Being a consultant, a coach or an auditor and the definition of that, what you can and can't do has plagued me my whole career.
We opened up a discussion in our recent staff conference about what you can do from an advisory perspective when you're doing third party audits
or when you're doing consulting or when you're doing coaching, I'm pushing this business towards coaching principles where we're asking great quality questions
and we're leading and inspiring people to identify their issues and act on them not telling them what to do. So not telling them, point the finger
and saying do this, do that, do the other. So working on principles and concepts and teaching principles and concepts to help people identify
and understand what they need to do, so check out this video, we shot it at our recent staff conference, it's an open discussion of everybody in the business
around what's consulting, what's the definition, what we can and can't do to help clients and I think you guys would really benefit from seeing this discussion
If you've got thoughts, comment below and I'd love to hear your thoughts and also go and check out a recent Linkedin post of mine
where I asked, what's the difference between a coach and a consultant.
Kobi - So we've talked about walking this fine line about consulting, it's resounding that it's what our clients want, help, they want value all that sort of stuff,
and we're still talking about walking this fine line so I really want to talk about what is the hazard that we're avoiding? Greg - Do you want my definition?
Kobi - Everyone, I want an open discussion. Greg - Consulting is not helping your clients by giving them options and sharing information
and telling them what someone else in another nameless client might do which might be a good idea. Consulting is not, while it's not necessarily first chioce
consulting is not even saying you can put this on a risk register, consulting is where you direct a client to do something to get certification and
if you go back at some later time and they haven't done it, you raise a non-conformance. Because if you direct someone to do something, and they do that or some other version
they might change their mind and do something different, and still meet the requirements of the standard, that's okay, they can do whatever they want.
So we can share all sorts of things, but it's about when there is a consequence of them not doing what we say in a directive way about their management system
then it's consulting, does that make sense? I mean why wouldn't we share the incredible experience that we've got around the table, yeah? But it's about
not saying, I reckon you've got to do it or one way you could do this is a risk management table, and you go back next audit and they haven't done a risk management table
they've done it some other way, and you say non-conformance because you didn't do a risk management table like I told you. Provided they've found some other way
that meets the requirements of the standard. Kobi - So I just want you guys to understand, I think Kevin's point is probably the best
don't hand them the procedure and say sign this follow this, that is consulting. Let's get this, I want it to be really clear with everybody about how far you can go
because it's what our clients are asking for, I want to give you the confidence and my support, I'll always back you when you're trying to make the customer happy.
Let's keep debating the definition of consulting because for me, in my experience in this industry it is literally here it is. It's literally saying 'here's the Best Practice
business plan, take our logo off and put yours on and use that' and what's the first thing they're going to say? Karen - It doesn't fit
Kobi - That's exactly right, it doesn't fit, and what are they going to do? They're going to change it. So I just don't want you guys to be scared.
Simple, every opening meeting, it's simple, I mean we had two clients today tell us what they want from Best Practice, so in the opening meeting
you say 'what would you like from Best Practice? What do you want from me today, do you want me to guide you, do you want me to coach you?
Like they're all answers you're going to get yes to if you ask the question and probably the most important thing is ask them if they want advice. And then you
ask the consultant, what would you like to get out of me today? I want to try and avoid this constant debate about, you know don't consult because we're not clear on what the
defintion is, it's so varied and I don't want you guys to feel scared because you have the full support of everybody here and me particularly please do that.
because you've got our support and if the more we know about that I'm worried about that one tomrrow because I'm at that site with that consultant
give me some tips and tricks and I'll talk you through some questions. Greg - As Kobi said what they're looking for, one of the
things you talked about is to try, where ever possible, get clients to own their own systems. So, we're working in their heads as much as we're working on their documents
so there's a whole lot of stuff that we can do that's not consulting. Everybody you've got to approach as a fresh face, every client and they won't necessarily
take your advice on work, and that's not personal, that's just their stuff. I've been there I know those clients that are really frustrating because you think you can help
them and they just don't want to know, okay in the end that's their call, they're not ready to here the message.
Sarah - If a client is relying on a consultant to perform their audit for them, then that's a really good indicator that they're not comfortable with the process.
They're either not familiar with their own system, or they're scared or whatever the reason, having been on both sides of the fence, ideally the consultant would be good
enough to prepare their client so that they don't need to rely on them for the audit. Greg - At the worst end of the consulting industry, consultant's want systems to seem complicated
because they're perpetuating their own business, best consultant'd don't do that. Asim - There are so many consultants who love sitting with us and having
discussions because they get a chance to learn so many things and that's just all relationship. I have a consultant that has referred me to more clients, why?
It's just developing a relationship with them so you have to know the profanities and how you have to deal with them that's all about it.
Kobi - I think you have to unpack the consultants fears as well and not jump to your own conclusions. Because there is a cost benefit analysis
depending on the businesses appetite to out source. Saad - If you allow me to second your situation but usually it'll vary between client to client
we as an assessor always read the clients mind, try to read the clients mind, what they want through their communication, sometime you'll straight away feel that
they will just need the certificate so they can take that part and put it in the tender, so like Greg said, don't invest too much energy on that one and you have to feel it.
But some really need your help out of the box, so we can facilitate them as per their requirement as well but at the same time we follow certain rules and
regulation as well, so like the thin line. We never recommend that this is the only solution, implement that one and you will get qualified, then it becomes an issue
if something goes wrong it will come back to us and say reputation damage but at the same time you say okay here is one of the options if you like you can follow it, if they're not
ready for any improvement then why would we invest any energy in that.