7C Consulting

July 2019
FrameworkGetting it Right from the Start
Client

Signing Off with Style Close Clarify Understanding the Real Issues

7C
Make Sure that consulting Developing
Continue Create
the Solution Sticks a Deliverable Solution

Confirm Change
Measuring the Change Working to Make Things Happen
Client – Getting It Right from The Start
“Trade is a social Act”.
Orientation • Viewing the problem as the Client sees it (including their perception)

Desired Outcome • Bringing clarity of the desired outcome (the real value and not just an end-state)

Change Ladder • Removing the fog from the problem by focusing on where change may be required

Situation Viability • Studying if the issue can be successfully resolved and see if the timing is right for change

Decision Makers • Having a clear picture of the decision makers who can influence the initial stages of contract development

Ethos • Considering if the changes will be coercive or participative in Nature

Contract • Establishing a contract that sets out a framework for action and measurement
Clarify – Understanding the Real Issues
“The wise man doesn’t give the right answers; he poses the right questions.”

Diagnosis • Gathering information that will determine the real sources of the issue and not just the symptoms

Shadow • Getting a clear appreciation of the unspoken activities affecting the situation

Culture • Understanding the deep cultural factors that might affect the change

System • Understanding the structural make-up of the system

Construction

Stakeholders • Getting a clear map that indicates who can influence the outcome of the change

Life-cycle risk • Determining the extent to which known and unknown factors will have an impact

Feedback • Establishing clarity on how the client and the organization wishes to be informed of the progress
Create – Developing a Deliverable Solution
“Imagination is intelligence having fun.”

Managed Creativity • Ensuring that any creative solutions can actually be delivered.

Creative Blockage • Understanding the potential creative blockages for my client.

Scanning • Finding solutions in the work others have done or doing (not trying to re-invent the wheel)

Storyboard • Underlining a clear process for deciding on the final solution.

Resources • Mapping the resources to the potential solutions to ensure that the options are viable

• Identifying clear owners for the solution and verifying that they have the capability and
Stream Owners desire to own them

• “Positive application of Politics!”. Considering if it is possible to redirect some of the selfish

Politics energy of internal politics and turn the negative aspects into worthy ones.
Change – Working to Make Things Happen
“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have of
trying to change others. -Jacob M. Braude”

Methodology • Understanding the ethos and approach of how the change will be managed

• Appreciating of where the change energy will come from, and how it will be decapitated
Energy across the different stake holders

• Engaging the people to be involved in the transformation process at a personal and emotional
Engage level.

• Identifying the best level of entry to make the long-lasting transformation on the change
Entry ladder

System Dynamics • Expecting how the system would react to the proposed change

• Make the plan flexible enough to operate in a dynamic and complex world (predictability and
Uncertainty stability are false idols!)

• Accepting resistance to change as expected and working towards minimizing the resistance to
Resistance the proposed changes
Confirm – Measuring the Change
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be
counted -Albert Einstein.”

Responsible • Agreeing upon who will own and manage the measurement process

Timing • Deciding when the measurement will take place (without which early results – which may not be
true indicators – are taken to measure success)

Design • Identifying the qualitative and quantitative measures and establishing the relationship between
these measures.

Depth • Determining if extrinsic measurement be used or to deal with intrinsic issues such as motivation,
attitude and beliefs

• Controlling measurement activities to ensure that an integrated approach is taken in the

Data map clarification stage (and not a deluge of data)

Consulting Performance • Gathering quick specific and detailed feedback of consultant (self) performance from the client

Costs • Having a clear view of the impact cost will have on the different measurement processes
Continue – Make Sure that the Solution Sticks
“Many receive advice, few profit by it. -Publilius Syrus”

• Planning to ensure that the change is sustained and ensure slippage doesn’t occur after the
Sustainability transformation project has been closed

Language • Determining the extent of the change by observing the shift in the client or consumer language

• Ensuring that the weight and structure and bureaucracy of the organization doesn’t take away from
Gravity the transformation

Flow • Gaining from change projects by way of learning and reflecting (equally important as the end delivery)

Knowledge Transfer • Transferring the knowledge and competencies so that they remain in the business

• Working towards making knowledge created as part of the change be embodied as a tangible asset to
Knowledge Management the business

Diffusion Channels • Analyzing the client’s capability to physically diffuse new ideas through various channels
Continue – Make Sure that the Solution Sticks
“Many receive advice, few profit by it. -Publilius Syrus”

• Planning to ensure that the change is sustained and ensure slippage doesn’t occur after the
Sustainability transformation project has been closed

Language • Determining the extent of the change by observing the shift in the client or consumer language

• Ensuring that the weight and structure and bureaucracy of the organization doesn’t take away from
Gravity the transformation

Flow • Gaining from change projects by way of learning and reflecting (equally important as the end delivery)

Knowledge Transfer • Transferring the knowledge and competencies so that they remain in the business

• Working towards making knowledge created as part of the change be embodied as a tangible asset to
Knowledge Management the business

Diffusion Channels • Analyzing the client’s capability to physically diffuse new ideas through various channels
Close – Signing Off with Style
“This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end; but it is perhaps the end of the beginning –Winston Churchill ”

Clients view •Listening and taking time to understand the client perception over the total life cycle of change

Outcome Review •Pulling together data and gauging the the success of the programme

Learning •Help the client to consider what has been learned over and above the planned outcomes

•Checking if there is clear indication of a tangible improvement to the operational or commercial viability of the
Added Value organization

Build •Investigate what opportunities exist for future work

•In this closing stage, there are multiple options to re-engage with the client. Key ones are re-engage and modify (if parts
Re–engage of the process has failed), re-engage and extend, close and exit (with a feel-good factor), close and start a new
engagement (an ideal outcome).

Exit •Ensuring that unnecessary levels of dependence have gone from all sides of the relationship