Читать книгу The Consulting Bible - Alan Weiss - Страница 53

There are always business outcomes, never deliverables or inputs. They describe a component of an improved client condition. Hence, these cannot be inputs, because a training program or a focus group does not improve the client's condition, per se; it merely costs money! (You'll find that most gatekeepers and HR people talk solely in terms of inputs, and almost all RFPs are predefined inputs, e.g., a four‐day strategy retreat and a safety audit.)

Examples of objectives might include:

 Reduce closing time for the average sale.

 Improve client reorder size and frequency.

 Reduce stress levels and resultant absenteeism.

Note that objectives can be both professional and personal, and can be tangible or nontangible. You derive objectives from the buyer by asking intelligent questions, and not stopping until you have plumbed all available responses. Here are 10 examples of questions:

1 What is the ideal outcome you'd like to experience?

2 What results are you trying to accomplish?

3 What better product/service/customer condition are you seeking?

4 Why are you seeking to do this work/project/engagement?

5 How would the operation be different as a result of this work?

6 What would be the return on investment (sales, assets, equity, etc.)?

7 How would image/reputation/credibility be improved?

8 What harm (stress, dysfunction, turf wars, etc.) would be alleviated?

9 How much would you gain on the competition as a result?

10 How would your value proposition be improved?

Hint: If a buyer does give you an arbitrary input or deliverable, simply ask why it's important and what it's supposed to produce. Asking “Why?” raises the level of decision to the real outcomes desired. (Asking “How?” lowers the level of decision to implementation, which is premature here.)

Note: Behind every corporate objective is a personal objective. If the business objective is to reduce attrition, the personal objective might be to focus on strategy and stop interviewing so many candidates. Better teamwork might be desired because the buyer is weary of playing “referee” among the teams.