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Feedback and Development

Feedback, both positive and constructive, plays a pivotal role in your personal and professional development. That being said, navigating the dynamics of providing and receiving feedback can be very challenging and is something you are always faced with in the world of consulting/professional services. As mentors and managers, one of your primary responsibilities is to provide insights via feedback that enable your consultants to reach their full potential. While offering both types of feedback is crucial, finding the right balance between positive and constructive commentary is an art that must be perfected to ensure the development of your more junior consultants. When done effectively, striking this balance is a great way to keep your consultants motivated and engaged in their personal development. Though we know striking this balance is difficult, (remember, it is an art) there are some specific strategies that you can quickly and easily implement to positively influence the development of the junior consultants at your firm.

Providing Timely Feedback

A key aspect of achieving this balance, is also the most simple and easy strategy to employ; provide feedback promptly. Rather than saving up a laundry list of critiques to be rattled off in a formal annual review, it is more effective to offer feedback and guidance in a timely manner. You could try quarterly, monthly, or even weekly check-ins to ensure that the feedback being provided is relevant to the work being conducted by the consultant. This approach reduces the possibility of overwhelming  a junior consultant who is faced with an arduous review process and gives the recipient ample time to process and implement the feedback in a constructive manner. Undoubtedly, this feedback is vital to the professional development of the consultant, but you must also recognize that, at times, it can be challenging to receive. So, how can you be sure that your feedback is being received, and acted upon?

Balancing Positive and Constructive Feedback

For some individuals, taking criticism personally is a hurdle that limits their ability to develop. With that said, can you blame them for not wanting to hear something they did poorly? Not necessarily, and as a mentor, you should acknowledge this sensitivity and emphasize the purpose behind any constructive criticism to ensure that the individual sees that you are looking out for their best interest. If constructive criticism is offered in a poor manner, it certainly leads to a negative impact and can strain the relationship between the two parties. To mitigate any negative impact, it is essential to provide positive feedback in conjunction with areas for improvement. While it may be challenging to remember this in the moment, offering a positive acknowledgment can prevent consultants from feeling constantly targeted and will keep them motivated. Have you ever had some ask you, “Do you want the good news or bad news first?” While you would never want to give feedback in this manner, you can apply that general principle to how you position your comments. Sandwiching, where critiques are mentioned between positive comments, is one of the most effective ways to keep your consultant motivated while also providing input into how they can further develop. No one wants to hear only about what they are doing wrong, but those comments will be better received if the individual feels like you believe in them. The goal in this instance is to create a positive experience, but that is not all on you as a manager or mentor.

Fostering Ownership

Admittedly, the fast-paced nature of consulting work can make it difficult for you to allocate time to provide feedback and guidance to junior consultants. In such cases, an environment should be created in your office where junior consultants feel a sense of ownership in their development and are comfortable asking for feedback directly. This serves as a helpful reminder for you to be more proactive and timely in your feedback-giving approach, while also providing autonomy and giving a junior consultant the responsibility to advocate for their own development. When entering these types of conversations, remember to strike a balance between positive and constructive criticism, while also setting expectations with the junior consultant. Junior consultants must understand the importance of embracing the discomfort of receiving criticism and listen with the intent to understand – 1) why they are receiving the criticism and – 2) how they can implement changes to be better. This is only done if you provide feedback with respect and can show that you are trying to help the individual. This dynamic is a two-way street, and without buy-in, ownership, and trust from both sides, development does not occur. Hearing both positive and constructive feedback is highly motivating, as it allows the consultant to identify areas for improvement and creates an opportunity where you, as a manager, can foster a growth mindset. Again, striking a healthy balance between the two is the key to nurturing growth and fostering ownership over personal development.

Remember, feedback is a powerful tool that drives professional development. By honing your feedback-giving skills and creating an environment where feedback is welcomed, you empower your consultants to achieve their potential. Embracing the art of balanced feedback leads to stronger teams, enhanced productivity, and a culture of continuous improvement, paving the way for collective success.

Written by: Dean McMann

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About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Multi-Generational Work-Life Balance

In today’s workplace, there is a convergence of five different generations that at times can create friction amongst employees and management. Each generation has specific characteristics that impact how they view and act in the workplace; younger generations feel the need to have a purpose that positively impacts their community, while older generations are often known for their hard work, loyalty, and dedication to prove the value they provide to their firm. These variances are not inherently “good” or “bad,” they are simply generational differences, which can be worked through to establish an inclusive working environment. In recent years, there has been one topic that has been at the center of this collision between generational preferences, work-life balance. Work-life balance preferences can be a point of contention between the various generations, so it is important to find how specific preferences can be balanced in a multi-generational workplace. In the remainder of this blog, we explore how this equilibrium can be achieved in your office.

First and foremost, you must recognize and respect the different preferences and desires held between the various generations of your workforce, while also being cognizant of individual needs based on the stage of life that they are in. It’s easy to assume that younger generations prioritize life over work, but that’s not always the case. Some may seek more of a work-life balance early in their careers, while others may prioritize it later when outside responsibilities require more of their attention. In the same way, older generations may desire more time away from work as they get closer to the age of retirement, where others may choose to work more to ensure their impending retirement is adequately funded. Understanding these evolving needs throughout a person’s life and career are critical elements to developing a healthy working environment. Moreover, individual personalities also play a role, as some people may thrive on working long hours, irrespective of generational stereotypes. With such a diverse workforce, how can you strike a balance and determine policies that are universally accepted?

At its core, developing this balance all begins with listening to your people. To retain and nurture your talent, regardless of their generational categorization, you must listen to the needs of individuals and generational groups. This will be seen as an effort to understand why specific needs and desires are important to your employees, in turn developing trust that your firm is willing to look after the personal needs of individuals. Listening creates an environment where employees’ voices are valued, and establishes a platform for you, as a manager, to collect unique data from which policies can be derived.

As it relates to the policies that you deploy at your firm to ensure you are striking a good work-life balance, you may not be able to make everyone happy. With that said, listening allows you the opportunity to consider compromises that will be appreciated across the spectrum of your multi-generational workforce. If your employees feel heard, they are much more likely to understand and appreciate the policies that you choose to enact. In addition, your reasoning is more easily accepted, and you can better explain why and how you came to the human resource policies that your employees must adhere too. Further, this proves your firm’s willingness to adapt to the changing needs of your workforce and facilitates ongoing discussions around what is best for your people.

In conclusion, establishing a work-life balance in a multi-generational workplace requires recognizing and respecting the diverse preferences and desires of employees. By understanding the evolving needs of individuals based on their generational background and stage of life, you can create a healthy working environment that is representative of the various needs and desires of your workforce. It is essential to listen to the needs of employees, fostering an atmosphere where their voices are valued and developing trust that personal needs are considered. Although it may be challenging to make everyone happy with the policies implemented, compromises can be reached through open communication and understanding. By demonstrating a willingness to adapt and considering the well-being of your workforce, you can cultivate an inclusive environment that supports work-life balance and promotes the success and satisfaction of all employees across generations. In turn, you are fostering an inclusive environment that will lend itself to a more collaborative setting that is respectful to the diverse perspectives of all parties.

Written by: Dean McMann

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About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Why do Organizations Struggle to Get Above the Line of Safety?

In our last blog, we discussed the Line of Safety and some of the benefits of working on topics that are relevant to buyers who are empowered to independently solve problems at their respective companies. Most organizations are aware of the need to sell to and build relationships with high-level buyers (e.g., C-Suite Executives). Despite being aware of the criticality of this issue, organizations often struggle to get executive attention and retain it for meaningful periods of time. In this blog, we delve into why we see organizations struggle with this problem and how to fix it.

Targeting Executives is More than Adding Names to a Target List

The most common mistake that we see organizations make when trying to operate above the Line of Safety is taking an existing offer that they currently sell to lower level roles or functions (ex. Purchasing, team managers, etc.) and asking their sales team to instead target buyers above the Line of Safety with the same offers and messaging. We frequently see this with organizations where leaders are aware of the benefits of selling above the Line of Safety. Often, they become frustrated with a slow pipeline or lack of line of sight to revenue, then begin to put pressure on their sales team to work their way up an organization. While the thought process makes sense, the results are often subpar. This is because organizations are either not focused on topics relevant to executives or they are meeting executives with “With Whom to Act” messaging when they are at the “Whether to Act” stage.

Is Your Offer Relevant to Buyers Above the Line of Safety?

As we have discussed extensively in our other blogs, executive buyers go through the above three stages when determining whether or not to act on an idea. They first decide whether the idea is worth acting upon, they then decide how best to act on an idea, and finally they decide whether or not external support is needed to realize the desired outcomes. In order to get an executive’s attention, organizations must bring insightful ideas to executives on topics they care about.  While this sounds simple, the reality is very few companies take the time to consider this very simple question: Is my existing portfolio of offers relevant to buyers Above the Line of Safety? Often, when we evaluate this question with organizations, their response is something along the lines of “Somewhat. We get executive attention when the deal size is large enough or when we are brought in to be a part of a larger Solution.” These “once in a blue moon” large deals lead leaders astray because they make executive attention feel attainable with their existing stand-alone offers. Instead, organizations should focus on using their internal expertise to create their own Solutions that garner executive attention and pull-through their products, rather than hoping partners or other outside organizations will do it for them.

For many organizations, the first and most challenging hurdle can be determining which problems have executive focus that can also be delivered by their organization. Given their typical operating model of working with buyers below the Line of Safety, getting any conversations Above the Line of Safety can be difficult. This leads to a struggle to define which problems are relevant to executive buyers. There is also the looming problem of actually scoping and delivering a Solution not centered around a product, which can feel daunting even for advanced software organizations. The answer here is trust in your organization and taking small steps. While everyone wants the “silver bullet” answer, not every organization has the information needed to make the right play. Instead of taking a big leap with an acquisition, a new product line, or creating an offer that your organization may not be able to deliver, organizations should begin with their Advisory and Sales teams. The intersection of these two teams, what can be sold and what can be delivered, with a focus on high level buyers can begin to create offers that allow more executive access. As you have more conversations focused on the challenges that your customers are experiencing, the answers will slowly become clear.

Conclusion

Getting your organization Above the Line of Safety is more than just targeting high level buyers. In addition to new targeting practices, organizations need to work with their teams on how to have problem/solution focused conversations, how to deliver solutions centric offers, and how to message solutions to garner the interest of buyers Above the Line of Safety. While this answer is unsatisfactory for some because of the level of effort needed to get Above the Line of Safety, the path of least resistance is rarely the best path, and the results of operating
Above the Line of Safety are well worth the effort.

Written by: Jackie McMann and Jack Draeb

Jackie McMann is a Partner at McMann & Ransford with extensive experience working with Fortune 500 clients to transform their business models, develop differentiated portfolios, and inject best practices into professional services.

Jack Draeb is a Senior Consultant with McMann & Ransford who has experience working with Fortune 1000 companies to identify issues, define solutions, guide change management, and deliver lasting results.

The Line of Safety – What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Companies today are constantly working to differentiate themselves in the eyes of the market and their most valued customers. However, for many organizations, standing out amongst increased competition in commoditized markets has never been more difficult. For companies feeling uncertain about their future in the market, the journey towards identifying a clear strategy begins with operating Above the Line of Safety.

What is the Line of Safety?

The Line of Safety is the level in an organization above which roles are empowered to independently solve a problem. In this context, being “empowered to independently solve a problem” means that the role has resources and budget available to be used at their discretion. It follows that roles below the Line of Safety would therefore require the approval of a role Above the Line of Safety in order to make a significant purchase or assign resources to achieve a desired outcome.

The Line of Safety is different for every problem, role, and organization. Many naturally assume that the Line of Safety is drawn at the Executive Suite. However, not all roles below the executive suite are below the Line of Safety and not all executives are above it for every challenge. Consider a cross-functional strategy project that requires alignment across the executive suite. In this case, only a few trusted executives or the CEO may be empowered with the budget, resources, and organizational trust to make the decision to undergo such a project. In comparison, a Sales Director or Vice President could be empowered to make the decision to implement a new CRM and would therefore be Above the Line of Safety for that particular project despite not being an executive.

Why is Operating Above the Line of Safety Important?

Operating Above the Line of Safety allows your organization to align better to the true needs of your customers. Buyers Above the Line of Safety have an in-depth understanding of their organization’s most pressing needs, therefore, gathering their viewpoint provides organizations the information needed to cut through the clutter in the marketplace. Here are specific examples of how each function benefits from operating Above the Line of Safety.

Sales:

  • Faster Sales Cycles – Working directly with those who have the power to approve a purchase means that only one person at the target organization has to fully understand and buy into the solution. Rather than getting buy in, moving to a higher level, and needing to pitch the solution again, it is all approved (or disapproved) in one motion.
  • Improved Control and Visibility of a Sale – When trying to move up the ladder in a buying organization, sales teams are often reliant on their first contact to represent the problem, gather interest, and secure next steps with their superiors. When working Above the Line of Safety, we are the ones representing our solution and therefore have more control and a better understanding of how the purchaser is actually feeling.
  • Larger Deals – Targets Above the Line of Safety are trusted by their organization to make large decisions that may affect a variety of departments. This naturally increases the budget that they have available.

Professional Services:

  • Lower Risk Projects – Consultative projects that are sold Above the Line of Safety have a lower associated risk. The buyer has had their expectations set by us and only us (no game of telephone), they have the ability to assign internal resources to support the project, and they are interested/invested in the success of the project as a purchaser rather than an overseer.
  • More Complete Understanding of Organizational Challenges – Because buyers Above the Line of Safety have a higher-level view of their organization, advisory teams can more fully understand the challenge they are solving and how it fits into the organization’s strategic goals.
  • Access to Other Executives – Through completing a project with stakeholders Above the Line of Safety, the team will get access and exposure to other executives, increasing the opportunity for pull-through projects and providing insights into other challenges the organization is facing.

Product:

  • Proactive Customer Issue Resolution – Working Above the Line of Safety can help identify issues that organizations may have before they encounter them. For example, an executive explaining how they intend to use the hardware/software that they are provided can help the Product team set expectations and proactively identify challenges.
  • Added Market Insights to Define Product Strategy – Through understanding the challenges that buyers Above the Line of Safety are focused on, Product teams have a better purview of where the market is headed and how they need to adjust their strategy.
  • Less “If you build it, they will come” Requests – Product and P&L owners are often told by their sales or marketing teams that if a feature is added or a new product line is built there will be a number of organizations ready to buy, only to complete the request and struggle to build a pipeline. When operating Above the Line of Safety, we are already working with buyers and therefore have a much stronger understanding of whether or not these companies would actually buy.

Marketing:

  • Stronger Messaging – Without operating Above the Line of Safety, marketing teams can feel like they are taking shots in the dark with their messaging. When the sales, professional services, and product teams all have a better understanding of customer needs, the marketing team does as well.
  • Influential Use Cases – Use cases with insights from high level buyers resonate stronger than use cases from lower level roles. Buyers Above the Line of Safety also represent their challenges using language that other executives in the marketplace understand.
  • Enhanced Market Insights – Working Above the Line of Safety provides additional information around where the marketplace is headed and gives access to executives to provide expert opinions.

Conclusion

Operating Above the Line of Safety is critical for every organization that is looking to succeed in a competitive market. However, the difficulty is not realizing that your organization needs to work Above the Line of Safety, it is getting every part of your organization to operate above it and stay there. After all, it’s not just your organization that wants executive attention. In our next blog, we will explain how to get your organization Above the Line of Safety and to stand out amongst competition.

 

Written by: Jackie McMann and Jack Draeb

Jackie McMann is a Partner at McMann & Ransford with extensive experience working with Fortune 500 clients to transform their business models, develop differentiated portfolios, and inject best practices into professional services.

Jack Draeb is a Senior Consultant with McMann & Ransford who has experience working with Fortune 1000 companies to identify issues, define solutions, guide change management, and deliver lasting results.

Leverage for Junior Consultants

Regardless of your current position, you likely began your consulting career with a low level of experience and have gone through a unique journey to get to where you are today. How did you navigate this journey? Were you fortunate enough to have a mentor, or were you left to your own devices? Irrespective of your unique path, there almost always comes a time when junior consultants are required to take on greater responsibility at their firm. Admittedly, this can be an awkward juncture in a consultant’s career, but it is a critical time as it relates to professional development and how their capabilities can be leveraged.

In preparation for assuming more responsibility, strides should be taken to deploy the concepts of leverage and leveraging to ensure junior consultants are set up for success. Leverage is how an individual is deployed on projects, which allows the junior consultant to enhance their spectrum of experiences in a professional setting. Leveraging is the act of empowering an individual to excel in the role(s) that they have been assigned. When combined, these concepts are utilized to enable junior consultants so that they can naturally grow into a greater role that provides increasing benefit to your firm. As is true of all concepts, specific actions must be taken to ensure they are deployed effectively and efficiently. So, how can this be done?

Mentoring

It is imperative that leverage and leveraging be deployed with oversight from a mentor that can advocate on behalf of the junior consultant. Whether you establish a formal mentorship program or do something more ad-hoc, mentoring is the key to unlocking a junior consultant’s ability to successfully take on more responsibility. As a mentor, you are tasked with empowering (leveraging) your mentees to operate individually, while also providing adequate support to their developmental needs. Striking the right balance can be a challenge, so we will provide some insight into how that can be achieved.

Enablement

The first step in striking the right balance between empowerment and support is through enablement. Enabling implies that individuals already possess certain qualities and attributes that simply need to be unleashed and nurtured in a controlled setting. It can be applied in several ways, but it is your job as a mentor to determine how to align developmental needs with leverage. This creates a space for learning, while also challenging the junior consultant to apply what they have learned to the projects they have been assigned to. In this dynamic, you are tasked with guiding their growth, while also acting as a safety net to ensure they do not become overwhelmed. You must remember, failure is okay, but it must be accompanied by success. By controlling the level of stress put onto the junior consultant you can facilitate growth, while empowering (leveraging) them to take on more as their capabilities increase. Once you have established a structure around enablement, you will need to establish a feedback loop that proliferates the leverage you can get from your mentee.

Coaching

Coaching is an informal way to foster open conversations between yourself and your mentee. Since there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to leveraging your consultants, coaching sessions should be used to establish a personal rapport, which will allow you to discuss the developmental needs and motivators of your mentee. Further, they create a safe space for the junior consultant to advocate for themselves, while also serving as a feedback mechanism for the mentoring and enablement frameworks that have been utilized. It is a touchpoint for both parties to reflect upon what is going well, and what should be amended. This is how you can develop a uniquely tailored plan to empower (leveraging) your mentee, while also setting goals for how they will be leveraged in the near, medium, and long-term. These sessions might be conducted weekly, or monthly, but they should be based on the specific needs of the individual. Above all, you must remember that as a mentor, you are there to provide support, and it’s essential for your consultants to understand this too. It won’t shield them from discomfort, but they’ll find solace in knowing that have a safe space to go when things become difficult.

Applying Leverage & Leveraging to Clients

Interestingly, as you find success in applying mentoring, enablement, and coaching with your junior consultants, you should consider applying these same concepts with your clients. It’s easy to assume that because you were hired, your clients will take ownership of the project. Most of the time, this is not true. Your clients will likely require as much guidance and mentorship as your junior consultants and therefore you must enable and empower them to fulfill their project-related responsibilities. Just like with your consultants, this starts with understanding their goals, needs, and concerns through open communication. When applied effectively, you can provide the support your clients need to thrive and therefore enable them to reach their full potential.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the journey of a junior consultant is often marked by a pivotal moment when they are required to take on greater responsibility within their firm. To ensure success during this critical time, the concepts of leverage and leveraging play a crucial role. By deploying these concepts with your oversight as a mentor, junior consultants can be empowered to excel in their assigned roles. As a mentor you are a guide, who must strike a balance between empowerment and support through enablement and coaching. Enablement unleashes and nurtures the qualities and attributes already possessed by the junior consultant, creating a space for learning and growth while providing a safety net. Coaching fosters open conversations, establishing a personal rapport and serves as a feedback mechanism for the junior consultant. These strategies can also be applied to clients, enabling them to fulfill their responsibilities and reach their full potential. By embracing the principles of leverage and leveraging, you can pave the way for the professional development of your junior consultants so that they can contribute significantly to the success of their firm and clients alike.

Written by: Dean McMann

More from this Author

About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Creating Intimate Client Relationships

You have heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While there’s some truth to this, developing meaningful client relationships goes beyond simply knowing someone—it’s about cultivating intimacy. As a consultant, building intimate relationships with clients is critical to your professional development and enables you to create a lasting and meaningful impact on their work and personal aspirations. Fostering intimate client relationships does come naturally to some consultants, but it is also a skill that can be learned and developed. The forthcoming paragraphs will explore some keys to establishing close connections through client intimacy.

Adding Value

The first key is providing value to your client. As an initial step to adding value, you must remember that being a consultant is much more than simply developing and deploying solutions to your client’s challenges and problems. It requires flexibility, agility, and the aptitude to wear multiple hats in support of your client’s needs at a specific point in time. As an example of this flexibility, there will be times that you act as an advisor or coach, while at other points, with the same client, you will be tasked with listening as they vent about a challenge they are facing. There is no shortage of roles to be played, but regardless of the scenario you must be seen as an advocate of their project and personal development goals. The specific way in which you add value will vary from client to client and project to project, but you must be willing to lend your capability and capacity in a manner that puts your client in an advantageous position.

The foundation of intimate client relationships lies in the value you can offer to your client’s company and, more importantly, to the individual employee you are working with. This is an important distinction because most lasting relationships are not fostered through an organization, but rather through a specific individual. To truly make a lasting impact, you need to understand the individuals career aspirations and support them along their professional journey. This requires investing your time into deep conversations with your client, which is something that must be earned.

Earning the Right

Earning the right to have deep conversations with your clients requires building trust. This takes time and a proven investment of your energy and effort in an intentional manner. You should strive to be more than just a consultant; the goal is to become a professional friend that has a genuine interest in the proliferation of their professional development and personal aspirations. This doesn’t always mean doing something groundbreaking; even small acts of thoughtfulness can go a long way to developing trust. Sometimes, this is as simple as checking on their personal well-being or identifying a shared interest that you both enjoy discussing. If this does not develop trust right away that is okay, you can try another tactic that shows your client you are willing to meet them in the middle.

Showing vulnerability by being the first to open-up regarding personal and/or professional topics can be a powerful way to encourage your clients to share important insights that lead to a more trusting dynamic. It’s important to remember that this level of trust is cultivated through one-on-one interactions that occur outside the office. Though this tactic requires you to speak about yourself, you must keep a primary focus on the personal needs of your client and avoid burdening them with your own problems or frustrations. The key is to remain professional by setting boundaries and handling sensitive discussions with care, especially when it comes to project-related matters. The hope is that your client becomes comfortable discussing topics both inside and outside the scope of the project you are both working on. This is evidence of trust being developed, but always remember that this trust is a privilege, and you must allow your client to lead the relationship.

Allowing the Client to Establish their Preferred Dynamic

As trust is developed it is important not to become too comfortable with the dynamic that you have established. The primary recommendation here is to never assume where the connection stands. Client relationships can be fickle and are riddled with variables that you may not be privy to, which is why gauging the level of client intimacy is extremely difficult. To navigate this, take a step back and allow your client to guide the dynamic of the relationship. Remember, as a consultant, you have the privilege of helping your clients, but you also bear the burden of their challenges. The stakes are highest for them, and you must respect that.

The core of your relationship is clients trusting you to achieve specific outcomes, and you must remember that things can change very quickly. Someone who was once an advocate may become resistant to your ideas, and if you force your preferred dynamic on them, it will not end well. For this reason, you must trust in the dynamic that you have created together and give your client the space to operate in a manner that best serves their needs. While it’s easy to focus on relationships with those who welcome us, it’s equally important to strategically build connections with those who may show resistance. Your client will appreciate your ability to relinquish power and if you navigate difficult obstacles together it will lead to long-term benefits. This is also a great way to continue adding value and increasing the level of trust your clients have in the relationship. Though you should allow the client to lead the relationship, it is on you to maintain consistent contact with them.

Staying Connected

We’re all guilty of losing track of time, but it’s crucial to check in with your clients regularly through a consistently established channel. As the consultant, it is your job to maintain contact with your client, during, between, and even after your contracted engagement has ended. This will prove that you care more about the person than the project. This is imperative because you never know where your relationship may lead, and if it is preserved you have likely achieved a high level of client intimacy.

Conclusion

Cultivating intimate client relationships is a vital aspect of consulting which requires adding value, building trust, and allowing the client to lead the relationship dynamic. By providing value and supporting the personal and professional aspirations of individual clients, consultants can create lasting impacts that will be remembered. A lasting impact is based on building trust that is achieved through the investment of time, effort, and a genuine interest in the client’s needs. Further, this trust is fostered by showing vulnerability and engaging in deep conversations that extend beyond the scope of the project you are both working on. To maximize this trust, you must allow the client to lead the relationship dynamic, because their preferences and circumstances are sure to change. Lastly, consistent communication and connection, even after the engagement ends, demonstrates care for the individual, leading to a higher level of client intimacy. Ultimately, intimate client relationships are the cornerstone of your own professional development and are imperative to client success.

Written by: Dean McMann

More from this Author

About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Ensuring Alignment When Crafting a Proposal

At the core of determining and aligning on the scope of a project are proposals. While proposals can be commonly perceived as a document whose primary purpose is to set pricing terms, the most effective proposals ensure that we are in total agreement with our client. This means our proposals should set expectations regarding the work we will be engaged in, the questions we are seeking to answer, and the challenges that we have been brought on to develop a solution for. As consultants, we may find ourselves in muddy water with our clients if we never establish alignment on what we are doing for them and why. Today, we will discuss key elements of the proposal writing process that ensure we develop alignment and client buy-in at the outset of a project.

Gain Conceptual Agreement

Proposals often are categorized as a “first step” in the client engagement process. However, the best consultants understand there are many steps that should occur prior to crafting a proposal. Consultant Alan Weiss, author of Million Dollar Consulting, helps us understand that proposals should be “summations and not explorations.” That is to say, the proposal should be a document that summarizes preliminary client conversations, highlighting specific discussions and agreements regarding the initial scope of the project. It should not be a document through which we pitch various ideas and concepts that have yet to be discussed. As such, proposal content should never surprise the client. To ensure there are no surprises, we should first look to gain conceptual agreement with client executives. This is often achieved through the natural discussions that occur in advance of the proposal writing process and are confirmed with an affirmative handshake after verbalizing and agreeing to a deal between parties. At this point, the agreement can be formalized via a written proposal. The most effective proposals are those that are built on agreement and trust, both of which are based on the relationship that is established through preliminary conversations. It should also be noted that the proposal should reflect a clear understanding of client needs, which is another effort that should precede the actual writing of a proposal.

Establish Understanding

Consultants always need to clearly convey their understanding of the client’s needs, especially when crafting proposals. If we don’t understand their needs, how can they be confident that we can properly solve them? Similar to gaining conceptual agreement, establishing a clear understanding of client needs must be conducted in advance of writing the proposal. Again, this understanding should be developed in preliminary client conversations so that the proposal may serve as tool to formally validate client needs. Each proposal should clearly state our approach and understanding of the client’s situation so that nothing gets lost in translation. As we discuss our approach with the client, it’s important to include details regarding common aspects of any engagement. To do this, we can display our approach by first considering some of following questions:

    • What are we trying to achieve?
    • How are we going to achieve it?
    • How long should it take for achievement to occur?
    • Who is accountable for achievement?
    • How should we measure achievement?

After we’ve fully discussed our approach and collected feedback from the client, we can effectively convey our understanding of client needs and develop the proposal. It is at this point that we can begin to clearly lay out expectations regarding project pricing, which is obviously included in the written document. Pricing is certainly very important, but it must be informed and rationalized by all other elements of the agreement. We shouldn’t neglect the alignment of client needs with our approach to prematurely develop a project price tag.

In the end, a proposal is not a menu of services and prices. It should be used as a tool to convey our understanding of client needs and how we’ll seek to address them. So long as we seek to gain conceptual agreement and can clearly set expectations regarding our approach and engagement, we’ll be that much closer to crafting an effective and agreeable proposal that is not solely dependent on cost.

Written by: Dean McMann

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About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Motivating Consultants

What truly motivates individuals in a professional setting? Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessarily only money. According to an MIT study, once basic financial needs have been met, monetary incentives lose their effectiveness. In fact, in some circumstances, financial incentives may can even decrease productivity. So, if money is not the most effective form of motivation, what is? While individual preferences vary, let’s explore some commonly used motivational tools that can have a significant positive impact on employee satisfaction and engagement.

Creating Purpose: Unveiling the Power of Meaning

Humans inherently yearn for a sense of purpose. This is especially true for the most recent generation of consultants, who typically prioritize making a tangible impact on their community through their work. For a young consultant still acclimating to their new role, finding purpose in trivial or monotonous tasks can be a challenging prospect. To address this, organizations can help consultants gain a broader perspective by assigning them to workstreams that will be needed through the entire duration of a project or engagement. Instead of being thrown into a deliverable midway through a project, consider inviting young consultants to sit in on and participate in early-stage creative or planning sessions. The goal of this tactic is to create purpose, by shifting the focus of the young consultant from the deliverable they are working on to the impact it will have on the entire project. When they feel or see the purpose behind their assigned work, they will better understand how they are contributing to the larger goal, in turn boosting their sense of purpose. Further, as they stay involved and witness the project’s progression, the young consultant will see and feel the significance of their contributions to their client. Communicating the connection of a workstream or task to the larger vision of a project will make seemingly mundane tasks feel valuable, bolstering the young consultant’s motivation.  Lastly, acknowledging that certain tasks may not be enjoyable while expressing genuine appreciation for them is equally important to cultivating purpose-driven motivation in a professional setting.

Receiving Appreciation: Fostering a Culture of Recognition

Feeling valued and appreciated is a fundamental human need. For some consultants, hearing positive feedback directly from clients holds immense importance and organizations should strive to facilitate direct communication between clients and young consultants to ensure recognition reaches the deserving individuals. This positive reinforcement should also come from managers and mentors that work directly with young consultants. Expressing appreciation, or creating a channel where it can be communicated, are easy ways to increase the amount of leverage you are getting from the junior consultants at your firm. Sure, constructive criticism is equally vital to professional growth, but striking a healthy balance between praise and constructive feedback creates an environment that motivates young consultants to excel. When this balance is effectively established, young consultants will seek both positive reinforcement and guidance from their managers through their work and actions. When they feel appreciated, they are motivated to give and learn more.

Nurturing Autonomy: Empowering Individuals to Thrive

Working independently and having the freedom to creatively address challenges can be highly rewarding. Granting young consultants the autonomy to explore innovative solutions not only motivates them but also brings fresh perspectives to problem-solving within your organization. Further, autonomy provides a sense of ownership over one’s work, empowering young consultants to take responsibility for the outcomes that they are producing. That being said, it is crucial to strike a balance between establishing autonomy and providing little to no support. Keep in mind, few people thrive in complete isolation. To nurture autonomy, consider creating project teams comprised of consultants who have varying levels of experience. This allows young and inexperienced consultants the opportunity to explore fresh solutions without the pressure of a manager looking directly over their shoulder, while maintaining a supportive team environment. This team structure also allows the more experienced consultants to practice and personalize their managerial style in a low-risk setting. A supportive environment where autonomy is nurtured helps individuals feel valued by their peers and fosters collaboration amongst the team.

Cultivating Community: Building a Sense of Belonging

Nurturing a strong sense of community is a powerful motivator for many individuals. In a consulting environment characterized by diverse teams and global collaboration, fostering a sense of belonging can pose challenges. The absence of a supportive community is one of the leading reasons employees may consider leaving a job in consulting or professional services. To address this, organizations should prioritize strategies that strengthen team cohesion and create a shared sense of purpose. As a leader, you must ask yourself how best to support your team and promote accountability within it. When individuals care deeply about their team members, they become more motivated to deliver exceptional work and support their colleagues.

Avoiding Demotivation: Identifying What Makes Individuals Tick

Avoiding demotivation is just as critical as using strategies to enhance motivation. It is essential to identify what makes individuals tick, but you should also consider what might demotivate individuals at your firm. For example, for those driven by autonomy, micromanagement can be a significant deterrent to the leverage that they can provide. Similarly, individuals who thrive on appreciation and feedback will experience decreased motivation if they don’t receive recognition or consistently encounter constructive feedback. To keep consultants engaged, it is crucial to understand their motivators and proactively discuss their passions and aspirations, thereby tailoring strategies to ignite their motivation.

By recognizing and addressing these core motivators—purpose, appreciation, autonomy, and community—organizations can unlock the full potential of their workforce. Creating an environment where employees feel valued, motivated, and inspired ultimately leads to increased productivity, satisfaction, and long-term success.

Written by: Dean McMann

More from this Author

About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Making the Most of Client Interactions

Every interaction with our clients is an opportunity to learn, establish trust, and win more work. When we come to a client event without the appropriate preparation we lose out on a significant opportunity to further establish the relationship and cement ourselves as a trusted advisor. However, total preparation is not feasible. We cannot be ready for all potential questions a client may ask or every word of every interaction that may occur. Instead, we can categorize different types of interactions and learn how to broadly prepare ourselves for most clients. In this blog, we explore four different things that we can do to prepare for client interactions.

  1. Always come to meetings organized and prepared.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “For every minute spent organizing, an hour is earned”. We know we need to be prepared to approach our clients, but how can we best achieve that? Our preparation should go beyond understanding the agenda and should include an understanding of the individuals we’re interacting with. If we take a moment to ask ourselves a few questions prior to these interactions, we’ll not only be prepared to speak to the content of the meeting, but also be prepared to effectively interact with the people we’re meeting with. We can ask ourselves some of the following:

  • What key data needs to be shared?
  • What kind of personality should I expect during this interaction?
  • What forces motivate the individual/team I’m interacting with?
  • What’s their attitude toward the project?
  • What attitude do you bring coming into this meeting?

As an addition to that final question, we must keep our attitudes in check. There is no room for arrogance in the consulting world. Remember, we are here to serve our clients. Not the other way around. Remembering this simple truth will help you on your quest to be more fully prepared for each client interaction.

  1. Seek opportunities for further interaction.

The best consultants understand the importance of following up. No meeting should end before seeking an opportunity to follow up or report back. Clients understand that following up on issues is a natural occurrence for those who care deeply enough about them. To show we care for our clients, we should develop habits that enable us to say things like “Let me get back to you” or “I may have more questions” and making sure both parties understand the timing to reconnect. When we seek opportunities for further interaction with our clients, we begin to establish the trust that we need to drive progress forward.

  1. Be effective when answering client questions.

We can treat each question from our clients using a simple matrix approach. At the top, we ask ourselves “Do I own the question?” and on the side we ask “Is the answer uncomfortable?” with a simple “Yes” or “No” to fill in the two-by-two square. See Figure 1 below for an illustration of this concept:

Each answer choice in the matrix coincides with an effective response. Each comes with a set of principles that can be flexed to accommodate a myriad of questions we may face from our clients. Let’s evaluate each answer choice in Figure 1 with greater detail:

3A. Cascade

Focusing on the top question, we can determine whether we own a client’s question by knowing what we’ve been brought on to do, and understanding what we know and don’t know. If we determine that “Yes”, we do own this question and have knowledge to provide the answer, then we would cascade the answer.

Don’t start at the bottom with detail, start with the label. For example, client asks “Should we sell our coffee business?”, our label could be “Yes, we believe you should sell”. We then follow up the label with midlevel reasoning behind our answer, and then STOP. Let them ask questions about it, and then continue the discussion as necessary.

3B. Understand & Follow Up

Returning to the top matrix and “Do I own the question”, let’s suppose we say “No” because we don’t have the experience or knowledge to answer it yet. The challenge we may face here is that, while we’re not fully prepared to answer, we must remain professional in our response. We can mediate this challenge by using a structured answer and paraphrasing the question to ensure we fully understand what’s being asked. Once we do understand what’s being asked, a simple “Hey, I’m going to get with the project lead and get back with you next week” will do the trick. Don’t take a guess at a question we’re not ready to answer, but take some time before regrouping with the client. Like in the second method mentioned above, doing this will enable an opportunity to follow up which will help us to improve trust with the client.

3C. Label & Discuss

Now, let’s consider the second question in the matrix of “Is the answer comfortable”. Suppose that yes, we can answer the question, but we believe the answer will be uncomfortable for those we’re interacting with. We will still want to cascade the answer, but at this point we would want to omit our mid-level reasoning. We’d phrase our label in a way that shows greater care and empathy like “Unfortunately, it looks like we can’t continue to invest in that portion of the business. What do you think about that?” Doing this can show we care about the client, the individuals we’re speaking with, and their success.

3D. Care & Align

If we determine that no, we can’t answer the question, and we believe the possible answers will be uncomfortable for the client, then we would want to take a different approach. We would respond to with motivation to meet up again and discuss the topic in further detail another time. Help them understand that we can’t answer it right now but leave some pieces for them to consider in preparation for the follow up meeting. Saying something like “Listen, the data is still being gathered, but we are concerned about how the company can continue to invest and grow in this portion of the business” helps them understand the care we’re taking to the topic. Doing this also establishes the trust that we will eventually return to them with an informed answer, which will come in handy when an uncomfortable discussion takes place.

4. Break bad habits

This advice is especially important for new consultants who may fall back on otherwise common habits of communication when facing clients. While we may use these gestures to more easily communicate our uncertainty with others in our lives, we do not want to answer questions for our clients with a confused look on our faces, nor do we want to use words that show uncertainty in our answer. Words like “Umm” or “Uh” with the client can make us look more uncertain about our answer, even if we find ourselves in a position to adequately answer it. Remember, it’s ok to take a moment before answering questions. Ultimately, we always want to deliver our answers deliberately, and in a way that conveys our patience and care.

In summary, it is important to treat every client interaction with care. These interactions provide meaningful opportunities to develop ourselves, establish greater relationships, and earn more business. Being prepared, seeking opportunities to follow up, effectively answering questions, and breaking bad communication habits can help us make the most of these interactions and drive greater progress for our clients.

Written by: Dean McMann

More from this Author

About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.

Proactively Managing Client Issues

Managing a consulting project is almost always accompanied by a set of unique challenges relative to a specific client. Though the challenges that you are solving for your client are unique, there are some common issues that arise when working with and managing client relationships. This blog explores three of the most common client challenges seen by consultants and discusses several effective strategies to address them. By being proactive and implementing the right approach to common client issues, you can more effectively navigate these challenges and ensure successful project outcomes.

Issue 1: Lack of Client Engagement

One of the most frequent hurdles faced by consultants involves clients not following through with tasks that you have assigned to them. It’s important to anticipate this issue and take proactive measures to address the potential for a lack of client engagement as you create the project plan. At the signing of the statement of work or first steering committee meeting, discussions should include client responsibilities and your expectations/needs to ensure the delivery of a successful outcome. This discussion should lead to an agreement, so the steering committee or project sponsor is able to hold their project team accountable to their end of the bargain. Client buy-in is paramount in this stage of the project, as it can be used as a point of reference if client engagement is lacking. This enables you to manage the client and their work with regular report outs and updates. Scheduling these meetings or check-ins with the steering committee are critical to the early detection of project risks and give them the opportunity to hold their team accountable throughout the duration of your engagement. This tactic puts a buffer between you and the project team, allowing you to maintain a positive relationship with the client when/if they are struggling to deliver on the agreed upon expectations.

Issue 2: Lack of Executive Buy-In

Another common challenge associated with client management is a lack of executive support toward the work that is being conducted. When executives fail to recognize the value of the services provided by consultants or harbor skepticism about potential project risks, they are not likely to support your efforts. Often, the result of this might manifest itself in the form of push back from the project team, an inability to hold the client accountable, or, worst of all, failure to deliver a successful outcome. To tackle this, it is crucial to discuss potential project risks openly and proactively with executives. These should be accompanied with recommended strategies or discussions around how the identified risks can be mitigated. This will help the executive acknowledge that you have thought through the project, adding credibility to your plan. If you do not discuss risks at the outset of a project, executives are likely to feel, “this is too good to be true”. We all know that if something seems, “too good to be true”, it probably is, which is why this is a key element to attaining executive buy-in.

Further, executive buy-in, or lack-there-of, can have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the project team. In almost every consulting engagement, there is likely an individual that resists the efforts of the consultant, referred to as an ‘antibody’. There is no shortage of reasons, good or bad, for this resistance, but attaining executive buy-in will ensure that the project moves forward regardless of the challenges that you are faced with. It should be noted that it is not your role to address the antibody, but you can identify them and report back to the executive. At this point, the executive, who understands and promotes the value of your work, can hold their team, and the antibody, accountable by serving as an advocate of your plan. Ultimately, attaining executive buy-in ensures that you have a project champion that is willing to support your agenda.

Issue 3: Scope Creep

Scope creep, which is an extremely common occurrence in consulting projects, is the expansion of project boundaries beyond the initial agreement or statement of work. While this concept is somewhat natural to the ever-changing landscape of client work, scope creep can be detrimental to project outcomes when resources are diverted away from tasks that are critical to success. Due to how commonly it happens, accounting for and managing scope creep is a skill that every consultant should acquire. The primary way of managing scope creep is through defining effective communication protocols and involving the necessary stakeholders at the outset of a project. One of the most common methods is to incorporate cascaded communication. This is where you communicate with the project lead when you are confronted with tasks outside of the scope of the project and allow them to disseminate that information and collect the reactions of their team. Depending on the client, you may, or may not, be involved in this cascade, but the strategy allows your client to determine the appropriate response to the issue. In turn you are provided with the context needed to understand why it has occurred and what to do about it. When the proper communication channels have been followed, evidence is gathered enabling you and the project lead to have a conversation regarding next steps. This is often a delicate conversation, because it involves a decision; should the scope stay the same or be expanded? It is important to approach scope creep clinically, while also leveraging it as an opportunity to assist the client and potentially up-sell additional services.

In conclusion, managing client challenges in consulting projects requires a proactive and strategic approach. By anticipating and addressing common issues such as lack of client engagement, lack of executive buy-in, and scope creep, consultants can navigate these challenges and achieve successful project outcomes. Establishing clear expectations and regular communication with clients can help mitigate the risk of lack of engagement, while openly discussing project risks with executives can foster their support and buy-in. Additionally, implementing effective communication protocols and involving necessary stakeholders from the outset can help manage scope creep and turn it into an opportunity for providing additional value. By employing these strategies, consultants can build stronger client relationships, enhance project outcomes, and drive success in their consulting engagements.

Written by: Dean McMann

More from this Author

About the Author: Dean McMann is a Founding Partner at McMann & Ransford with 35+ years of experience in consulting and professional services.  He is a sought-after expert and speaker on topics of: B2B differentiation, professional services best practices, and overcoming commoditization.  In addition to his extensive experience in the Professional Services space, Dean also serves on the board of various non-profit organizations.