The What, Why, and How of Performance Consulting
When organizations experience gaps in business or performance results, there is a tendency to “solution-jump.” Often, single, easy-to-implement solutions are put in place before the root causes responsible for the gaps are fully understood. Leaders may declare victory because a solution has been rolled out to the organization, while real problems go unaddressed. This is working tactically, while failing to think and act strategically.
To counteract this tendency, a skilled approach is needed to influence leaders’ thinking, shift focus from solutions to results, identify root causes, and select impactful solutions. Performance Consulting is this approach.
Performance Consulting is a strategic skill set that helps talent, learning, and HR leaders move beyond tactical solutions to address business needs by optimizing organizational and individual performance. This approach aligns talent strategies with business objectives, identifies the root causes of performance gaps, and collaborates with clients to devise effective solutions.
In our day-long workshop, you will master the mental model and questioning techniques performance consultants use to shift discussions from quick fixes to sustainable business and performance outcomes. This approach can influence stakeholders to seek deeper insights and work more holistically.
Separate fee-based registration is required.
Presented by:
Christopher Adams
Principal Consultant
Performance Change Strategies
Schedule
8:30 – 10:00 a.m
Welcome & Introductions
We’ll begin the session by forming table team groups, with whom you’ll work throughout the day. The day will open with an overview of the agenda and objectives and a discussion of participants’ goals and expectations.
Mental Model of Successful Consultants
Starting with a quick exercise to level-set what it means to work strategically, we’ll dive into the mental framework used by successful performance consultants. This model includes a hierarchy that aligns business, performance, organizational, and individual needs. We’ll also introduce a powerful SHOULD-IS-CAUSE logic you can use to help clients set goals, define gaps, identify root causes, and select appropriate solutions.
10:00 – 10:30 a.m
Coffee Break
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m
The Gaps Map
With the mental model as a foundation, you’ll practice using the Gaps Map, a powerful tool that helps consultants visualize, analyze, and communicate business and performance data. You’ll gain experience using the map by applying it to a real-world case study.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m
Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m
Asking Powerful Questions
A critical skill for consultants is asking questions that can both efficiently gather accurate data and influence clients to think and work strategically. Continuing our real-world case, we’ll explore the key attributes of powerful questions and a technique for effectively sequencing them together.
2:30 – 3:00 p.m
Dessert Break
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m
Reframing Tactical Requests into Strategic Opportunities
Armed with our model, tools, and techniques, we’ll “put it all together” by watching a video demonstration of a performance consultant meeting with a client. You’ll analyze their discussion to see how the consultant applied our mental model to navigate the Gaps Map and ask powerful questions. We’ll also examine how the client reacts to this approach and discuss strategies to manage challenging client interactions.
Application Planning
As we close, you’ll spend a few moments identifying opportunities to apply what you’ve learned to your daily work and tactics for overcoming challenges you might face.
Please bring a laptop or your preferred method of taking notes.