Consulting Performance The Consultant’s Core Where Do I Fit and What Responsibility Do I Take? June, 2002 Version 2002.6/c Prepared by Walter Adamson 2002. [email_address]

The Consultant’s Core Managing Yourself This is what I am good at – my strengths This is how I work These are my values This is where I belong This is how and when I say NO Taking Relationship Responsibility To manage oneself requires taking relationship responsibility. Effective Performance – delivering as a Consultant The Trusted Advisor

Managing Yourself

This is what I am good at – my strengths

This is how I work

These are my values

This is where I belong

This is how and when I say NO

Taking Relationship Responsibility

To manage oneself requires taking relationship responsibility.

Effective Performance – delivering as a Consultant

The Trusted Advisor

Managing Yourself What are my strengths? How one performs is individual - know WHAT you do well Know consciously HOW you get things done Get exceptional results by performing WHAT you are good at HOW you perform best. How do I learn? Do I work well with people, or am I a loner? What are my values? Where do I belong? How do I say no?

What are my strengths?

How one performs is individual - know WHAT you do well

Know consciously HOW you get things done

Get exceptional results by performing WHAT you are good at HOW you perform best.

How do I learn?

Do I work well with people, or am I a loner?

What are my values?

Where do I belong?

How do I say no?

What are my strengths Feedback Analysis Focus First and foremost concentrate on your strengths Place yourself where your strengths can produce optimum performance and results. Work on improving your strengths Be aware of disabling ignorance – being too bright! Remedy bad habits (improved civility and manners) Do Not spend time or energy on low competencies Plenty of areas “below minimum endowment to make a difference” In these areas DO NOT take on work, jobs assignments Waste as little time as possible on areas of low competence Make your competencies stronger, not your incompetencies mediocre.

Feedback Analysis

Focus

First and foremost concentrate on your strengths

Place yourself where your strengths can produce optimum performance and results.

Work on improving your strengths

Be aware of disabling ignorance – being too bright!

Remedy bad habits (improved civility and manners)

Do Not spend time or energy on low competencies

Plenty of areas “below minimum endowment to make a difference”

In these areas DO NOT take on work, jobs assignments

Waste as little time as possible on areas of low competence

Make your competencies stronger, not your incompetencies mediocre.

How Do I Get Things Done What mode do I prefer? Reader or listener Visual – words or diagrams How do I learn? Note taking Listening to others Listening to myself Writing to others How do I act on my knowledge of how I learn? Action and decision-making Contemplation and reflection Revision and writing Discussion and debate

What mode do I prefer?

Reader or listener

Visual – words or diagrams

How do I learn?

Note taking

Listening to others

Listening to myself

Writing to others

How do I act on my knowledge of how I learn?

Action and decision-making

Contemplation and reflection

Revision and writing

Discussion and debate

Working With Others Do I work well with other people, or am I a loner? (In what relationship do I work well?) Team member, mentor, coach, subordinate, boss Under stress, highly structured, minnow, big fish, Decision-maker or advisor? Elephant or flea?

Do I work well with other people, or am I a loner?

(In what relationship do I work well?)

Team member, mentor, coach, subordinate, boss

Under stress, highly structured, minnow, big fish,

Decision-maker or advisor?

Elephant or flea?

Working With Others Decision-maker or advisor Can you take the burden of the decision? Can help decision makers take time to hear advice? Do you enjoy the pressure of the decision? Do you enjoy the pressure of advising? Many advisors cannot take the pressure of the decision. Many decision-makers need an advisor to force themselves to think, but then take the decision and act upon it with speed and confidence.

Decision-maker or advisor

Can you take the burden of the decision?

Can help decision makers take time to hear advice?

Do you enjoy the pressure of the decision?

Do you enjoy the pressure of advising?

Many advisors cannot take the pressure of the decision. Many decision-makers need an advisor to force themselves to think, but then take the decision and act upon it with speed and confidence.

Objective Don’t try to change yourself, but improve the way that you perform best now. In other words Optimise your investment in yourself and set targets to reach in your competent areas.

Don’t try to change yourself, but improve the way that you perform best now.

In other words

Optimise your investment in yourself and set targets to reach in your competent areas.

What are my values To manage yourself you have to know your own values The “mirror test” What kind of person do I want to see when I look in the mirror each morning? Value conflicts lead to non-performance and frustration People have values Organisations have values They need to be close enough to coexist If not you will not produce results Values are the ultimate test

To manage yourself you have to know your own values

The “mirror test”

What kind of person do I want to see when I look in the mirror each morning?

Value conflicts lead to non-performance and frustration

People have values

Organisations have values

They need to be close enough to coexist

If not you will not produce results

Values are the ultimate test

Where do I belong Decide based upon previous questions: What are my strengths? How do I perform? What are my values? WHERE DO I BELONG? At least decide where you do NOT belong Say “NO” to work where you do not belong. Say no if you do not perform in a large organisation Say no if you do not perform as a decision-maker Say no if you do not perform as an advisor/coach

Decide based upon previous questions:

What are my strengths?

How do I perform?

What are my values?

WHERE DO I BELONG?

At least decide where you do NOT belong

Say “NO” to work where you do not belong.

Say no if you do not perform in a large organisation

Say no if you do not perform as a decision-maker

Say no if you do not perform as an advisor/coach

How to say NO Knowing the answer enables you to say to an opportunity, a potential assignment: “ Yes I will do that, but : this is the way I should be doing it this is the way it should be structured this is the way my relationships should be these are the kind of results you should expect from me, and in this time frame because this is who I am .” An opportunity will produce outstanding results if you have selected it by knowing your strengths, how you work, and your values. Knowing where one belongs makes ordinarily competent people into outstanding performers.

Knowing the answer enables you to say to an opportunity, a potential assignment:

“ Yes I will do that, but :

this is the way I should be doing it

this is the way it should be structured

this is the way my relationships should be

these are the kind of results you should expect from me, and

in this time frame

because this is who I am .”

An opportunity will produce outstanding results if you have selected it by knowing your strengths, how you work, and your values.

Knowing where one belongs makes ordinarily competent people into outstanding performers.

Taking Relationship Responsibility Consultants achieve through others They are advisors ie. effective through other people Therefore they must take relationship responsibility Accept that others are individuals with individual strengths, ways of working and values. To deliver effective performance you must know your colleagues: Strengths Performance modes, and Values

Consultants achieve through others

They are advisors ie. effective through other people

Therefore they must take relationship responsibility

Accept that others are individuals with individual strengths, ways of working and values.

To deliver effective performance you must know your colleagues:

Strengths

Performance modes, and

Values

Delivering Effective Performance The practice requires observation of your clients: How to adapt yourself How to be effective What are their strengths? How do they work? What are their values? The first secret of effectiveness is to understand the people with whom one works and on whom one depends and to make use of their strengths, their ways of working, their values.

The practice requires observation of your clients:

How to adapt yourself

How to be effective

What are their strengths?

How do they work?

What are their values?

The first secret of effectiveness is to understand the people with whom one works and on whom one depends and to make use of their strengths, their ways of working, their values.

Delivering Effective Performance (2) Take responsibility for communications Explain to your coworkers: This is what I am good at This is how I work These are my values This is the contribution I can make, and the results I should be expected to deliver. It it incumbent on the consultant to make sure that others understand what they are trying to do, why they are doing it, how they are going to do it, and what results to expect. Drucker 2001 (paraphrase)

Take responsibility for communications

Explain to your coworkers:

This is what I am good at

This is how I work

These are my values

This is the contribution I can make, and the results I should be expected to deliver.

It it incumbent on the consultant to make sure that others understand what they are trying to do, why they are doing it, how they are going to do it, and what results to expect. Drucker 2001 (paraphrase)

The Trusted Advisor Organisations are no longer build on force They are increasingly built on trust People trust one another People understand one another Therefore taking relationship responsibility is an absolute necessity – a duty. Whether one is a member of the organisation, or a consultant to it … one owes relationship responsibility to everyone with whom one works, on whose work one depends. Drucker 2001

Organisations are no longer build on force

They are increasingly built on trust

People trust one another

People understand one another

Therefore taking relationship responsibility is an absolute necessity – a duty.

Whether one is a member of the organisation, or a consultant to it … one owes relationship responsibility to everyone with whom one works, on whose work one depends. Drucker 2001

The Consultant’s Core Summary Managing Yourself Taking Relationship Responsibility Effective Performance – delivering as a Consultant The Trusted Advisor Contact Walter Adamson [email_address] Skype: walter M: +61 403 345 632 (Australia)

Summary

Managing Yourself

Taking Relationship Responsibility

Effective Performance – delivering as a Consultant

The Trusted Advisor

Contact

Walter Adamson

[email_address]

Skype: walter

M: +61 403 345 632 (Australia)