Unit 3A: Entry and Contracting (Pt. 1)

Entry

It is the first step in the consulting process and consists of the first contact with a client before the formal contracting process has begun

Entry

For external consultants, gaining _______ is often as the result of marketing and selling one’s expertise or success to a potential client

External Consultants

_________ are more likely to use strategies such as networking, phone calls, direct mail, websites, or presentations at conferences to build awareness among potential clients

True

A good entry process will thus entail the consultant listening carefully to the client, showing good faith in expressing care and concern for the client’s request

True or False

False

Ethical problems will not occur even when consultants misrepresent or overstate their background or experience (educational background, experience with similar problems, organizations, or industries)

True or False

Armchair Diagnosis

In their zeal to be hired for an assignment, consultants may also overpromise results, offering an __________, which refers to making a judgment, conclusion, or solution about a problem without sufficient data, investigation, or proper analysis.

Contact Clients

They are the initial points of communication in the client organization

Intermediate Clients

They are those who are included in meetings or from whom data are gathered during the course of the engagement

Primary Clients

They have the responsibility for the problem the consultant is working to address, generally the ones paying for the consultant’s services

Unwitting Clients

They will be affected by the engagement of intervention but may now know of the engagement activity or that it will concern them

Indirect Clients

They are not known to the consultant by are conscious that they are stakeholders in the outcome

Ultimate Clients

They consist of the larger system or organization, “or any other group that the consultant cares about and whose welfare must be considered”

Client

It is argued that the _______ is not always a single individual or the larger system, but should be thought of as the relationship between individuals, groups, and the larger organization

True

The entry phase in the consulting process usually concludes with a scheduled face-to-face or telephone meeting, a delay of a potential contract, or termination if either the consultant or client is unwilling to continue.

True or False

Contracting

It is the process of developing an agreement with a client on the work to be performed

Contracting

It is also the most natural time when both parties are interested in discussing mutual expectations, clarifying roles, and setting expectations about the work to be done by both parties

False

Contracting is a temporary process, where consultants return to validate agreements and negotiate expectations at many points throughout the engagement

True or False

True

External consultants and their clients typically develop a written agreement that specifies the services to be performed, the time frame of the engagement, and the financial compensation.

True or False

False

When consultants fail to contract, it means that there is no binding contract that ties the two parties upon doing a transaction. This is because by not setting expectations in advance, the consultant gives the impression of compliance with the client’s framing of the issues, definition of the process, and tacit assumptions about roles.

True or False

Formal Contract

The _________ consists of topics that one might initially think of when developing an official professional agreement, such as the agreed-upon time span of the relationship, steps in the consulting process, and payment to be made to the consultant

Psychological Contract

The ________ for the consulting relationship is just as important as the formal contract, as it serves as an explicit agreement about the consulting relationship, such as how the client and consultant will communicate with each other, building a relationship ideally on authenticity and openness.