It’s not easy being a consultant. Every day you’re faced with tough issues that require sharp problem-solving skills, good communication, and effective project management. In an effort to help you dodge some bullets and ensure success, here are five problems to look out for that consultants often struggle with.
Often when working with clients, you and your team probably get so bogged down by inefficient processes and spreadsheet mayhem that it gets hard to do what you set out to do—a deep analysis of the issue in question. In order to complete projects, you need a system in place that makes diving into analysis as efficient as possible.
Spending lots of time in meetings with your team, trying to keep track of email correspondence, and figuring out who’s taking care of what can feel like a waste of time. With no centralized platform in place to make communications and deliverables easily accessible to everyone, you lose valuable time. Using an integrated tool makes it easier to plan, manage, and see who’s taking care of what. That way, you can spend more time problem-solving and avoid any potential yield loss.
A lot of the time, team members get focused on their formal roles instead of the goal. When you don’t have a centralized form of communication and a shared understanding of the project’s needs, it leads to stagnant progress and frankly, disappointed clients. Having a smart technology that allows you and your team to see what tasks need to be accomplished and what everyone’s schedules are will maximize 80/20 efficiency.
As Ellen Gottesdiener put it so perfectly, “Teams. Just. Get. Stuck. Waiting. On hold.” You need to optimize information among different levels within your firm so that things can get done faster. A smart and integrated tool will help you get through requirements, see what’s going on in your projects, and allow you to make quick and value-based decisions when you need to.
Erroneous estimates usually lead to scope creep. To avoid this, you should include scope expansion in your estimates and make sure you’re pricing your projects correctly (hourly baseline + profit margin x number of hours to complete project = the price is right!).
Any other issues you think consultants need to jump on asap? Let us know!
These pain points were inspired from EBG Consulting’s blog.
