In this stage of the process, the consultant and client must determine what the ultimate goal of the consultant is—whether to teach tasks, or complete them, and on what level in regards to dependency, involvement, and ownership (p.129 – 130). Consultants are expected to maintain professional and ethical standards when dealing with their clients. However, this is rarely followed in practice as evidenced by the large numbers of corporate scandals that have emerged in the last decade or so where the consultant was found to be aiding and even abetting the malfeasance conducted by the client. Since you’ll be unable to meet your client in-person often (or at all), it’s important to take the necessary steps to de-emphasize the physical distance between the two of you. During this phase, the consultant must decide how extensive an evaluation to conduct, determine “what aspects of the evaluation should be used by the consultant for personal self-development and what should be used for organizational improvement,” and must separate objective data from subjective data (Smeltzer, et. “…special problems develop when one is aware of certain information and contemplates the possibility of withholding it. This can take the form of maintaining arm’s length relationships, not intervening in the internal affairs and politics of the client’s organizations, keeping confidential information away from interested parties looking for insider knowledge, and reporting any violations in the conduct (financial, operational, and behavioral) by the client’s organization to the regulators. al., 1984, p. 131). Developing your communication … These considerations can lead to a strong relationship between the consultant and the client, as well as the successful implementation of the strategy, supported by objective results. Privacy Policy, Actualizing Dreams of a Consulting Career. 12 While disclosure to a third party who lacks a common legal Dr. Natalia Nikolova is an expert in professional services, having earned her PhD in Economics, Management and Social Sciences from the University of Cologne in 2006. If the relationship is terminated, materials should be returned to either the client or consultant based on prior determinations. How far would a consultant go in reporting unethical behavior to the regulators which is expected from him or her when such case involve the very clients who are giving them business. Communications is about emotion. While ethical consultants “do not simply try to determine what actions are in their own best interest, but rather what actions are right or best for all parties concerned,” political issues “are concerned with the kind of actions that are most often beneficial or harmful to a person as an individual, and which advance one’s own interests (p. 126). In the consultant-client relationship, there will always be instances where ethical and political issues must be taken into consideration. How to communicate with others: The effective communication skills Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. At that time, if either party feels as if there is more work to be done, the client and consultant must make the decision whether to continue the relationship, at which point a new proposal should be written by the consultant (Steps 22, 23, and 24) (p. 133). Smeltzer, L., Watson, K., & Barker, L. (1984). She is currently the Senior Lecturer in Management at the University of Technology Sydney and regularly publishes research on the relationship between consultants and their clients. If the client and consultant agree to continue the relationship, the consultant should be aware that he or she will likely face many of the same problems, but on a different level. There will come a time when the strategy that a consultant has implemented has been exhausted. While many consultants see “certain actions need to be implemented, there may be a tendency to make it part of the present strategy rather than making a new proposal,” this is not always the best option (Smeltzer, et. Indeed, in this case, it was found that the consulting firm’s partners went beyond collaboration and were indeed one of the culprits. al., 1984, p. 128). This is the first stage that possible political and ethical considerations usually arise. Ethically, the consultant must determine how much information is needed to develop an effective strategy for the client (Smeltzer, et. Communication. Merriam-Webster defines communication as "a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior." People who are passionate about a subject, like a good consultant, can often speak quickly and use ‘jargon’ that the client isn’t familiar with. Consultant and Client Communication MGT 527 January 28, 2013 Sarah Nelson Consultant and Client Communication Within an organization effective commination requires clear objectives along with sound strategies. Decisions pertaining to the use of materials and ideas after the client-consultant relationship has ended should be determined prior to the implementation of the program. al., 1984, p. 127), and politically, the consultant must determine how much time and effort should be spend to attempt to gather the necessary data to make a sound decision (p. 128). 1998). After the first two basic steps of the model of marketing oneself as a consultant and having the initial meeting with the client, the third step of the model is to have the client state the problem (Smeltzer, et. Consultants are expected to maintain professional and ethical standards when dealing with their clients. You might also like: 6 Tips for Finding New Clients. Throughout the course of their engagements, consultants will often need to assume a number of different roles in order to provide the service that their clients actually need. In order for consultants to be the most effective, a strong relationship must be formed between the consultant and the client. In steps 9 through 16, time and resources are evaluated for the project and the proposal is presented to the client. By clearly explaining the problem in a way in which your client will understand, will allow them to digest and come back to you in a more empathetic manner. Making Recommendations - Communications Skills for Consultants (CO30) Enhance open and effective communications between the consultant and client, focusing on oral and written communication, facilitation skills, effective meetings and overcoming communication challenges. Access the best success, personal development, health, fitness, business, and financial advice....all for FREE! Without effective communication there can be no mutual understanding between individuals, exchange of information, nor expression of true feelings thoughts or ideas. It’s important for consultants to have good communication skills, explaining what they mean without coming across in a patronising way. Contract. The consultant must also evaluate the client and be open and honest with the client in regards to the client’s competency level and ability to be independent (p. 129). Dion Dunn, Partner at Centric Consulting, said that doing that extra task for a client as an intern or entry-level consultant may help you sign the client as one of your accounts years down the line. The interaction between clients and consultants during consulting projects is essential for their success and therefore for the long-term survival of consulting companies. After the evaluation has been completed, the consultant must provide the client with feedback—Step 19 (p. 132). You can tell clients about minor issues with weekly check-ins and cue them in before they snowball into problems. For instance, the Enron scandal manifested itself because the consulting firm was in cahoots with the client in cooking the books. The contract is the foundation of communication between the client and the consultant. What is the Benefit of ERP Software for the Hospital and Healthcare Industry? Lastly, the client and consultant must determine the level of ownership of the program and implemented strategies (p. 130). Similarly, the Satyam scandal in India was also found to be a case where the consultants (or some of them) knew about the goings-on in the company and were in breach of the code of conduct and even legal aspects since they did not report the matter to the regulators. al., 1984, p. 132). Consulting also involves pedagogic skills as in many cases the For instance, after the Enron scandal, the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) and other regulators ensured that new rules separating consulting and investment banking so that the same consulting firm which was also advising the client in financial matters would now be two different firms. However, throughout the consultation process, political and ethical issues arise that can either hinder or help the relationship, and therefore, hinder or help the overall strategy. "It's a vulnerable act to say, 'I need help' and bring somebody in," Yada says. I had one client whose communication deteriorated to sporadic and random emails that never provided that answers I needed nor dealt with the main issues. .2 The Client shall authorize persons to act on behalf of the Client with respect to delivery and administration of the project. 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