Leaders Lab look into some key consultancy styles, establishing the framework for effective consultancy; building trust, communicating, listening and advising.

1. Key Consultancy
Styles and
Framework
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

2. The Consultancy Framework
Each consultancy project moves through several phases: there is a shape to the process.
If consultancy projects go wrong, it is most often due to the consultant’s mishandling of one or more
of these phases, especially the first three.
There are seven key stages you move through in the consultancy process. These are not linear
and don’t always follow the same order, but they fall into three easy categories:
• Building Trust
• Creating The Possibility
• Getting Into Action
Read on to see how the seven stages build on each other
in a consultancy project…
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

3. Building Trust
1. Making initial contact: creating a rapport with a
new client or developing it with an existing one
2. Gaining entry - earning the right to be your client’s
consultant (even more important if they don’t
have much of a choice!)
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

4. Creating The Possibility
3. Contracting with a client: the skills required to
build a working relationship
4. Agreeing your client’s requirements and collecting
relevant data
5. Designing and managing a consultancy strategy
and style
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

5. Getting Into Action
6. Problem solving, feedback and implementation
7. Dis- or re-engagement and follow up: feedback
on how far the situation has been resolved and
discussion of any proposed follow-on services
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

6. Styles of Communication
You are likely to interact with a wide range of clients, in different roles, who all have their own
unique problems.
We’ve identified four separate styles of communication that will help you adapt your style to
differing circumstances and personalities:

7. Active Listening
This is used when your client’s feelings and emotions are
stopping them from dealing with the issue in a logical
manner.
The key to an active listening approach is being empathetic,
helping them to acknowledge and cope with the feelings
that are blocking progress.
In this mode, you stay very closely with the client and his or
her frame of reference until they say, or you sense, that
they are ready to move on.
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

8. Directional Questioning
Here you support your client in clarifying their understanding
of the problem, analyse it and then move on to look at all
possible options before making a committed decision.
It’s important to be certain that your client is ready to be gently
encouraged to move away from their initial ‘safe’ position on
the issue that you are tackling.
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

9. Challenging
When you find that the client is part of the problem itself, you
may need to point out that there is an inconsistency
between what they say they will do and what they are
actually doing.
This is a high risk intervention and you must be sure that your
relationship with the client and the level of trust between
you is very high before you use this style.
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

10. Prescriptive
A prescriptive approach can be defined as listening to your
client’s problem, conducting a thorough diagnosis, and then
offering them a solution or recommendation.
Your client needs to have bought into your credibility and
expertise and to have given ‘permission’ for you, in effect, to
tell them what to do!
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056

11. For more information:
To get a chance of practising these four styles, and how they
are experienced as a client, find out more about the
Leaders Lab Consultancy Skills Programmes
If any of the themes in this presentation strike a chord, then
do leave a comment or email us at info@leaderslab.co.uk
www.leaderslab.co.uk 01865 881056