The document outlines a 10 step consulting process developed by Geoff Bellman over 30 years of experience as a consultant. The steps are: Entry, Contract, Inquiry, Interpretation, Feedback, Alternatives, Decision, Action, Measurement, and Exit. The document provides detailed explanations and tips for each step, with a focus on the Entry and Contract steps. It emphasizes clear contracting to avoid misunderstandings, respecting the client's perspective, demonstrating understanding of the client's concerns, and developing an emerging understanding of one's own consulting process through experience and reflection.

1. A TEN STEP CONSULTING PROCESS
By
Geoff Bellman
INTRODUCTION
I was a consultant before I knew what one was, and I have been one for over thirty years.
Since beginning in this work, I have been following “a consulting process”—whether I knew it
or not, whether I was effective or not. With experience--and help from associates, workshops,
and patient clients—I learned what worked and did not work for me. I talked about better
ways of consulting with my clients, my peers, and eventually consultants on my staff. When I
was faced with helping my staff members develop their consulting skills so came up with ten
steps that define the consulting process as I knew it.
It could have been four steps, or twelve, or seven; but for me, it’s ten. I created the steps
based on the many different skills involved, rather than the interaction with the client. The ten
step process feels long and detailed to me when I think of it as a guide for my work with a
client. But when I think about helping consultants learn what they need to know, it feels just
right!
In a few pages, we will begin exploring these ten steps. My presentation will be chronological,
detailed, and biased by my experience. This is not an academic treatise on what you should
do; these steps are not based on research. This consulting process has been formed by what
has worked for me. And what has not worked.
I see us consultants as custodians of the consulting process. We need to have answers when a
client asks, “What would you do if you were consulting to me?” “…Well…What do you want me
to do?” is not the correct answer! Based on your experience and training, you should be able
to describe to this new client just what the two of you might do together. You may be this
client’s first-ever consultant; they may no nothing about how to work with you. They will
expect you to know something about how you prefer to consult; more experienced clients
would want the same. This is a legitimate expectation; it comes with the consultant’s territory.
In my early years as a consultant, I read what others did; I depended on more experienced
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2. consultants to tell me how to approach clients—just as you may be doing as you read this
booklet. With practice, my own sense of my consulting process emerged, and I was able to
more confidently talk with clients about how I preferred to work..
And that is what is happening with you right now. As you read through my ten steps, you may
notice yourself agreeing and disagreeing with me. This is not simply a matter of who’s right
and who’s wrong; it’s about your emerging consulting process. So pay attention. Pay
attention to what you especially like about what I propose; it may become part of your
emerging process. And pay attention to what you do not like; that may be a clue to something
in your emerging consulting process that is different from mine. Enough introduction! Let’s
jump into the ten steps:
A TEN STEP CONSULTING PROCESS
1. ENTRY
2. CONTRACT
3. INQUIRY
4. INTERPRETATION
5. FEEDBACK
6. ALTERNATIVES
7. DECISION
8. ACTION
9. MEASUREMENT
10. EXIT
Read from one through ten; see if step labels make sense to you…see if they take you
somewhere. The process begins with the initial contact with a potential client and ends when
the work is done. I will help each step become clearer during the rest of this booklet.
When I talk with clients, I seldom say, “Here’s the ten step process I follow.” I am more likely
to say, “I follow a process that starts with today’s initial exploration of your concerns, of the
issues and opportunities you face. Then I’m likely to ask you to send me to a few other people
to get their perspective on it. After that, I’ll come back to you in a couple of days to propose
what we do next.” Those three sentences are about the first two steps in this ten step process.
At this early stage, I think these are the only steps I must discuss with the client. At this
point, I have no idea whether I’ll be working on a major project. I need more information
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3. about them and they need more about me; then we can decide. But I’m getting ahead of
myself…
The pages which follow offer explanation and guidance on each of the ten steps. Each step
includes a list of thoughts I find helpful in performing the step better. As you read through this
process, think about how it relates to what you do; think about your skills in performing this
step. It may be useful for you to make a few notes along the way:
• Which steps are particularly important to you in your work?
• Which steps are you most skillful in?
• Which do you need to learn most about?
• And, what is your consulting process?
As you become more aware of your process, you will be more able and confident with your
clients.
STEP ONE: ENTRY
The client’s first steps toward seeking a consultant begin with an “itch”. An itch that they feel
they cannot scratch alone…and that’s when you or I might get a call, and that’s when the
consulting process begins. In my book, Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge, I
talk at length about “the itch”. More properly expressed, it’s an important difference between
what the client has and what they want. It’s that gap, perhaps clearly known, perhaps felt
intuitively. And they call you because they feel you might be able to help them narrow the
gap. They usually call because they think you might have the unique expertise they need. You
answer their call because you are looking for work—and you share their belief that you might
help….might help. That’s the beginning of a new client-consultant relationship.
So…You are sitting at your desk, wondering what you could do to cause your phone to ring
more often…and the phone rings! It’s a potential client, reminding you of who she is, telling
you she thinks she might need a consultant, and wondering what you might be able to do for
her. After a short discussion, you reach for your empty calendar and ask when the two of you
could meet to talk further about this. You agree on a time and date. You put down the phone,
scream “YES!!”, and pick up this booklet—which you study daily until your meeting!
I’m going to follow your work with this client through this ten step consulting process. I know
already that you are going to get this work so I’m not going to coach you on sales skills—that’s
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4. another book. You arrive at the first meeting with the client ready and willing to work. Here
are some things to think about before your first meeting with this client:
11 Clients usually call because they have “a problem”; they sometimes call because they have
“an opportunity”. There is also a good chance that they have tried something else before
calling you. It is common for consultants to be called in long after the ideal intervention
point has passed. You hear about problems when they are well-established and quite
uncomfortable.
12 Clients have often defined the problem and the solution--that is why this client called you.
If you are a trainer, she called because she thinks training is the solution to her problem. If
you are a strategic planning, she thinks she needs a plan. If you are a team builder, guess
what? And of course, that client may be right. On the other hand, she may not.
13 Respect the client's willingness to act on this problem. The fact that she called you indicates
a willingness to do something about it. With experience, you will discover that at least
seventy percent of the time the client’s presenting problem is not the real problem of the
organization. A good way to start things off badly is to tell her this--to suggest that what
she thinks is the problem is not. Respect her definition of the problem. There’s a very good
chance that others in her organization will have different definitions.
14 Begin where the client wants to begin, rather than where you would prefer to begin. She
has a story to tell and needs to tell it. This need is often as important as the story. Listen to
both and demonstrate your respect for what the client says and the feelings that come with
that. Notice the parts of the problem that seem particularly important to her. Listen
carefully to what she has to say.
15 Demonstrate that you understand through facial expressions, nonverbal behavior, and
telling her what you have heard in your own words. After hearing the client out, restate
what you think you have heard in terms of what you think she wants. Check this statement
with the client to make sure you are accurate. It’s most important that the client knows
she has been heard and that you understand this problem as she understands it.
16 Establish your interest in helping the client. Tell the client that this problem is interesting to
you, that it is important, and that you would like to help. Make sincere statements that
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5. establish your willingness to take the next steps with her.
17 Elaborate on the related experience you have had. Offer a couple of examples of other
projects you’ve worked on. Build her confidence in you. Talk generally about how you like
to work with clients: How you engage them in projects, what you expect of clients, what
they can expect of you. (You have to know this ahead of time, and do because you have
been thinking about it since she called!) As you talk with her, focus on the results you
deliver. Also tell her the fee for your work.
18 Get client support for those few steps that you want to take over the next few days.
Ask for copies of related materials that you can read to help you understand the problem. Just
a 1-3 hours of reading; do not overwhelm yourself. Ask the client to arrange individuals
meetings for you with three or four others who could add their perspectives to hers. Short
meetings (30-40 minutes) will do. Supplement what the client provides with a little on-line
research of your own.
19 Schedule your next meeting with the client before you leave this one. Tell the client what
you will bring her at that meeting: Your updated impressions based on reading and
interviews, and your proposed next steps.
110 As you finish this meeting, ask the client how this meeting went: Did the meeting give her
what she wants? Is there anything else she wants from you?
If you stick to the Entry step, this first meeting will be an hour, perhaps two. If it is longer, you
have probably moved into later steps in the consulting process. In this step, you may find
your need to know more conflicting with the client's need for action. This is a common
discussion point throughout many consultations. You need more information before
committing to action because (as we said earlier) the client’s presenting problem is often not
the real problem. Respect the client’s need to act now while the two of you negotiate a way for
you to find out more.
Between now and the next meeting with the client…
• Read materials the client sends your way,
• Interview those few people she wants you to talk with,
• Assess what you have learned,
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6. • Design your Inquiry (Step Three), and
• Make notes on the Contract (Step Two) that you want to make with the client.
STEP TWO: CONTRACT
A contract is the primary outcome of your next meeting with the client. That meeting
concludes with agreement between you and the client on what you will offer to and expect
from each other. This is not a legal contract; it is more dynamic than that; it can be changed
by mutual agreement (‘not a bad idea to include that in the contract.) Your agreements are
written so that later on you can remind yourselves of what you decided. The contract meeting
deals with these types of questions:
• What is the work? The issue? The opportunity? The problem? (Identify what is wanted vs.
what exists.)
• What are the outcomes expected? By the client? By you?
• How will you approach the problem?
• How will you gather information about what is going on? From whom? When?
• How will you and the client work with each other? Keep each other informed? Deal with
issues? Support each other? Measure progress?
• What will this contract cost in time, money, equipment, and materials?
Come to this meeting with notes on your answers to these questions, knowing that you will
revise what you have written. Suggest that the client do the same. Assume that the contract
you make will be revised later as the work itself informs you. Some specific suggestions for
creating contracts:
21 Make the contract portion of your meeting more business-like, emphasizing mutual
understanding, clarity, and agreement. Take notes throughout the meeting, knowing you
will prepare the agreement from these notes.
22 Early on, before laying out all of your ideas, ask the client what they see as the important
questions you need to answer together, and, talk with them about their answers to their
own questions. Take notes on all of this.
23 Weave your own questions and answers into and around what the client offers. Make this a
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7. conversation with real dialogue, rather Tell the client when you will meet again and what
results you will bring to that meeting.
24 Follow this meeting with a memo that describes the main elements of the contract. This
way you will both have a copy. Later, check to see if the memo was accurate.
25 Set up times when the two of you will reconsider how the contract is working. The contract
is dynamic and can be altered whenever the two of you want to change it. Unlike a legal
contract, this consulting contract is expected to change; both client and consultant are
expected to keep the contract up to date.
26 If you have not already emphasized the point, ask the client how she will know whether the
project has been successful when it is all over. Write down the response. Return to these
notes in the measurement step.
One uncomfortable pattern I can see in my career as a consultant: Most of my problems with
cleints came through unclear contracting. I thought I was to do something different from what
the client expected. We thought we understood each other when we didn’t. Or, I wanted to do
something but wasn’t clear with the client. After the collapse of the work, when I look back, I
almost always find a shabby contract was the cause.
STEP THREE: INQUIRY
This step is all about intentional learning—learning about the client organization. It is often
labeled “Data Collection”; I called it that myself for years. But I like the tone of “inquiry”
better; it comes with a genuine and positive curiosity; it is not simply the assembling of dull
information. Inquiry involves a intentional search, an openness to what is going on in this
place. “Appreciative Inquiry” and it’s disciples would go farther with this--see the Resources at
the end of this booklet for more information about the AI perspective and methods.
You, with the support of your client, have to decide how you are going to learn more about the
problem and what surrounds it. You will use different methods to explore the organization for
the information you need. And your inquiry in large part will be directed toward people. You
gather information by watching, listening, asking, and reading. You can do any of these in
more-to-less structured way.
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8. • You will always watch people and interpret what you see.
• You will likely read about what has been happening around the organization.
• You will always talk with/interview some individuals.
• You may gather people in groups to talk with them—or have them talk with each other.
• You may ask people to complete a questionnaire of your own or someone else’s design.
• You may watch people systematically for particular aspects of their behavior.
• You may ask them to perform certain tasks to see what they do and how they do it.
Any of these methods and more can be appropriate; it just depends on the project’s purposes
and resources (For example: time, money, energy, geography, culture). You can deal with
people face to face, in groups, on the telephone, or on-line. You can do the inquiry yourself, or
you can have people in the client organization do it. The key is to be aware of the information
you are looking for, to consciously select and use a method, and to have the skills important to
the method you are using..
This Inquiry step is first --deciding what you want to learn from whom, second--choosing
methods for learning that, and third--going into the organization with your questions and
methods. And you your client is involved in each of these decisions. Here’s what I try to think
about as I inquire:
31 Draft your approach to Inquiry before completing the Contract step; you need to have at
least roughed-out Inquiry before you can Contract. Use the materials the client gave you
and the few interviews you’ve had to develop your proposal to the client about how you will
gather information. Select inquiry methods that are easy to use and for the client to
understand. If the client doesn't understand what you are doing, chances are she will not
believe the data that comes out of this step.
32 Build out bias. One common mistake is gathering information in a way that confirms your
assumptions. For example, suppose you were to ask managers, “What are your three
biggest problems in working here?” You would likely leave the inquiry convinced that this
organization has BIG problems among the management! But your question created the
bias reflected in the data.. Ask the same managers, “What are your three greatest joys in
working here?” Quite a different bias would likely emerge…And both questions combined
might not get at the really important issues here. Your challenge: Inquire in a way that
does not bias the response you receive.
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9. 33 Gather information in a way that allows people to speak to what is happening at work that
is important to them and the organization. If you are a trainer, do not ask what kind of
training they need. If you do, they will tell you, and you have misled yourself into thinking
you have discovered something important…Not likely. Instead, ask what is happening at
work and what should be happening. Or, ask what present performance is and what they
think it should be. Get people to talk about what they know best: their work, their
performance and their results. Later in our consulting process, you can help them decide
what needs to be done and consider how you might contribute.
34 When the client first called you, she has already done a preliminary diagnosis that resulted
in her pushing buttons her telephone. Your buttons. When you receive her call, you have
the opportunity to confirm the client's early and usually hasty diagnosis. This Inquiry step
is about getting past what the client figured out ahead of time and into what is really going
on.
35 Polish your interviewing and observing skills. Inquiry always includes interviewing and
observing. There is no avoiding talking to and seeing people along the way—even if it is
just the initial contact person.
36 Collect lots of paper and electronic data. Recorded data is all history; it has already
happened, and indicates how things have been done. The future usually builds on the past,
so paying attention to history will help you be wiser about influencing the future. And,
attending to history also shows the client that you respect their past…It’s not as if
everything really important began with your arrival!
37 My idealistic goal is to inquire of everyone who might be invested in the issue and its
resolution. I never realize this ideal; it’s just too time-consuming and expensive. But it
does bias me toward including more rather than less people. The change that happens
down the road will require the support of many people. And people are more likely to sup-
port change when they have participated in the steps leading to the change.
38 Collect data from management first. These are the people who invited you in. Working with
them first reassures them about what will be happening in the organizations they lead. It
also allows them to influence your approach, build their trust in you, and commit to the
project.
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10. 39 Tell those you involve as much as you can about what you are doing. Be as open with them
as you expect them to be with you. Know that when you are less than open, this will be
sensed and will affect that data you are given. Be open about the process you are using.
Tell them what you have learned so far—but not until you have heard from them; you don’t
want your comments to influence what they say.
310 Do not collect secrets or gossip. When people load you up with confidential data, they are
giving you a responsibility that you cannot carry. You can only help this client when you can
use what you learn. I find it useful to tell people that what they tell me is not confidential
but anonymous. They can expect to see anything they tell me in a report, but written in a
way that protects their identity.
311 Do not yield to the temptation to analyze the data while you are still collecting it. Doing so
usually results in premature conclusions and affects the way you collect data from that
point forward, and biases your results. Wait until the Interpretation step.
Inquiry creates expectations. Change of some sort—mostly imagined at this point—has already
started. People’s expectations will vary greatly and will not be eliminated by saying, “Don't
worry.” These concerns can be reduced by carrying out the Inquiry quickly and reporting out
the results to those involved.
You are biased; we all are. Give up the notion that you are an objective observer; you aren't.
Know your biases and put them aside during Inquiry. At this point you want to ensure that you
are really seeing what is going on in this organization. Later on you will make judgments about
what ought to be done, and you want to be certain those judgments are based on your clear
vision of reality.
STEP FOUR: INTERPRETATION
I’m tempted to rename this fourth step “Discovery”, because that is what most engages me…
and “Inquiry” and “Discovery” fit so well together. But discovery is only a small, important part
of this step; the larger part of it truly is interpretation.
There are two parts to analyzing the information you have collected: What does it say, and,
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11. What does it mean? What is says is the more literal part; what it means is the more
interpretive part. Sorting data for content (what it says) leads to what it means…At least that’s
how I approach it.
Piles of data spread out before you…what in the hell does it all say…and what does that
mean??? That’s what you and your client have to figure out. Because there is much at stake
here, it’s very useful to engage the client in this Interpretation step. Here are my observations
on analyzing reams of data with no prepackaged way of doing so:
41 Find the new order. Make sense of what’s in front of you in a new way. That is what this
interpretation is about. How could all of this data make sense in a way that would be useful
to the organization? That sense may emerge…or it may have to be imposed…or it may
never come about (…my lingering fear).
42 It is easier to do this step if your information is displayed so that you can move it about
easily. For example, it is a lot easier to move around 3" x 5" cards, each containing one line
of data, than it is to move around 8 1/2" x 14" sheets, each containing twelve to twenty
lines of data. Juxtapose separate bits of data so you can build the patterns in front of you.
When you are back at Step Three, Inquiry, think about how you will eventually sort what
you learn; that will help you gather information in a way you can better sort it in this
Interpretation step.
43 Sort the data three or four ways, withholding your commitment to any one of them. For
example, you might sort the data by who said it, looking for patterns among the job titles
or levels of those interviewed…And then you might sort again based on geographic
location...Or shift…And yet another sort would be by common issues. Don't try to finish
this step too fast. Again, pay attention to your biases. It is safer to test them here than in
the earlier step, but don’t confine yourself to a one bias analysis.
44 Do not be afraid to get lost in the data; be willing to not understand what it all means. The
client may have been struggling with the issue for years. Why should you immediately
understand it??? A natural part of the interpretation process is to be confused for a while;
the data does not always make sense As the saying goes, if you are not confused, then
maybe you just don't understand! Being clear too early can mean that you are blind to
what is really happening…But then again, maybe you really do understand. Either is
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12. possible-which tells me that you should consider more alternatives than the first to present
itself.
45 If a clear sort of the information does not emerge, then force one. This can allow other
possible sorts to present themselves. Yes, there are times when no significant patterns
exist. Sometimes it means there was nothing to find; other times it means you need to
know more…and what you have presents you with clues on where to look..
46 Shape your resulting analysis in a way that can be readily understood by the people who
will be seeing and using it. If they cannot understand it--or don’t believe it--you will be in
the position of selling them on what you think they told you…not a comfortable position for
you.
To reinforce an earlier point, when you can, involve the client deeply in this interpretation step.
She can help your understanding of what the data means. And her involvement in the analysis
builds her commitment to act on its outcomes. If you want the client to believe your eventual
recommendations, she needs to agree on the validity of the data you’ve collected and
understand the way you analyzed it. ‘No better way to do this than her being there.
Your product from this step is a written report which contains:
• A brief explanation of how the Inquiry and Interpretation were done.
• Identification of who was involved.
• The data—what it says. Sorted without interpretation
• The interpretation—what it means.
All of this will be useful in the next step…
STEP FIVE: FEEDBACK
This step has to do with giving the data and the interpretation to the client in a way that she
can understand it and accept it. She needs to believe it; she needs to “own” it. She might say
something like, "Yes…I understand your report…It’s organized in a helpful way…This data is
clearly from our organization… I think it accurately reflects what is going on around here."
That’s the ownership we are looking for: She has made this report her own.
This is often a focal and challenging meeting with your primary client and others. You are
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13. usually bringing important issues into sharp focus. She and others in the room likely had a
hand in creating the issues that the report reveals. Thanks to your fine work, they are now
being confronted with acting on these issues…And frequently the real issues revealed are
different from the presenting issues the client originally called you about. Yes, this is a
culminating, exciting and tough step. Here are some tips that have helped me—when I’ve
been successful in feeding back data and my interpretation:
51 Feed back the data in a meeting attended by key people critical to understanding, support
and eventual action. You collected the data, so you run the meeting. Plan meeting time for
people to absorb what the data says and figure out what it means. This often quite time-
consuming, and there is nothing worse than having to quit in the middle of the group’s
work on the data.
52 You’ve prepared the data for feedback, sorted it in a way that will make ready sense to the
client. For example, if your Inquiry process included a series of interview questions, list
each question with the responses you gathered beneath it. This is simple and
understandable; it is a logical extension of the interview process they went through. Your
sort needs to fit with the expectations you helped create when you contracted with your
client.
53 Separate the sorted data from your interpretation of the data; do not give it all to the client
at once. IF you can (‘he says, conflicting with what he wrote in the previous step’) do not
analyze the data until after the client has seen it in its sorted form. That is a big IF! My
experience has shown that the client wants the data and your interpretation together—and
usually your recommendations too! What’s wrong with this, you ask? Showing your
interpretation before the client has made her own, can both preclude her important
analytical work and reduce her ownership of your interpretation. When you can, avoid
committing yourself to an interpretation before the client has even seen the data. What if
they don’t like the data? What is they don’t like your interpretation? What if you are
wrong?
54 Seek their ownership of the data. Ask them if they agree that this data is probably
representative of the organization. Do not ask them whether they agree with the data;
that is quite a different point! When people challenge the data as false, invalid, or dis-
torted, ask them for the data that is missing, and add it to what you have already
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14. collected. You need not defend the data because it is not yours. It comes from them and
their people.
55 After they “own” the data, help them move to interpreting it. Draw out their interpretation
and weave in your own. Acknowledge that your analysis was before having heard from
them; let them know that what they have said has affected you. It’s better to build on
their work than to present your (no doubt brilliant) interpretation separately in a way that
briefly feeds your ego but starves your effectiveness.
56 Expect some negative reactions. This is important stuff! If the people in the room had
known how resolve the issues, they would have done so without inviting you in. Some
people may feel challenged, criticized, and defensive. This feedback step may be their first
indication that they are not doing as well as they thought—and they are getting it in in
front of their peers.
Yes, all of this suggests a more “formal” presentation to the client group. Find out how they
typically do this; what are they likely to expect?. Then do it better. As you prepare, keep in
mind the client’s focus on action and results. Too often we consultants are entranced by our
own methodology; we waste precious client time explaining for too long how we did this, and
the client wants to know what we came up with. They need to know about both the how and
the what, with an emphasis on the what. In preparing your presentation, plan:
• What you are going to say,
• What you are going to show,
• What you are not going to say, but are ready to talk about,
• How you are going to involve them,
• What outcomes you expect.
(TIME OUT)
We have completed five of the ten steps and we are still a long way from our action step.
Let’s use the time out to notice how you are liking/not liking this ten step consulting process:
How natural does the process feel to you? What has this process asked you to do that you
would not ordinarily do? What have you learned from this process? Where do you feel that
the process and I are off-base? And, what does my process suggest about your own?
______________________________________________________________
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15. STEP SIX: ALTERNATIVES
Now that we agree on what the data says and what it means, it’s time to explore what we
might possibly do about it--with the emphasis on "possibly." Too often we and our clients rush
to judgment and action; this step intends to slow us down enough to consider the array of
actions we might take before we decide what we will do. This potentially creative step is not as
limited by practical considerations as are the two steps that follow--Decision and Action.
61 Develop alternatives against your clear, shared interpretation of the situation, plus a set of
parameters related to the desired outcomes—look for these in your early Contract step.
Decisions made, chosen from alternatives, give the deciders increased confidence in their
actions because they know they have deliberated; they are more in control.
62 Involve the clients in developing the alternatives. Again, we run up against clients
demands to move ahead and may have to compromise. Their involvement results in more
and better ideas without sacrificing any of the ideas you have developed. The amount of
client involvement in this step depends on a number of factors: their expertise in your
area, the amount of support they will be asked to contribute to the eventual decision, time
pressures, and your own ability to generate alternatives.
63 If you have collected data, analyzed it, and still not met with the client, draft alternative
actions to take with you to this first meeting. Do not make them into a beautiful report, but
do have good ideas on what the client might do next. Having thought of alternatives ahead
also allows you to ask questions and present thoughts that stimulate the clients to deal
more seriously with the data before them. Plan how you will involve them in developing
their own alternatives. Do not preempt them, but do think ahead. Then, weave your
alternatives in with those that come from the clients.
Three actions you can perform within this step include:
• Develop alternatives,
• Help clients develop alternatives,
• Offer your alternatives.
Our cultural bias toward action often means this Alternatives step gets short shrift. The result
can be a less creative and less complete solutions.
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16. STEP SEVEN: DECISION
The Decision is usually wound up with Step Six: Alternatives. I only sort them out here
because they involve such different skills for you, the consultant. And also for the client.
Where Alternatives involves a creative reach outward; the Decision involves a narrowing in on
the choice. Both usually involve people who were not there when you and the client began this
consulting process.
71 For the decision to work when it is taken to Action (in the next step), it’s best to involve
people who will be affected by the decision. Suggest to the client that she invite these
kinds of people to the alternative-building and decision-making meeting:
• People with related and useful expertise.
• People with necessary authority.
• People affected by the decision.
• People whose commitment is needed.
• People who need to support the decision.
72 Involving people does not necessarily mean they make the decision together. They may
act as listeners, or advisors, or decision-makers—or the boss can make the decision on her
own if she so desires. Whatever the roles of all involved, make sure that they know their
role in relation to the decision. Before the meeting, if possible.
73 Make sure that people know what is being decided and the potential impact on them and
the organization. They will have to live with this decision from day to day, and you want it
to be well supported. If they choose a decision because it is sold to them, their
implementation of it will be less than enthusiastic.
74 Try to keep the client group from making the decision until they have heard all the
alternatives. Ideally, they will have complete and shared understanding of the data, its
interpretation, and the alternatives before the decision. Part of this is considering the
consequences of each of the more viable alternatives.
After the decision, help the client lay out who will do what, where, and by when. Make this
widely understood among those present. Those specifics will inform what happens next in the
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17. Action step.
STEP EIGHT: ACTION
You and the client have done a lot of work to get to this Action step. Without you, the client no
doubt would probably have acted earlier--and would certainly have acted differently. With this
action step, the client’s real talents come to the fore. Many organizations are much better at
action than they are at preparing for it. (That same truth stands for many of us consultants
too—at least in our private lives!) With many clients, I feel like turning them loose, now that
they have pointed themselves in the right direction. Others, heavy with committees and
bureaucracy, meet their first real test with this action step: They are too talented in
preparation and lack the will to act. This action step may be the first point that you detect
resistance to change. Before now, we were just talking about it, but now that we are
beginning action, that is threatening! Here are some ideas that seem to help:
81 Encourage immediate action, building on the momentum established in earlier steps. Resist
the temptation to relax now that the client has decided to act. Very important work is
about to begin; help it happen! All the good inquiry, interpretation and planning will be lost
if the momentum is not maintained. Momentum is precious; don’t squander it!
82 Participants involved in the last few steps of the process should see a direct, dynamic
relationship between the action that is beginning and what they participated in earlier.
Current action should be consistent with earlier plans and the underlying assumptions. For
example, if earlier steps anticipated involving a wide array of people, that should be
happening in this action step. Participation put aside in favor of unilateral direction would
undermine the project.
83 Help the key leaders find and take specific, observable, immediate action that
demonstrates change in line with the project’s direction.
• What could key leaders do right now? They are the models others will look to.
• What could an individual employee do? How is the organization supporting that?
• What information, familiarization, or training would help people move into action more
quickly?
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18. • How could recent changes be communicated across the organization?
• What could be done to reinforce individual and group initiative that supports the change?
Carry out your part of the action promptly with no doubt that others will do their parts. Be a
good and public example of support for the changes being implemented.
84 Observe early actions closely; see them as a measure of commitment to and
understanding of the project. Support and reinforce people who are trying new behaviors
as a result of the changes being instituted. Even support changes that don't work that well;
support the fact that they were tried.
85 Find ways to coach and counsel your clients through their new actions rather than taking
over and doing it for them. Avoid your tendency to “fill the breach” because you think they
don’t know how to do it, are neglecting it, or lack commitment. It’s their organization, not
yours. They live here; you don’t. Certainly help, but they should be extending far more
energy than you.
86 Expect setback and help your clients expect them. Your and their idealism can put you on
what looks like a constantly rising, starry path. Know that you will have problems. The
more noble your aspirations, the more likely problems will occur. Anticipate those problems
and develop contingency plans for dealing with them. Make "unexpected" problems
"expected." Help your clients build this anticipation into their actions in Step Seven.
Encourage and lead meetings that help people review how they are doing, accept their
success and slippage, and figure out what they could do to build on their success.
All these ideas are ways of maintaining the project progress and priority through time. My
most common difficulty with this step: Project initiators and leaders feel great about what they
have done; they feel the change has been instituted; they expect others to carry it out; they
shift their attention to more immediate priorities. I’ve seen more projects fail for this reason
than any other.
STEP NINE: MEASUREMENT
We arrive at a most difficult and often neglected step in the consulting process: Measurement.
Few of those involved look forward to it; I’m not in love with it myself! If the project is very
successful, people are inclined to celebrate their successes and exaggerate accomplishments.
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19. If it fails, participants often run for cover—including the consultant! I’m not bragging about
this; I’m reporting on what I’ve seen myself and clients do. Most often, the results (so far) are
some combination of success and failure. We made a net gain, but not without some losses
along the way. Or, we didn’t come close to accomplishing what we intended in the beginning,
but we did make a significant difference.
We have at least two difficulties with measurement: First of all, it can’t be accurately done,
and secondly, we might be held accountable. To the first point, the breadth and depth of the
impact of even a small change effort seeps out in directions to numerous and expensive to
document. Nobody knows how much difference this change project made in any absolute
ways. Yes, we might be able to quantify the time and money we put into it, but what about
the energy? The commitment? The excitement? And the same holds for what comes out of
the effort.
And to my second concern: Measurement of our project often links to our own issues related
to personal responsibility and control. As in, “I’m being held responsible for something I do
not control.” Or, “I am being measured by others who do not understand, and I cannot control
their conclusions about me.” Measurement works much better when approached as the
opportunity to learn--rather than with the possibility of punishment.
These concerns should not outweigh the organizational necessity of asking: How are we doing
on this project in relation to what we intended? Are we getting what we wanted? How has the
organization been affected? What have we learned along the way? How does what we did
affect what we will do next time? How is our client-consultant relationship developing? Most
measurement questions can be sorted into four realms:
• Impact within the organization: What is happening differently: What is being done? How
are people behaving? How do they feel? What do they understand?
• Results outside the organization: How are the outcomes, products, image, morale,
services different because of this project?
• Meeting our contract: How well have we honored our original and evolving agreement?
• Learning: What have we learned as a result of this project?
These are the kinds of questions you and your client should be talking about. You should
certainly be talking about them during the project as well as at the end. In addition to the
dialogue between you and your client, there is also your internal dialogue, evaluating your
work. The following ideas can be useful in either dialogue:
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20. 91 Expect this project to be evaluated. Organizations attempt to measure what is important
to them and don't measure what is unimportant. Push to have the project evaluated.
Clarify what will be measured, when, and how. Know who will do it and how much it will
cost in time and money. This ties back to the Contracting step.
92 Do not wait until this ninth step to measure. Build in progress reviews that happen
regularly during the project. For example, after reviewing the data coming from Inquiry
and Interpretation, check with the client on how the project is going. Another example:
When the client is planning actions, encourage them to build in meetings to assess the
actions, to recognize successful actions, or to reinforce areas of weakness.
93 Do not make measurement a separate project. Instead, incorporate measurement actions
into plans in the Action step discussed earlier. Help your client see measurement as
necessary to project success rather than tacked on as an afterthought. When it is planned
for ahead of time, it often happens and can be quite constructive. When it is added
because of immediate concerns, it can be destructive.
94 If you want regular progress reviews with your client, chances are, you will have to initiate
the meetings. Most of my clients only initiate an evaluation, update, or progress review
when they feel like they are trouble. You don't want to find out about problems that late.
And, there is a very positive side to regular reviews: together you can look at the success
you have had together. Success reinforces mutual commitment to the effort, it builds trust,
and it’s sure nice to be able to remind yourself of it when the bad times hit!
95 Separate from the client; check with yourself to see that you are getting what you want out
of this project. When there are other consultants involved, make sure that you check
progress amongst yourselves. This will knit you closer, reveal results to celebrate, give
recognition to key players, and often result in early identification of potential problems.
96 Consider measurement as another version of the Inquiry-through-Action steps in this
consulting process. Isn’t that what you do when you evaluate? You inquire; you analyze;
you feedback what you learn; you consider what to do; you decide what to do; you act.
97 Help your client (and yourself) understand that your attempts at measurement will fall far
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21. short of accurate. And that is just fine! Asking what has happened affects what people do
and see and makes a positive difference in the results achieved.
Evaluated projects get more attention than unevaluated projects. When people know that
their project is being measured, they usually deliver better results. Some people see this
measurement as a sign that their work is worth following; it is valued. Others perform better
to avoid looking bad or because they think they are being watched. If your project is
important, the organization should know enough about the project to help it succeed.
STEP TEN: EXIT
It is time to finish your work and leave--at least for now. This is more difficult than it might
seem, especially with a very successful project. Exiting means saying, "Our work together is
winding down; we have little more to do under our agreement. This project is finishing; how
might we best conclude it?" Perhaps these ideas will help you decide what to do:
101 A summary report from you near project completion is one good way to acknowledge the
work is coming to a close. The report helps both you and the client step back from the
work and collect your thoughts before letting go. And it is also an opportunity to suggest
getting together to close the project in person.
102 One of the primary ways that people build relationships is through working together. That’s
likely happened with you and your client…and perhaps with some others in the client
organization. How might you best end? There are better ways to exit than to just walk out
the door. Closing often involves some combination of reflection--on at what you’ve done
together, and acknowledgment—of what you have gained through your work together. And
sometimes liquid refreshments and/or cake are involved!
103 Create a small occasion. Not an measurement session; that was in the previous step of
this process. No, this closure, this separation, has more the feel of a birthday party than
an audit meeting. There may be a little storytelling about some particular triumph…Or, a
near-tragedy that everyone can laugh about now…And, maybe some acknowledgement
about what everyone poured into this work you all did together. This is the time to
recognize the group more than individuals; this is not the time to objectively sort out who
deserves more and less recognition. It’s a good time with good feelings, and may last ten
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22. minutes or over dinner or over a weekend.
104 Model the kind of behavior you would like to see coming from others. Tell a few stories;
ask others to tell theirs. Tell how the project has positively affected you, and ask others
how it’s affected them. Acknowledge that these people are important to you, and that you
will miss them.
105 A successful project often means a closer and unique work relationship with this client.
Wonderful! Celebrate it—as discussed above. And separate that celebration from
considerations of other work. Don’t build on the emotion of the moment to propose more
work, or accept work that the client puts forth while under the influence of the moment.
Make an appointment to talk about future work in more sober moments back at the office.
106 We consultants sometimes become dependent on our clients…financially dependent. And,
we are tempted to make our clients dependent on us. Some of are rewarded within our
consulting firms for helping our clients understand why they cannot get along without
continued, close consulting support, extending our contract indefinitely. Watch for this
temptation in yourself. Too many of us derive both our wealth and our sense of importance
from making clients dependent on us. We end up doing work the client should be doing, or
recommending work that does not have the priority we say it does.
After you have exited from the project, and you valued the experience, maintain regular,
informal contact. I’m not talking about calling to make a sales pitch; you don’t need to do
that; the client already knows your work. Just call to catch up and remember the good work
you did together. Sure, there will be an opportunities to check in on future work, but that is
not the primary intents of these conversations.
SUMMARY
Before we finish this booklet, let’s take one more look back over the ten step process:
1. ENTRY
2. CONTRACT
3. INQUIRY
4. INTERPRETATION
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23. 5. FEEDBACK
6. ALTERNATIVES
7. DECISION
8. ACTION
9. MEASUREMENT
10. EXIT
There is an important underlying pattern to this process that we have not talked about.
Think of it as a reaching out—as in stretching your arms and hands outward, and then a
drawing in—as in bringing your hands together in front of you. In the reaching out phase,
you gather information, you develop alternatives, you think creatively. What you gather in
your reach feeds the bringing together phase in which you consolidate information, set
priorities, decide action. This out and in process is present all through the ten steps.
• In the Entry step, you and the client meet; the client agrees you should go out to see
what else you can learn in a short while—that’s the reaching out to gather information.
You bring this information together in your proposal to the work in Contract.
• In Inquiry, you reach out to gather information from the larger organization. In
Interpretation and Feedback, you gather this information together for client
consideration.
• In Alternatives, you reach out for the possibilities. In Decision and Action, you narrow
your options and act.
• In Measurement, both the reaching out and drawing in are involved. You gather data on
how you are doing; you decide what actions to take based on that data.
• Even the Exit step has this reaching out and drawing in aspect to it. You gather stories
about what has happened from all involved, and use those to focus on closing the
project.
This reaching out and bringing together is not just a coincidence, it is the underlying
rhythm. It feeds the life of the consulting process; it is as if the process lives by breathing
out…then by breathing in.
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24. The Author
Geoff Bellman is a Seattle-based author and consultant. Over the last thirty years, he has
consulted to the private, public, and social sectors. He has written six books along the way.
This booklet is based primarily on two of his books: Getting Things Done When You Are Not
in Charge (Berrett-Koehler, 2001) and The Consultant’s Calling: Bringing Who You Are to
What You Do (Jossey-Bass/Pfieffer, 2002). Contact Geoff at 206-365-3212 or
geoffbellman@yahoo.com.
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25. Consulting And Change Resources
Biech, Elaine. The Business of Consulting: The Basics and Beyond. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass/Pfeiffer, 1999. A book for readers who are thinking of setting up their own consulting
business. All the nuts and bolts of a practice that you need to worry about—and more!
Bellman, Geoffrey. The Beauty of the Beast: Breathing New Life into Organizations. San
Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2000. About our aspirations to change organizations and the
reality of doing it. Twenty assertions about making change work.
Block, Peter. Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2000. A classic. Practical help in all phases of the consulting process.
Hiebert, Murray and Eilis. Powerful Professionals: Getting Your Expertise Used Inside Your
Organization. Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Recursion Press, 1999. A very specific and
detailed how-to book for consultants. Useful to all of us, but especially to newer
consultants.
Holman, Peggy, & Devane, Tom (eds.). The Change Handbook: Group Methods for Shaping
the Future. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2001. High leverage change methods collected
in one book including, Appreciative Inquiry, Future Search, Open Space, and many more.
Schwarz, Roger M. The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom for Developing Effective
Groups. . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 1994. Second Edition in 2002. More help
on leading groups than you will ever be able to absorb. A wonderful analysis of what goes
on among people and how a talented facilitator (i.e. you) can assist a team’s effectiveness.
Very practical.
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