Lessons from a Collaborative Consulting Relationship
1 + 1 = More
What does a partnership between a leader and a consultant look like?
How might you nurture a client-consultant relationship that is mutually beneficial and enjoyable?
I recently sat down for a conversation with a former client, Kristin Rigg, of the Living at Home Network to talk about the work we did together. We hoped to illuminate some lessons about software and selection and implementation with a network of nonprofit organizations.
Intertwined with those lessons was another theme: how we worked effectively together. Here are some thoughts (including audio clips) about how we brought out the best in each other–and brought about the best outcome for the Network.
Start with trust and accountability
Kristin noted two keys to our working relationship:
Understanding each other’s strengths and roles. I valued her big-picture vision for the Network. She appreciated my calm demeanor. We found ways to trade off leading the dance without stepping on toes.
Being mutually accountable and following through on commitments.
Adapting as challenges arose
Twice we needed to relax our hold on plans and pivot to a different approach. The first instance was when we disqualified all four software products on our shortlist, and had to go back to the well. The second instance was when we realized our implementation sequence was not working. Both times, we kept our focus on the end goal, rather than immediate tasks or preconceived notions of how we were going to get there. This allowed us to solve problems without becoming discouraged or stuck.
“With your experience, you were able to really help me see that we could work through challenges because there were several times when I just thought: This isn't gonna work. We're not going to get everybody on board or there isn't a product that's really going to meet enough of our needs. I really appreciated that you always came with ideas about how to work through it.” ~Kristin
Partnership vs. transactional engagement
In Peter Block’s indispensable book, Flawless Consulting, he talks about three roles a consultant can take: Expert, Pair-of-Hands, and Collaborative. To paraphrase:
Putting a consultant in the role of technical expert can discount “people problems” and fail to gain necessary leadership commitment.
Treating a consultant as an extra pair of hands puts a heavy burden on the client to understand the problem.
A collaborative role features shared responsibility and synergy. This is how we both viewed my role with LAHN.
More than software, building capacity
Kristin realized that context and relationships would be key to my success. She shared information about the strategic direction of the Network that some leaders may have believed irrelevant to selecting and implementing software, and she brought me along on several road trips to visit members throughout the state. This equipped me to provide more nuanced recommendations and, crucially, to win the trust of members.
Ultimately, we accomplished three things:
Selecting software that fit the Network’s needs
Implementing the software without overwhelming the users
Conducting the process in a way that strengthened relationships and built the Network’s capacity
Our partnership elevated the endeavor from simply solving an operational problem (we need new software) to investing in the strength of the Network (we have shared tools, processes, and relationships to make data-informed decisions and serve our communities better).
“If I had run the project alone, I don't know how I would have selected a product. But we would not have found the one we ended up with, I know that. And I wouldn't have taken the time needed to hear as many voices from our users.” ~Kristin
