The 7Cs of Consultancy
The 7Cs of Consulting applies, no matter whether your consultancy assignment is 1 month or 1 year; the approach should broadly follow Mick Cope's seven best practice stages - The 7Cs of Consulting:
Stage 1 Client Understanding the clients real and perceived view of what is required from the assignment and who pulls the strings...will ensure that you have a clear understanding of the value you are expected to deliver and the value they themselves will offer in return!
Stage 2 Clarify Understanding the nature of the problem being addressed and the scope of the change being attempted. Seen in this way one can immediately crystalize in the minds of both the client and the consultant a vision of the change when it has happened and who it will impact and how along with any associated risks to the the achievement of that change and to the assignment as a whole.
Stage 3 CreateHere the consultant needs to develop the plan of action needed to effect the changed state in some detail along with the resources, stakeholders and owners, the timing and foreseen problems, issues and risks....very much the standard project management planning approach.
Personally, I find that these first 3 Cs' can often aided by what I call the STAR approach - which is a military approach - Situation (Current), Tasks Required to be Done, Approach - the best way to undertake these tasks and the visualized end Result...the future situation or changed state
Stage 4 Change Mick Cope makes a very important point here in saying that the consultant must attempt to understand the drivers of the change... and critically ensuring that they have identified what success will look like...the consultant and their sponsors evidence of success. I would stress that this needs to be critically appraised as all is not always what it seems on the surface.....there can be a lot of ducks in the water. Serene on the surface ... but paddling like crazy underwater, and out of sight!!
Stage 5 Confirm Once the work has been done, i.e. the actions taken, the consultant s should follow through and confirm the change has taken place and looks like the success envisaged.
This emphasizes the need to identify early on the best ways to measure the success when it happens ...not everyone's viewpoint is the same as the famous 18th.Century illusion illustrates on the right. Therefore determine the success measurements and make them SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Bound.
Stage 6 Continue The consultant is cautioned to ensure that the changes made continue ...by making sure that the lessons learned are communicated and the skills of the various change agents are preserved and transferred on.
Stage 7 Close Closing is perhaps as important to the consultant as the opening. They should ensure that the client is fully aware of the final outcomes, added value (as measured by the SMART objectives), the new learning and what may be required in the future.
This is only a brief introduction to this impressive piece of work by Mick Cope. Each of the 7 Stages above has 7 stages of their own with accompanying tools and techniques...making it a solid framework of 49 knowledge areas ... or steps!
Perhaps Mick would have been better to call it the 49 Steps, 10 more than the famous novel 39 steps by the Scottish author John Buchan!!
