The first consultant interview starting the process is a crucial indicator of future success. When working with a consultant, how do you know if the process is progressing as it should if you do not have experience working with consultants or consulting companies? Well, let me walk you through what the process should look like starting at the first scheduled call or meeting.

Be prepared:

It should be clear that the consultant has researched your organization before your initial consultant interview. They should have an understanding of what you do and some of your major competitors.

Discuss confidentiality:

There should be some discussion about privacy and the boundaries that everyone will follow in your organization and theirs. Because sensitive information needs to be shared during the consultant interview to understand what needs to be fixed or improved quickly, it is essential to know how the flow of information will be managed.

Credentials:

The consultant should be able to share with you what skills and experience they have that will allow them to assist with problem resolution successfully. Every situation is unique. It is not critical that they have solved the specific problem before but be able to demonstrate that used a systematic approach to solving a similar issue. They should be able to talk about specific tools used to identify the root cause as an example.

The consultant interview:

There should be a request early in the consultant interview from the consultant asking you to voice your concerns with open-ended questions. They should ask about the problem and goals. The consultant will go through an interview process with you. Asking questions is an indication that the consultant is learning about your needs and plans on developing a customized solution instead of a “one-size-fits-all” solution that may not be ideal for your organization. You should have ample opportunity to explain the situation. If appropriate, the consultant may ask to see specific examples or supporting data to get a better understanding of the issue.

Your preparation:

There is also preparation that is necessary for you as a client. The first is to take time to critically think about your business needs and prepare to articulate them. Document essential information about the concern or need to help the consultant understand the issue and the scope. This meeting should not be about solving the problem but what needs to be addressed.

Some additional necessary items that should be addressed in preparation for the first meeting:

• Agree on an optimum meeting location (Virtual, Coffee Shop, Your Office, Production Facility,…)
• Provide a basic explanation of the issue to the consultant
• Agree on an agenda to help stay focused
• Prepare to have the correct key members of your team in the meeting
•  Share the agenda with your team so they can prepare if needed

End of first meeting:

The consultant should summarize what was discussed with a specific focus on the issues you want the consultant to address. There should be a discussion about the process for addressing the concerns. It should be clear between you and the consultant(s) what commitments have been made, and they should be reviewed. At the end of the meeting, a preliminary timeline or at minimum when follow-up will occur should be reviewed. It is normal to have some followup including what efforts are required to collect the data to fully understand the problem.

Summary

Clearly defining the problems and goals early in the interaction drives efficiency, and clarity so all parties are aligned on how a successful outcome will be determined. There will be variations in the structure to fit the situation but look for these critical elements. Getting this right at the beginning does several things:

• Builds trust
• Improves efficiency
• Get to expected outcomes faster

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