Michael McLaughlin: The One Question Every Consultant Needs to Ask

Michael McLaughlin, “the Guerilla Consultant,” says the question is “How?

“How do you know you have a problem?”

McLaughlin says:

The best consultants, and the top services sellers, resist the urge to talk about what they will do until they understand how the client identified the problem. They take this approach for three reasons.

First, most clients respect the honest skeptic. Once you accept a client’s assertion of any problem at face value, you’ve elected to place the sale above the need to solve the right problem. Clients expect some pushback when they advance their conclusions, and your response offers them a way to learn about your skills, perspectives, and ability to communicate.

Second, if you and the client base the definition of the problem on shaky assumptions, everything you do going forward will be unreliable. Without a base of supporting facts, you can’t be sure if the proposed solution will be successful or miss the mark. Finally, if your solution doesn’t resolve the problem, don’t look for clients to chalk it up to poor diagnosis on their part; they will hold you accountable.

One of the consultants responding to the water bottling company asked “how” questions for every assertion the client made about the delivery problems. After a long discussion, the clients realized that they still needed to identify the true cause of the problems. So instead of leaping ahead with the project, they asked for an independent assessment.

Checking All the Angles

Asking “how” questions is not intended to lay waste to a client’s analysis; nor is it intended to showcase your superior analytical skills. Instead, it offers an important way for you and the client to engage in a discussion on substantive issues which help clarify the situation and give everyone an idea of how you’d work together.

“Asking “how” questions is not intended to lay waste to a client’s analysis; nor is it intended to showcase your superior analytical skills.”

Effective “how” questions examine a problem from multiple angles. In the case of the water bottling company, the consultant designed a short project to probe six specific areas:

1. How well does it work? For every process, like customer deliveries, there is an acceptable and unacceptable level of performance. Find out how each part of the process performs in terms of that standard, where it works well, and where it needs improvement.

2.How effectively do people and processes work together? Few, if any, business processes work in isolation. Drivers work with warehouse personnel, customers, accounting staff, and others, for example. Ask how well the groups work together to get the job done.

3. How thoroughly do people know what to do? It’s common to assume that the people involved with a business process know how to do their jobs. This assumption is often invalid, especially when it comes to handling exceptions to normal operating procedures. Ask how the level of employee education and training might be impacting results.

4. How appropriate is the work flow design? Often, a problem is created simply because the way people do their work is outmoded or poorly designed for the needs of customers. Examine how suitable the process is for its intended purpose.

5. How promptly do workers get the help they need? Many process failures result from delays in helping people solve tough problems. An employee may need help with a tricky situation, and might have to hold up operations until it is forthcoming. Ask how the client provides support for exceptions and for problem solving.

6. How satisfied are people with the performance of the processes and systems they use? It’s always instructive to ask people who are directly involved how satisfied they are with the way the work goes. Often, an open-ended question about an individual’s overall satisfaction reveals insights that you may not uncover any other way. The answer often leads you directly to the root of the problem.

By understanding how each of these areas contributes to the problem, you’ll begin to see how complete and accurate the client’s view of the problem actually is.

Full article at The Guerrilla Consultant.