultingskills_Oct 9, 2011

The session on Oct 9, 2012, acquainted me to the Consulting World. What is consulting? In simple words Consulting is, ‘Responsibility without Authority.’

Consulting is not just for professionals. We do consulting in our day to day life. We are all consultants in our own accord. We advise our friends, family, people and take advice as well. So Consulting is identifying the problem and proposing solutions. The implementation of the solution lies on the client or on the individual being advised.

One of the most important steps in a professional Consulting assignment is Contract Meeting.  A contract meeting it is all about understanding the problem thoroughly by asking probing questions. It also includes showing genuine interest and appreciation to the client and looking for a win-win. Last but not the least; a consultant has to demonstrate commitment to the client and then bring clarity on what the client wants. It is important to understand the unspoken needs as well as the spoken one.

An important learning of the day was that our body language and dress up shows a lot and if taken care of helps build a rapport with the client.

I got to know about the 5 favorite questions for a consultant:

• What are we trying to do?
• How will we know that we are successful?
• What could go wrong?
• What countermeasures do we take responsibility for with respect to 3 questions?
• Who, how often, when and where is the review process?

These questions help both consultant and client clearly understand the problem and lay a path for working together.Equally important is establishing good relationship with the client. Being a good problem solver is not enough for a consultant if his client does not trust and is not able to express his concerns with him. Some do’s that can help break the ice are:

• Enjoying people
• Being curious
• Listening with attention
• Asking open ended questions

After establishing good relation and understanding the problem a consultant needs to work on adding values to the work at hand. A consultant’s role is not only to create value but also to help the client realize that value. It might take more time, but a good consultant is ready to invest that time on his client.

One more learning of the day was the courage to say ‘No.’ A good consultant should learn how to say “no” in a perfect manner. A consultant knows what he can do and what problems require clients focus. As a consultant one should communicate what is really happening and if he can help or not.

Even when a consultant takes up a task, he should let the client know what he would do and what are the things a client would be accountable/responsible for. A consultant proposes solutions/suggestions. Implementation is client’s responsibility. And last but not the least a consultant needs to be practical and realistic.