Consulting Approach Sheet

Given a Business Problem of the client, I have written the most effective approach to solving the same.

Define Problem: Filter Root Problems using SCQA:

• Situation: Content of problem.
• Complication: What the client is having trouble with.
• Question: What do we think are the main issues?
• Answer: Plans to approach the problem.

Structure the Problem: Problems are caused by various issues that we need to fix. Build a Hypothesis Tree of a problem with branches stating various broad reasons or issues with no overlaps & gaps that contribute to the problem. Then double down on the issues.

1. Prioritize Issues: 80/20 Rule, Prioritize issues that are most important to solve the problem. Consulting is about Max Effect and Minimum Effort.
2. MoSCoW:

• Must-Have: Essential for project success.
• Should Have: Important but not urgent.
• Could Have: Nice to include if time allows.
• Won’t Have: What will not be done.

Design Issue Analysis & Analysis Plan: Where & how should the team spend its time? Who is responsible to do what and What will be required by them to achieve the same? → Use Gantt-Chart for task allocation and tracking progress.

Project Cycle:

1. Initial Meet: Setting expectations, agreeing on the project brief and gaining trust.
2. Interview & Data Requests: Client Interview, Risk Mitigation: There is no distrust, miscommunication, misaligned expectations etc.
3. Deliverables: Knowledge Transfer through Decision Tree, Project Brief Template: A list consisting of goals, objectives, success metrics and project timeline & a Pyramid Principle Deck for effective communication through a top-down approach:

Conclusion or Answer (Top of the pyramid) → Supporting Arguments → Data points to support each of the arguments (Bottom of the pyramid)

Conduct Analysis: What are the possible solutions based on the insights?

• Consider the amount of evidence that should be provided to support our conclusions.
• Inductive reasoning to make broad generalisations from a set of specific observations → Bigger the generalisation, the Greater the burden of proof.

Synthesise Findings: What can be the expected implications of the findings?

→ Relating our findings directly to their consequences on the client’s business:

• Consider what the client cares about most using the ‘T-Shaped’ Principle to choose the topics/analysis for deep diving (Provide more findings and evidence on that particular topic or solution).
• Speak to them in their language: Don’t pull in jargon and stuff that is alien to them, relate your findings to what they know according to their field.

Develop Recommendation: Proposal of the course of action to the clients:

Consider the limitations of clients:

1. Client Capacity: What resources client has to use?
2. Change: People are resistant to change of course, show them reasons to change using Lewins Model (Elaborated Below)

Lewins Model (Three column table):

• Unfreeze: Show clients how current practices are problematic.
• Change: Show how your recommendations are revolving around those problems.
• ReFreeze: Reinforce actions by providing clear, attainable steps.

We can make a PPT consisting of all these steps to effectively communicate solutions to all our clients and reuse the template for each job!