The BETTER AGREEMENT GUIDE™
BETTER BUSINESS is in The BAG™
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CONSULTANT
Consultants are teachers. Great consultants tell, explain, demonstrate, and inspire. They operate on the premise that it is better to teach someone how to fish than to throw them a fish when they are hungry. Consultants have become an important part of our personal and professional lives. I used to trust the consultants I engaged to manage the consulting relationship by setting appropriate expectations. My assumption was that having done this many times before, they understood the importance of managing the relationship. I have learned through some disappointing experiences that most consultants are no different from the general population. They are not good at establishing a joint vision of the project, setting expectations, and managing the consultative engagement. Perhaps I'm hypercritical because I am so conscious of the nature of agreement, or perhaps I'm just a demanding client. I know we would all be better served if we had clear agreements that reflect what we currently believe is the road map to the expected results, a clear understanding of the process, and, most important, a clear idea of what may change as we begin the work. As a patient, you always sign a general consent form before a surgical procedure because the surgeon cannot know exactly what will be discovered once the procedure starts. Consulting projects are no different. Here's an agreement I prepared for resolving management conflicts among six dentists who purchased an office building together. Letter Agreement Dear Thank you for choosing me to help you resolve the conflicts you have been experiencing in the management of your office building. I will do my best to honor that trust. I have done my best to express our conversations in the following letter agreement. Please let me know if you would like to make any changes, corrections, clarifications, or additions. 1. Intent and vision: It is our intention to resolve all conflicts that have come up related to the joint ownership and operation of your shared office building. I understand that it is your vision to have in place an agreement that will enable you, smoothly and efficiently, to share the space harmoniously, without conflict or divisiveness, so that you can devote all of your time to practicing your profession. 2. Roles: I will be the facilitator responsible for guiding you through the Process of Agreement and Resolution. You will be active participants seeking agreement and resolution. 3. Promises: I promise to:
5. Measurements of satisfaction: Your partnership is operating without significant conflict. More important, you have the ability to quickly resolve conflict as it surfaces. You develop the ability to quietly smile to yourself when you recall how bad it was. 6. Concerns and fears: My concern is that you will not devote the time needed to resolve future conflicts as they arise and that you will not move forward in good faith. You have all expressed the fear that the others are not capable of changing and that you do not know if you are truly capable of letting go of the past. 7. Renegotiation: We agree that even though we have been diligent in expressing all the contingencies we can think of, things will likely arise that we did not anticipate. We agree to modify this agreement as needed to meet current realities. 8. Consequences: We understand that the failure to reach agreement will result in significant financial loss on the jointly owned building, disruption to individual practices because of having to move, and the sense of loss at having to leave a building everyone likes very much. 9. Conflict resolution: If we have any disagreement about our work together, we agree to talk about it. If we cannot resolve it, we agree to select a facilitator to help us get to resolution. 10. Agreement? By agreeing to all of what is said in this letter, we have an agreement in place from which to move forward. I look forward to the opportunity of working with you. Sincerely, Stewart Levine Agreed and Accepted By Name Date Notice that even though it is a legally binding contract to provide services, it does not look like an imposing formal agreement. In most situations a simple letter confirming what is understood and desired, what is promised, and how much will be paid is much more constructive than a formal-looking document. The content is the same; the impact is different. Summary: Consultants have become an important part of our personal and professional lives. Often they are not very good at setting expectations and managing the consultative engagement. We would all be better served when engaging a consultant if we had a clear agreement that reflects a road map to articulated, expected results and a clear understanding of the process that will get to the desired results. Exercise: Think about the last time you used a consultant or had a consultative relationship. Was the relationship successful? Did you get what you wanted? Are you currently in a consultative relationship? What is good, and what needs to be improved? Does the engagement letter inform you of both the process and the expected results? Why not revise it? |
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