TRANSITION TO
PERFORMANCE CONSULTING
(a three-day
certification program)
Transition from a traditional approach to training to a performance consulting approach. Partner with business units to identify client needs. Use a variety of consulting roles appropriately. Use an 8-step internal consulting approach to managing the training function. Use a case study to apply consulting tools.
When we come on site, we customize our workshops in two ways.
First, we customize the workshop content to meet your instructional objectives. Second, we customize the examples in the exercises to make them specific to the services you provide.
There is no charge for this level of customization.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:
At the end of the training, you will be able to:
- Determine how successful performance consultants operate.
- Identify 8 steps in the consulting process.
- Practice ways to anticipate the changing training needs in your organization.
- Describe 4 types of performance consulting skills needed to be successful.
- Contract for results, not just training activities.
- Distinguish between the roles of the performance consultant, trainer and change agent.
- Identify ten essential elements of a performance plan.
- Practice how to gain management's commitment to performance consulting.
- Use a 16-step plan to build alliances with line managers.
- Identify how to influence line managers.
- Build a performance consulting plan and gain management's agreement.
- Market performance consulting services to prospective clients.
- Use appropriate tools to measure the use and results of performance consulting.
- Apply lessons learned from other organizations that have transitioned from traditional training to performance consulting.
- Determine what needs to be done to continue the transition from traditional training activities to performance consulting.
WORKSHOP CONTENT
Unit 1: Overview
- Review workshop content and objectives
- Inventory your skills
- Set personal objectives for this session
Course Methods:
After completing an opening activity and personal inventory, participants identify personal objectives and share them in the large group. Expectations are clarified and set for the workshop.
Unit 2: Performance Consultant's Role
- Describe what performance consulting is
- Determine benefits of performance consulting
- Review a consulting continuum, enhanced roles for the trainer
- Complete a performance consulting skills inventory
- Compare trainer vs. consultant vs. change agent
Course Methods:
A consulting approach is offered as a way to maintain a healthy life cycle for a training department. A case study is used to clarify the range of roles trainers play in organizations and to surface the definition of a true 'client'. Participants compare traditional training and performance consulting approaches and identify and the benefits of a performance consulting approach in their organizations. Following completion of an inventory, participants bring the consulting roles to life through a case study and identify criteria for selecting the most appropriate role in a given situation.
Key internal consulting skills are assessed by participants using a gap analysis. Participants identify their role as trainer, consultant or change agent individually in a comparison activity.
Unit 3: Performance Consulting Process
- Identify changes to anticipate with the transition
- Transition to Performance Consulting
- Define the eight-step consulting process
- Describe how to contract for results
Course Methods:
A case study is used to illustrate the benefits of using a consulting process. The eight-step consulting process is then reviewed in a participative lecture. Participants begin to apply the process to a case study.
Unit 4: Diagnosing Performance Problems
- Sort training and non-training issues with performance analysis
- Review other barriers impacting performance
- Conduct goal analysis
- Develop a performance plan: overview and example
- Use a performance plan checklist
- Determine how to include management in analysis
Course Methods:
Participants examine formal and informal tools to help diagnose problems through examples, exercises and case studies.
Participants explore characteristics of a performance improvement plan through interactive discussion, identification of key criteria and examination of examples. They apply additional information to an earlier case study scenario to suggest additions to a Performance Improvement Plan.
Unit 5: Working With Line Management
- Build credibility and increase your influence
- Check your influencing style, Consulting Incidents Inventory
- Identify how to be responsive to the organization's needs
- Develop partnerships with line managers
- Determine steps to increase leverage with others
Course Methods:
Following an inventory to identify their use of influencing styles, participants consider which style is appropriate in given scenario situations. Steps and skills for increasing influence with key managers are reviewed and practiced in exercises and case studies.
Unit 6: Face-to-Face Skills
- Practice putting the 8-step consulting skills process in action
- Determine how to conduct client interviews:
- I: assessment interview
- II: benchmarking interview
- Define how to conduct feedback meetings and gain agreement
Course Methods:
Participants critique sample assessment and benchmarking interviews through video review and case study analysis and identify essential elements for the beginning, middle and end of each type of interview. Techniques for successfully presenting the data in a feedback meeting are identified through discussion and small group activity.
Unit 7: Strategic Planning for Performance Consultants
- Put the plan together
- Determine how to market performance consulting services to prospective clients
- Demonstrate Level 3 and 4 evaluation of performance consulting
- Complete a Strategic Planning Case Study
Course Methods:
A strategic planning case study is used to illustrate how to market performance consulting services. Participants explore essential tactics for marketing consulting services and communicating both level 3 and 4 evaluation data to prospective clients through small group exercises, examples, checklists, and interactive discussion. Examples and templates for cost-benefit analysis and are explored and a brief activity to identify hard-number indicators of performance completed. Participants then complete their own example and plan how they will show the value of their consulting services.
Unit 8: Implementing Performance Consulting
- Identify strategies and tactics
- Complete a performance consulting summary inventory
- Summarize and complete your action plan
Course Methods:
Strategies and tactics for implementing a consulting approach are shared and expanded upon by participants. Participants re-visit the consulting skills inventory as a post training self-assessment. The consulting project requirements are reviewed and logistics confirmed for finalizing the certificate requirements.
PERFORMANCE CONSULTING
CERTIFICATION PROJECT
Each participant who wants to earn "Performance Consulting Certification” is required to complete a project within two months from the end of the three-day workshop. A project description is submitted to the instructor using a specific format. A teleconference call (in groups of 6 participants, allowing about 20 minutes per participant) is used to complete the debriefing of the projects reported by the participants.
CEUs:
This workshop qualifies for 1.8 of continuing education units.
