Beginning Projects

This page provides a roadmap for consultants who are starting new projects. This trip will take you through the primary activities involved in the Gaining Agreement phase of the Consultative Process. When you complete this work, your team will have established how it will work together on the project, your clients and key stakeholders will be well understood and their project involvement optimized, and you will understand how ready your client organization is for your proposed solution and what to do to optimize overall project results. Please follow the roadmap below for new projects.

1. Work Agreement

For new projects or those recently started, the first order of business is to create a Work Agreement. This involves understanding your client’s business and needs to develop a client profile, preparing for the Work Agreement meeting, conducting the meeting, and documenting the final Work Agreement. The Work Agreement Tool will guide you through this process and provide you with a set of templates to capture your work.

Click here to go to the Work Agreement Tool. You will return to this page when you've completed using that tool.

2. Relationship Strategy and Management

With your Work Agreement in place it is now it is time to understand and manage your relationships with your clients and key stakeholders in order to build alignment and optimize your project outcomes. Use the Relationship Opportunity Matrix Worksheet to accomplish this.

Click here to go to the Relationship Strategy and Management Tool. You will return to this page when you've completed using that tool.

3. Readiness Assessment

When your team has determined your preferred approach and solution for the project, it is important to assess how ready the client organization is for the particular solution. Obstacles should be identified and dealt with as part of your solution implementation. Use the Readiness Assessment Matrix Worksheet to guide you through the assessment process.

Click here to go to the Readiness Assessment Tool. You will return to this page when you've completed using that tool.

You are now ready to complete your project planning, secure approval and resources for your project, and implement your solution.