The Acadia Centre for Small Business

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The Acadia Centre for Small Business
Entrepreneurship

• Student
• Consulting
• 2006

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! CONFIDENTIALITY !

• you must hold in strict confidence all
  information concerning the business and affairs
  of the client and the project
• you are not to disclose that you are working with
  the client unless the client tells you otherwise
• the confidentiality principle continues
  indefinitely even after your work with the client
  ceases
• You will sign a Confidentiality Agreement!

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AGENDA

• Consulting Styles Roles
• The 6 Phase Consulting Process
• Team Dynamics
• Project Management Tips

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A CONSULTANT DEFINED

• What is your definition of CONSULTANT?
• Lets build a definition together.

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WHAT IS A CONSULTANT ?

• A consultant is a person in a position to have
  some influence over an individual, a group, or an
  organization, but who has no direct power to make
  changes or implement programs.

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CONSULTING STYLES

• CONSULTANT CENTRED
• CLIENT CENTRED
• EXPLORATIVE
• COLLABORATIVE

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CONSULTANT CENTRED

• the consultant is viewed as an
• expert in a certain discipline
• s/he is in charge and tells the client what
• to do, how to do it, when, where, etc.
• when consultant has all/most of needed
• content and when client has little or no
• such expertise

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CLIENT CENTERED

• client directs the project
• consultant is objective observer
• when the client has subject matter know
• how and the consultant does not

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EXPLORATIVE CONSULTING

• consultant explores the client system and
• issues at hand
• when neither party knows the answers to
• the basic questions

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COLLABORATIVE CONSULTING

• consultant and client work together
• the project is a joint effort you learn from the
  client the client learns from you
• taken on when both the client and the
  consultant have significant, but different
  know-how

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WHAT SKILLS SHOULD A CONSULTANT POSSESS
TECHNICAL (task/function)INTERPERSONAL
(communication/team work)CONSULTING (process)
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6 PHASE CONSULTING PROCESS

• 1. Making First Contact/Entry
• 2. Establishing the Relationship
• 3. Problem Finding
• 4. Solution Finding
• 5. Reporting
• 6. Evaluation/Termination

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• www.acsbe.com
• Key word student consulting

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Team Dynamics

• Task vs Relationship Tension
• Tuckman Model
• Asset Map your team
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Timeline

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Milestones

• Weekly support meetings with TA
• Initial Meeting Confidentiality Policy
  
• Draft and Final Contract
• Take Action/Action Plan
• Draft Report
• Final Report
• Reflection/Evaluation

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Project Management Tips

• Set up regular weekly meetings and cancel one
  if you have to
• Establish one point of contact for the client
• Establish a communication method for contact with
  your client
• Be careful with words (lets do a few examples)
• Take minutes of meetings and circulate
  responsibilities
• Use software on laptop
• Let the client know how things are going at all
  times even if the news is bad
  (relationship/time tension diagram)

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THANK-YOU