- Delivering outstanding work is the hallmark
of a great consulting firm.
Delivery has two components,
managing the work and doing the work.
Managing the work requires you to identify tasks,
interdependencies and critical paths.
You'll have to build a plan that is appropriate
for the project and that's not too cumbersome.
You'll have to balance client availability
with the work that needs to be completed.
You'll focus deliverables and milestones
to backward plan timing and staffing.
Don't crunch the team with too little time
or too little staff.
Determine the client's project reporting needs
like timing, frequency and the level of detail
they'd like to receive.
Ensure the plan provides flexibility.
Things can change rapidly on a consulting engagement.
Be prepared to adjust.
Don't adhere to the plan
at the expense of doing the right work.
The plan will shift constantly.
So you need to stay focused on creating your deliverables.
In terms of doing the work,
make sure the methods and tools you're using are sound.
Structured problem solving processes
can help you drive to the right answer
and focus your work efforts on the most important issues.
A standard problem solving process
includes pinning the problem
where you nail down the problem definition,
identifying issues and generating options,
narrowing those options and focusing your efforts,
conducting your analysis to validate the recommendation
and delivering the recommendation.
Be sure to manage the quality of your deliverables
and your team's output.
Error free, high quality work
helps clients approve your ideas
and retain your services again in the future.
If you build a solid plan
that enables you to manage the work efficiently
and you do the work in an effective and high quality way,
your projects will run smoothly, your teams will be engaged
and your clients will be satisfied.