As a consultant, you can add value to the company by ensuring you are questioning its processes and procedures. Do your best to focus on finding gaps in knowledge as to why they do things the way they do.By challenging the norms, you are forcing the company to ask questions they would have never asked.

Challenge Norms

Really listen to your clients initially and understand what they want from you. Then create clear objectives that align with their strategies, ensuring that it covers all that was asked for. During this step try building good working relationships too. Do not just see them as a customer, see them as a friend.

Have Clear Objectives

It never hurt anyone in trying to do a bit more than what was asked of them. Doing as little as suggesting further areas which could be explored can make your clients appreciate you much more. Try your best to do this with humility, care and with innovative approaches. This ensures clients are not upset by further suggestions, but instead excited by them.

Go Beyond 

<figure><img alt="Several Euro bills laid out on a desk" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a846e5bd55b418254cdd293/1523908353377-03P2Y3Z68BNW68EA6TBW/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOggE0Ch6pMGalwtLMqzsSB7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ufo5RWkg_J4of0jUNHaDHx6pZKBvpVYzidBWCapg0tuoMuEaB2HPGSYDV-11UTcW2g/euro_money_value_service.jpg"></figure>Consulting focuses on creating targeted change and delivering value for clients. In our experience, we have been challenged on the value that our own services deliver and offered essential insights on how. At times, our responses may have been met with both resistance and doubt. In an effort to better grasp where our clients were coming from, we asked several questions seeking to gain a clearer sight and sense of their underlying thinking and assumptions about value.Over time, it was discovered that the context of these questions were very different to the words used. What was really being asked was, how can we demonstrate or even prove that what we were delivering would be of value, in terms of the proposed financial outlay or cost. For many clients, value is regularly evaluated on the basis of the monetary or financial benefit that would be received in exchange for fees. Whilst technically correct, we have and do argue that this view of value is incomplete. It is even more so, when clients have not instituted the relevant systems or tools for capturing and measuring value within their own organizations, in a holistic way.&nbsp;<h3>Discussing And Defining Value</h3>Discussing and defining value has been fraught with challenges, arising from the diverse perspectives, experiences, contexts, and understandings of both the client and ourselves. We see value in a much broader way and have defined it along three key dimensions;<UL><LI>Firstly, value should include all of the additional non-monetary benefits that would be derived from an engagement with any consultant. These could include for example, the <a href="https://www.ikigaiconsulting.com/services/" dir="ltr">alignment of project outcomes</a> to business goals and strategy; improvements to productivity, service delivery, reputation, and company image; increased customer satisfaction and staff engagement; and reductions to business and operating risks. Some benefits can be unexpected and would depend largely on the client, its core business, and markets in which it operates.</LI><LI>Secondly, value does not exist in isolation but within a given context. What this simply means is that every client when thinking about value, should develop and evaluate its options in terms of a project's requirements, timelines, resourcing, constraints, and the wider environment in which it is being undertaken.</LI><LI>Thirdly, value constitutes the means or methods for capturing and assessing the performance and success of business projects, their outcomes, and if the desired value was achieved - particularly as some benefits may be realized across the short, medium, and long terms, and at different levels throughout a client's organization.</LI></UL>We have come to appreciate given fundamental constraints, limited resources, and an increasingly challenging business environment that a balance has to be sought and negotiated between the effectiveness and efficiency of our methods and efforts, the prudent stewardship of resources, and the outcomes which are to be delivered to the client - if meaningful value is to be delivered. Every consultant, based on their own unique collection of skills, knowledge, and experience, may achieve this in very different ways. Our team however, starts with a focus on the needs of our clients.&nbsp;Focusing On Clients The success of any project is inextricably linked to the uncovering, understanding, and delivery of the client's real, and not perceived needs. This is supported by the building of meaningful relationship, effective listening and communication, discernment of the changing environment, and effective management of the client's requirements.&nbsp;Challenging Norms One of the best ways to deliver value for a client, is to challenge its established thinking and norms.&nbsp;We ask difficult questions, interrogate all of the information presented, and encourage them to both consider alternative options and take bold steps forward. Where possible, we seek out and incorporate new ideas and approaches, and make improvements on existing ones.&nbsp;Having Clear Objectives On any project, it is imperative that we have clearly defined and described goals or objectives,&nbsp;as they describe the outcomes that should be realized. We work to ensure that every project is strategically viable, meaning that they are aligned to the client's core <a href="https://www.ikigaiconsulting.com/insights/the-strategy-journey" dir="ltr">strategy</a> and have the desired impact on its business objectives.&nbsp;Managing Related Risks And Issues Creating value for our clients would come from the successful delivery of projects. This would require the continuous monitoring and management of the related progress, risks, resources, stakeholders, project environment, issues, challenges, and requests. Throughout each initiative, we would identify, evaluate, and communicate to our clients, the impact of changes within each area.&nbsp;Delivery We recognize that consistent and timely delivery is integral to building credibility with and maintaining the trust of our clients. For our team, delivery is underpinned and driven by integrity, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and open communication with our clients.Providing Clarity Clarity comes from the elimination of ambiguity. Being external to a client's organization, we can leverage an unbiased view or perspective of the prevailing issues, challenges and environment, ask difficult questions, offer key insights from other engagements, and provide focus and direction where they may have been lacking or non-existent.&nbsp;Going Beyond As much as the project would allow, we would provide added value by going beyond the basic requirements of the client's needs through, being innovative in our approaches, and acting with <a href="https://www.ikigaiconsulting.com/insights/humility-and-project-management" dir="ltr">humility</a>, care, and wisdom. It is our aim to leave a positive and lasting impression on every client that we work and interact with.&nbsp;<h3>Adding Value For Clients</h3>The issue of consultants adding value to the clients and organizations that hire them is a long standing one. Various reports and publications from such authorities as the <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/" dir="ltr">World Bank</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mca.org.uk/reports/reports-data/value-of-consulting-report" dir="ltr">Management Consultancies Association</a>, and <a href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/search.aspx?qt=Consulting%20Industry&amp;mclickorder=qt-1:&amp;page=1" dir="ltr">Harvard Business School</a> all provide compelling discussions and findings on the benefits of using consultancies. Aside from the approaches outlined above,&nbsp;consultants can add value to projects and initiatives in other and interesting ways, especially through opportunities which may arise during implementation and teachable moments along the way.As consumers, organizations, markets, and nations continue to be impacted and transformed by the effects of globalization and technology, we will need to develop increasingly novel ways of meeting the emerging needs and demands of our clients. Our team continues to ready itself for the changes to come,&nbsp;one of which is maintaining the quality and professionalism of our service offerings, especially if we are to demonstrate our value and importance to the clients that we ultimately seek to serve.&nbsp;<img alt="Managing Expectations: An Underrated Leadership Skill" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5a846e5bd55b418254cdd293/1609888988906-KDYBLBYA6LC9RTAYFRFU/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kOggE0Ch6pMGalwtLMqzsSB7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z5QPOohDIaIeljMHgDF5CVlOqpeNLcJ80NK65_fV7S1Ufo5RWkg_J4of0jUNHaDHx6pZKBvpVYzidBWCapg0tuoMuEaB2HPGSYDV-11UTcW2g/woman-leadership-talking-skill-ikigai-consulting.jpg">

For many clients, value is regularly evaluated on the basis of the monetary 
benefit that would be received in exchange for fees. Whilst technically 
correct, we contend that this view of value is incomplete.

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

product

Product & Design

Consulting focuses on creating targeted change and delivering value for clients. In our experience, we have been challenged on the value that our own services deliver and offered essential insights on how. At times, our responses may have been met with both resistance and doubt. In an effort to better grasp where our clients were coming from, we asked several questions seeking to gain a clearer sight and sense of their underlying thinking and assumptions about value.

Over time, it was discovered that the context of these questions were very different to the words used. What was really being asked was, how can we demonstrate or even prove that what we were delivering would be of value, in terms of the proposed financial outlay or cost. For many clients, value is regularly evaluated on the basis of the monetary or financial benefit that would be received in exchange for fees. Whilst technically correct, we have and do argue that this view of value is incomplete. It is even more so, when clients have not instituted the relevant systems or tools for capturing and measuring value within their own organizations, in a holistic way.

Discussing and defining value has been fraught with challenges, arising from the diverse perspectives, experiences, contexts, and understandings of both the client and ourselves. We see value in a much broader way and have defined it along three key dimensions;

<ul><li>Firstly, value should include all of the additional non-monetary benefits that would be derived from an engagement with any consultant. These could include for example, the <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.ikigaiconsulting.com/services/">alignment of project outcomes </a>to business goals and strategy; improvements to productivity, service delivery, reputation, and company image; increased customer satisfaction and staff engagement; and reductions to business and operating risks. Some benefits can be unexpected and would depend largely on the client, its core business, and markets in which it operates. </li><li>Secondly, value does not exist in isolation but within a given context. What this simply means is that every client when thinking about value, should develop and evaluate its options in terms of a project's requirements, timelines, resourcing, constraints, and the wider environment in which it is being undertaken. </li><li>Thirdly, value constitutes the means or methods for capturing and assessing the performance and success of business projects, their outcomes, and if the desired value was achieved - particularly as some benefits may be realized across the short, medium, and long terms, and at different levels throughout a client's organization. </li> </ul>

We have come to appreciate given fundamental constraints, limited resources, and an increasingly challenging business environment that a balance has to be sought and negotiated between the effectiveness and efficiency of our methods and efforts, the prudent stewardship of resources, and the outcomes which are to be delivered to the client - if meaningful value is to be delivered. Every consultant, based on their own unique collection of skills, knowledge, and experience, may achieve this in very different ways. Our team however, starts with a focus on the needs of our clients.

Focusing On Clients The success of any project is inextricably linked to the uncovering, understanding, and delivery of the client's real, and not perceived needs. This is supported by the building of meaningful relationship, effective listening and communication, discernment of the changing environment, and effective management of the client's requirements.

Challenging Norms One of the best ways to deliver value for a client, is to challenge its established thinking and norms. We ask difficult questions, interrogate all of the information presented, and encourage them to both consider alternative options and take bold steps forward. Where possible, we seek out and incorporate new ideas and approaches, and make improvements on existing ones.

Having Clear Objectives On any project, it is imperative that we have clearly defined and described goals or objectives, as they describe the outcomes that should be realized. We work to ensure that every project is strategically viable, meaning that they are aligned to the client's core <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.ikigaiconsulting.com/insights/the-strategy-journey">strategy </a>and have the desired impact on its business objectives.

Managing Related Risks And Issues Creating value for our clients would come from the successful delivery of projects. This would require the continuous monitoring and management of the related progress, risks, resources, stakeholders, project environment, issues, challenges, and requests. Throughout each initiative, we would identify, evaluate, and communicate to our clients, the impact of changes within each area.

Delivery We recognize that consistent and timely delivery is integral to building credibility with and maintaining the trust of our clients. For our team, delivery is underpinned and driven by integrity, accountability, transparency, collaboration, and open communication with our clients.

Providing Clarity Clarity comes from the elimination of ambiguity. Being external to a client's organization, we can leverage an unbiased view or perspective of the prevailing issues, challenges and environment, ask difficult questions, offer key insights from other engagements, and provide focus and direction where they may have been lacking or non-existent.

Going Beyond As much as the project would allow, we would provide added value by going beyond the basic requirements of the client's needs through, being innovative in our approaches, and acting with <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.ikigaiconsulting.com/insights/humility-and-project-management">humility </a>, care, and wisdom. It is our aim to leave a positive and lasting impression on every client that we work and interact with.

The issue of consultants adding value to the clients and organizations that hire them is a long standing one. Various reports and publications from such authorities as the <a dir="ltr" href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/">World Bank </a>, <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mca.org.uk/reports/reports-data/value-of-consulting-report">Management Consultancies Association </a>, and <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/search.aspx?qt=Consulting%20Industry&amp;mclickorder=qt-1:&amp;page=1">Harvard Business School </a>all provide compelling discussions and findings on the benefits of using consultancies. Aside from the approaches outlined above, consultants can add value to projects and initiatives in other and interesting ways, especially through opportunities which may arise during implementation and teachable moments along the way.

As consumers, organizations, markets, and nations continue to be impacted and transformed by the effects of globalization and technology, we will need to develop increasingly novel ways of meeting the emerging needs and demands of our clients. Our team continues to ready itself for the changes to come, one of which is maintaining the quality and professionalism of our service offerings, especially if we are to demonstrate our value and importance to the clients that we ultimately seek to serve.

Creating Value For Our Clients

Challenge Norms

Have Clear Objectives

Go Beyond

Tavian Jean-Pierre's ideas are part of this journey:

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