Steps of the Consulting Process

Each consulting project goes through the eight steps, with each step sequentially building upon the previous step. Skipping steps or assuming a step has been addressed could result in an unsatisfactory outcome for your client and for you as well. To be a successful and an effective consultant, you will need to be skillful in each step of each phase. Understanding the phases and steps will help you identify challenges and develop solutions to overcome these challenges.

Consider the eight steps of consulting in the context of a client-one whom you have worked with in the past or would like to work with in the future-and discuss the following:

1. According to you, which phase of the consulting cycle is or would be the most difficult to implement?

2. Why would this phase be most difficult to implement?

3. What do you need to do in terms of acquiring skills, or knowledge, or attitude to make implementing this phase easier for you?

4. What kind of support would you need from the client to implement this phase successfully?