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Training Consultancy, an Operatives Guide.

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The piece of my website outlines my personal and professional learning gained during a number of consultancy exercises. These included training consultancy in Brazil and Nigeria for the UNDCP, Organisation and training for the FCO in Africa and UK based experiences in the Metropolitan Police and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

I hope you find it useful. Please note the contents of the note at the bottom of the page 

When you undertake any consultancy whether internal or external there are a number of factors that can turn the operation into success or failure. These comments are designed to lead you towards the former.

 So what do we need to know........................................................

And here for a joke or 2 about consulting

For the purposes of this journey any reference to client includes any organisation you are helping.

Issues you might want to consider:

  Identify your client’s role including the extent to which they can make changes and how they perceive visitors especially people from your "neck of the woods".

It is very easy when considering undertaking a task for another organisation to be overwhelmed with the perceived status and abilities of people. I have always found it useful to identify, and seek out someone who is able to make the decision about changes within the organisation. 

I have also sought to learn how that change can come about and more importantly when. It is extremely useful to recognise which group or individual could act as a barrier to progress.

These issues are particularly acute when the work involves international travel for the following reasons:

Ø     It is easy to be seduced by the glamour of travel and either lose objectivity or have an inflated self-perception.

Ø     Barriers can come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. In South Africa, for example, the power of the Unions should not be ignored. They hold the key over many management decisions and should be included as early as possible.

Ø     Some people can present a façade to guests. It is important to check out information provided.

Ø     It is important to identify the most appropriate people to help you achieve your objectives. It is very easy to lose valuable time dealing with people who just want to be part of  “noise” that surrounds any consultancy visit.

Your hosts will have an impression of visitors based on their experiences and perceptions. Some countries may see you as representing a repressive past even as colonialists delivering yet more solutions that are either impractical or too costly yet based on what is “right” in the UK. The skill here is to listen learn and advise, taking real time to study before you go and seek real understanding. Remember they have often been policing longer than you have.

I am always aware of the way we are perceived and avoid doing or saying anything that may reinforce these perceptions, unless of course they are positive. In a different culture and particularly one that has been heavily influenced by the UK, I found it useful to remember that not all “progress” from here has been to their advantage. Identifying the right people and having an understanding of how they have perceived me has helped me to achieve much more

Identify the types of services that your clients deliver and the scope they have to operate within their own environment

It is of considerable value to identify the capacity and capabilities of an external organisation. This provides you with the parameters for the work. A little history of the organisation is usually available through the Web or from libraries. However I have found it very useful to dig deeper and consult news and other media. In particular identify those who are in favour and against existing regimes or who may have outstanding issues. This has helped me to avoid making inappropriate comments

I identified that my task was to ask, learn and help, and not to impose. I found it better to act as a sponge for the clients concerns than to be the "fount" of all knowledge. It is useful to look for ways in which both the host and we can learn. Any consultancy should also not be one-way traffic.

Identify your clients' long-term objective , strategic plans, mission statements and other things they want to do.

I found it useful to understand what the organisation trying to do. This should be available from the Strategic Plan or from their annual report. However, I only consider this a start point, as it is highly possible, and most likely, that existing problems and operations fall outside of the intentions of the stated documents. I have, however, used the strategic plan as a benchmark for the suggestions I have made. In particular any ideas suggested should meet the test of compliance with the organisations key objectives.

Any recommendations may also need to meet the needs of the wider society and not be limited to the confines of the organisation.

Identify the challenges that might be confronting your client.

Challenges to any organisation can be varied. I use simple models such as PESTELE to consider the implications of any outside influences. A comparison between external organisations and my own has also been helpful. Prior to undertaking work in Nigeria and Brazil I used the PESTELE approach and sought to identify how I could better understand the contexts in which I would be operating

In drawing comparisons and identifying different ways of approaching issues it is easy to fall into the trap of assuming that “what we do here” is the best solution. Even if it is true (which is unlikely) this is not the purpose of the consultancy. The aim is to help others solve their problems in their environment. Home based solutions usually only apply at home. I found it useful to use my experience to guide rather than rule my thoughts or my conclusions.

Identify the type of assistance that you are able and capable of providing.

There are limits to what is achievable particularly in a short-term visit. Preparation and research before the visit is extremely important, not just to avoid embarrassment, but to help focus the work. It is very easy to become distracted by new and exciting diversions, particularly when the host wishes to impress. Having a clear vision of what the end product is helped to keep me focused.

Creating a lengthy and dynamic document or presentation will require time and energy. Having an agreement as to the size, shape etc of the final product will help improve time management.

A short visit of perhaps one week is likely to consist of at least one day to aclimatise, and probably 2 days to visit and take in the issues under consideration. By day 4 it should be possible to start building recommendations with the intention of creating the final product on day 5. From afar a week appears a long time for a simple piece of consultancy. Keeping focused on the outcome will help to create a better product.

Realistically I always try to under-promise what can be achieved in the time and over deliver. When making concessions or agreements for further, work funding must be the most important consideration. Particularly when visiting less advanced nations it is easy to see how changes can be made. However, the delivery will only be able to match available funding opportunities.

Identify the way short-term goals can be reached that lead towards the longer-term plan.

In any management assistance programme or consultancy a quick win is usually good for business, reputation and morale. I have found it useful to identify some "gifts" that will help them achieve their needs soonest. A good example of this involved my colleague in South Africa providing a simple structure to operational briefings. This was used immediately, cost nothing, yet was gratefully received. I always found it useful to take a number of documents and training material that can quickly be presented or used to help solve short-term problems.

  Identify what "value added" benefits the client will receive from the assistance. This is about letting them have what they need and want. There are 2 concepts in that statement. Sometimes there is a difference between what an organisation, or more fundamentally its staff, wants and what it needs. Emphasis should be placed on objectivity and identifying what an organisation needs. In Nigeria the NDLEA created a massive “shopping list” of wants. Through negotiation and debate I was able to reduce this to a realistic list of identified and agreed needs.

Identify clear objectives for the assistance.

  Objectives are usually much broader than the provision of expert assistance to a particular organisation. They might include the professional and development objectives of those undertaking the work, commercial opportunities or even the development of capability internationally to support other ventures. These should however be clear, and to some extent measurable. Agreeing that some form of QA is undertaken after the visit can provide one valuable contribution. This will allow an objective assessment to be made. It also demonstrates the ability of the organisation to provide valuable feedback.

Identify future prospects for collaboration with the client or others.

This is about agreeing future steps. At the conclusion to the visit there should be opportunities to investigate further work including helping the relationship to develop. We should identify ways in which our staff can benefit from this process including learning opportunities as well as opportunities to help others develop.

Some highly practical suggestions.

  Before you go

Ø      Chose your team with care. Ensure that you have the capability and capacity. Consider the affect of rank and gender. They may be relevant.

Ø      Have an outline agenda in advance. Leaving arrangements until arrival can cause lead to lost opportunities for discussions with relevant people.

Ø      Ensure medical checks are up to date, especially inoculations.

Ø      Make arrangements for communications. This includes telephony and email. UK based mobiles work in most of the world except the US and Canada. Email can be more problematic. Most hotels have Internet access, however to use your own mail accounts consider setting up a temporary account at a local ISP.

Ø      Computing and printing. Consider taking a portable printer, including a 4-way extension cable to run your electrical items from local sockets. Whilst it is relatively easy to have documents printed, it is much more easy to read and draft in the comfort of the hotel.

Ø      Take plenty of business cards and a number of appropriate gifts for relevant people. It is better to take too many and bring some back than cause offence by not recognizing assistance given. These should be simple yet effective, force crests or inexpensive merchandise. Anything outside of that could be wasteful. If the work is being undertaken on a full cost recovery basis, any larger more expensive item could be construed as a bribe. Consider also registering anything other than trinkets received that could be construed the same way.

On arrival and during the visit

Ø     Keep a list of contacts and some notes about them.

Ø     Record all of your meetings even if only in note form.

Ø     If taking photos seek permission first.

Ø     Identify opportunities for social integration but beware of inappropriate behaviour.

Ø     Be aware of how tiring this work is. Although you will be tempted to burn the candle at both ends, don’t. Your mind will need a rest

Ø     Be aware of unusual foods and drinks. Any illness can seriously disrupt your health and the work.

Afterwards

Ø     Write to offer thanks, rather than email.

Ø     Send additional material if needed

Ø     Identify further work that you will undertake

Ø     Make a note for your colleagues.

Final Considerations

I value the use of a structured approach to consultancy and have personally been aided by reference to 3 books:

Ø      The Internal Consultant, Marcia Meislin. Kogan Page

Ø      Consulting for Real People, Peter Cockman, Bill Evans and Peter Reynolds. McGraw Hill

Ø      Training Interventions, Margaret Reid and Harry Barrington. CIPD

I also highly recommend the CIPD approach to managing training.

Finally, if you enjoy this work and end up becoming one full time. Think what will happen to you...............

A management consultant opened the door of his BMW when suddenly a car came along and hit the door ripping it off completely.  When the police arrived at the scene the management consultant was hopping up and down with rage, complaining bitterly about the damage to his precious BMW.

"Officer, look what they've done to my Beeeemer!!!!!! He shrieked.

"You management consultants you are so materialistic you make me sick!!! Retorted the officer. "You're so worried about your stupid BMW that you didn't even notice that your arm has been ripped off!

"Oh no...! exclaims the management consultant looking down and for the first time noticing the bloody stump where his left arm had once been, screams, "Where's my Rolex?!"

AND ANOTHER ONE.........................

A shepherd was herding his flocks in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand new Jeep Cherokee advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.

The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and a YSL tie leaned out of the window and asked our shepherd: "If I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"

The shepherd looks at the yuppie, then at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers "sure!"

The yuppie parks the car, whips out his notebook, connects it to a cell-phone, surfs to a NASA page on the Internet where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system, scans the area, opens up a database and some 60 Excel spreadsheets with complex formulas. Finally he prints out a 150 page report on his hi-tech miniaturised printer, turns round to our shepherd and says: "you have here exactly 1586 sheep!"

"This is correct. As agreed, you can take one of the sheep" says the shepherd. He watches the young man make a selection and bundle it in his Cherokee.

Then he says: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me my sheep back?"

"Okay, why not" answers the young man.

"You are a consultant" says the shepherd.

"This is correct" says the yuppie, "How did you guess that?"

"Easy" answers the shepherd. "You turn up here although nobody called you. You want to be paid for the answer to a question I already knew the solution of. And you don't know sh1t about my business because you took my dog."

Any visit and consultancy will be a success where the departure is met with sadness and hope rather than relief.!!

Training Consultancy Checklist

10 valuable tips