Role of consultant

most hate u …others hate u most.

 Questions to be answered
• What do consultants do
• What are the pros and cons of hiring a
consultant
• How to select a consultant
• How do you manage your consultant
 What do consultants do

4 distinct type of consultants

1st-Large general management consulting
organisation
2nd-Specialise entirely in reengg.
3rd-IT oriented firms
4th-Small advisory firms
 Role of Consultants

• Assessment of: management, key players, barriers,

opportunities
• Coach/Develop/Train: help people adopt new
behavior
• Plan: Assist in process/knowledge
• Values / Vision: Facilitate their development
• Redesign Organizational Factors: Rewards,
Reports, Re-engineer
• Communications: Facilitate the process
• Project Management Assistance
 Characteristics of consultant’s
contributions in 3H’s
• Can bring knowledge and brain power(head)to
the engagement
• Can also serve as heart- the emotional core
• In such situations, hired hands must be
brought into staff design teams to serve as
program managers, to develop IS
 Consultant Roles
 Eight Roles of a Consultant
1. Objective Observer. In this role the consultant does not
express personal beliefs or ideas and does not assume
responsibility for the work or the result of that work. Instead,
the consultant observes the client’s behavior and provides
feedback; the client alone is responsible for the direction that
is ultimately chosen.
2. Process Counselor. This role consists of observing the
client’s problem-solving processes and offering suggestions for
improvement. The consultant and the client jointly diagnose
the client’s process, and the consultant assists the client in
acquiring whatever skills are necessary to continue diagnosing
the process.
 Consultant Roles…
3. Fact Finder. In this role the consultant serves as a researcher,
collecting and interpreting information in areas of importance to
the client. Fact finding enables the consultant to develop an
understanding of the client’s processes and performance; as a
result of the insights gained, the consultant and the client can
evaluate the effectiveness of a change process in terms of
solving the client’s problem.
4. Identifier of Alternatives and Linker to Resources. The
consultant identifies alternative solutions to a problem;
establishes criteria for evaluating each alternative; determines
the likely consequences of each alternative; and then links the
client with resources that may be able to help in solving the
problem. However, the consultant does not assist in selecting the
final solution.
 Consultant Roles…
5. Joint Problem Solver. The consultant works actively with the
client to identify and solve the problem at hand, often taking a
major role in defining the results. The consultant also may act as
a third-party mediator when conflict arises during the problem-
solving process.
6. Trainer/Educator. The consultant provides instruction,
information, or other kinds of directed learning opportunities for
the client. As a trainer/educator, the consultant must be able to
assess training needs, write learning objectives, design learning
experiences and educational events, employ a range of
educational techniques and media, and function as a group
facilitator
 Consultant Roles…
7. Information Specialist. The consultant serves as content expert
for the client, often defining “right” and “wrong” approaches to
a problem. The client is primarily responsible for defining the
problem and the objectives of the consultation, and the
consultant plays a directive role until the client is comfortable
with the approach that has been recommended
8. Advocate. The consultant consciously strives to have the client
move in a direction desired by the consultant. In the most
directive of the eight roles, the consultant uses power and
influence to impose his or her ideas and values about either
content or process issues. As a content advocate, the consultant
tries to influence the client’s choice of goals and means; as a
process advocate, the consultant tries to influence the
methodology underlying the client’s problem-solving behavior.
 Three Roles of a Consultant
1. Expert Role.
• The manager elects to play an inactive role
• Decisions on how to proceed are made by the consultant,
on the basis of his or her expert judgment
• Information needed for problem analysis is gathered by the
consultant
• Technical control rests with the consultant
• Collaboration is not required
• Two-way communication is limited
• The consultant plans and implements the main events
• The manager’s role is to judge and evaluate after the fact
• The consultant’s goal is to solve the immediate problem
 Three Roles of a Consultant…
2. Pair-of-Hands Role.
• The consultant takes a passive role
• Decisions on how to proceed are made by the manager
• The manager selects methods for data collection and analysis
• Control rests with the manager
• Collaboration is not really necessary
• Two-way communication is limited
• The manager specifies change procedures for the consultant
to implement
• The manager’s role is to judge and evaluate from a close
distance
• The consultant’s goal is to make the system more effective by
the application of specialized knowledge
 Three Roles of a Consultant…
3. Collaborative Role.
• The consultant and the manager work to become
interdependent
• Decision making is bilateral
• Data collection and analysis are joint efforts
• Control issues become matters for discussion and negotiation
• Control issues become matters for discussion and negotiation
• Communication is two-way
• Implementation responsibilities are determined by discussion
and agreement
• The consultant’s goal is to solve problems so they stay solved
 The pros and cons
• Pros
 The ability to revenge other companies
experiences
 Getting access to essential skills
 Third party objectivity
• Cons
 The risk of outsourcing an important capability
 Incurring significance expense
 Diffuse accountability
 How to select a consultant

• Criteria for evaluating consultants

 Has previously participated in actual,
successful reengg
 Be sure that the consultant’s capabilities
match with your needs
 Who shares their reengg knowledge with you
 Price
Hire a consultant in haste and repent
at leisure
 Managing consultant
• Draft a contract
• Identify mechanism for QC , PM , CS & success
• Agree on measures and mechanisms for
assessing progress
• Be smart client
• Recoginise your agenda and consultant are
similar not identical