On consulting...

Certainly, a consultant must “practice what we preach” if we are to maintain credibility with the client. The significant financial investment a client makes in our services should cause the client to scrutinize our behaviors as they seek to verify our credibility. That credibility is critical because in order for us, as consultants, to benefit the client, the client has to have the confidence to take and act on our recommendations.

That is why the most critical part of the process comes before we make any presentations or recommendations. In reviewing research on instructional design methodologies in which the goal was to ascertain what models provided the most efficient results, one of the models revealed was an efficiency methodology that followed the acronym ADDIE (Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, Evaluate). That methodology is not unlike the process a consultant would use to develop needed skills (i.e. increased strategic thinking) within a client. An important theme found in that research was that the bulk of the work was in the analysis prior to the implementation of any design.

As consultants, ADDIE can be an efficient way for us to work, as well.