PERFORMANCE CONSULTING PROCESS

We define performance consulting as a strategic process that produces business results by maximizing performance of people and organizations. Let’s look more closely at elements within this definition.

Strategic Process

The Performance Consulting Process is a defined flow of steps that produces strategic outcomes of importance to the business. These outcomes are long-term in scope and directly related to the organization’s sustained success. The process steps are incorporated into four phases of work:

First Phase: Identify strategic opportunities. In this phase, you forge strong partnerships with clients so that you gain access to strategic opportunities on which to partner.

Second Phase: Assess business and performance needs. Now you assess business and on-the-job performance needs, determining root causes for identified gaps.

Third Phase: Implement and measure solutions. With data from the assessment, you partner with clients to identify and implement solutions. You also form a measurement strategy at the time solutions are identified. Measurement is a front-end process, not something to be determined once solutions have been implemented. Obtaining measurement data is an activity that occurs throughout the solution implementation phase of work.

Fourth Phase: Report and sustain results. Results are reported to your clients, determining with them the actions required to sustain results and/or to make adjustments when results are insufficient.

What are some of the critical capabilities you need to employ successfully as a performance consultant? You must have skills to translate business needs into human performance and organizational requirements. You need to have the confidence and capability to ask powerful, thought-provoking questions of your clients. It is not your job to have the answers; it is your job to ask the right questions and then partner with clients to determine the answers. Also integral to success as a performance consultant is to work in a solution-neutral manner. This approach means you do not have preconceived ideas as to what solutions will be needed; rather, you are data driven and evidence based—a far cry from the solution-jumping approach that is still prevalent! The how-to’s of evidencing these capabilities are described in this book.

Maximizing Performance of People and Organizations

This is a goal shared with your clients—the managers with whom you partner. For business results to be achieved, there must be alignment among what people do on the job, how the organization provides support for that desired performance, and the business goals required for success. Taking an active role in making that alignment a reality is a responsibility you share with your client. You also share accountability for the results that do, or do not, occur. This means you step up to the plate and measure results. If the goals have been achieved, the question becomes how to maintain those results. If, however, results are disappointing, then the question turns to deciding what future actions are needed to continue a forward progress. Performance consulting is about change that becomes embedded into the organization.