Preparing Your Team to Work with a Consultant
Bringing a strategic consultant on board can be a game-changer for your team and your organization. Consultants offer fresh perspectives, specialized expertise, and actionable strategies to move stuck projects forward and create needed internal change. But, in order to get the most out of your work with any strategic partner, it's imperative
And while the consultant you hire should be bringing their hard-earned expertise to their work with you, they can't do the work alone. Your team will also play a vital role in the success of the project. So, whether it's a one-off effort or ongoing consultation, laying the groundwork for effective teamwork is essential.
Preparing Your Team to work with a consultant
5 Tips to Help You Make the Most of Any Consulting Engagement
Here are five tips to ensure a smooth and productive partnership with your consultant.
1. SHARE THE SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
You and your consultant should have clearly defined the scope of their work and the objectives you want to achieve before going through procurement and kicking off. Share this information with your team! This clarity helps align everyone’s expectations and provides a roadmap for the consultant’s efforts.
Make sure your team understands the priorities and the specific areas the consultant will focus on (and what they won't focus on). This ensures everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
2. ESTABLISH OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION
At or before kickoff, assign a primary point of contact within your team to liaise with the consultant. This person will coordinate meetings, share updates, and ensure smooth communication and progress. This person should also be in a position to be the final decision maker on things if (or when) the team gets stuck, or have direct access to the one or two people who can move things forward in that way.
Your point person should be prepared to set and attend regular check-ins to discuss progress, address any issues, and adjust the plan as needed. Frequent communication helps maintain momentum and keeps the project on track.
3. GATHER YOUR BACKGROUND INFORMATION
At the beginning of any engagement, your consultant is looking to get up to speed on current realities and challenges as quickly as possible. The details and materials they need to support that onboarding often fall into one of 3 broad categories: Docs, People, and tools.
The Docs: Equip your consultant with all necessary background information, such as previous research, project briefs, user personas, and strategic plans, as well as current analytics data and performance metrics. This context is crucial for them to understand your business and make informed recommendations.
The People: Compile a list of key stakeholders and team members, and be prepared to help them make introductions to these people. Understanding different perspectives and roles helps the consultant tailor their approach to your organization’s needs. Your consultant should bring some thoughts on the best way to connect with everyone - individually, through workshops, etc. - but they'll need your help to get those plans rolling.
The Tools: Ensure the consultant has access to the tools and systems they need to work through their discovery efforts. This list will depend on the specifics of their scope, but would likely include things like test accounts for various user types, 3rd party tool logins, design prototypes and systems, analytics platforms or project management software.
If you're not sure what your consultant will need, just ask them. Here at Common Marvel, we offer our clients some checklists to guide this effort and a dedicated location to drop their files for easy sharing.
4. FOSTER A COLLABORATIVE MINDSET
Prepare your team to be involved in the project process. Your consultant should bring their own tools and techniques for supporting collaboration, but it helps to simply prepare everyone to share their insights, ask questions, and actively participate in workshops or brainstorming sessions before things get rolling.
Additionally, encourage collaboration across different departments by making sure those teams are aware of the work and the value you're expecting to bring to the organization. Representatives from other relevant departments should also be included in the stakeholder list you share at the beginning of the project. The holistic approach fostered by this sort of collaboration ensures that the consultant’s strategies are well-rounded and consider all aspects of the business.
5. PREPARE YOUR TEAM FOR CHANGE & GROWTH
Communicate to your team that working with a consultant may bring changes. Encourage an open-minded attitude and readiness to adapt to new strategies or processes. And be proactive in addressing any concerns or resistance that might come up (which is totally normal). Highlight the benefits of the consultant’s work and how it will positively impact their roles and the organization. If challenges persist, consider pulling the consultant into conversations around how to address them through adjustments in communication styles, project approach, and/or shifts in the timeline.
Preparing your team to work with a strategic consultant involves clear communication, thorough preparation, and fostering a collaborative mindset. By setting and sharing clear goals, providing comprehensive background information, and promoting open communication and engagement with your team, you contribute to an open environment for successful collaboration.
Common Marvel is a UX research and strategy consultancy. We help project and design leaders understand their users, identify the right problems to solve, and craft meaningful digital experience to grow their business. Learn more about our services.