2. Survival Skills Breakfast
GSW 1998
A. What does it mean to be a Gemini Consultant?
B. Building Client Relationships
C. Consulting Guard
D. Road Warrior Tips
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3. A. So what does it mean to be
a Gemini Consultant?
Excerpts from the UK “New Hires” Group
4. How is consulting different to “line management”?
• Management by influence and persuasion not through direct control:
– Leading from behind
• Expectation of thought leadership to take clients to new and better planes
• You hold up a mirror to your clients and reflect back objectively what was said and done rather
than tell them what they did wrong and direct them differently:
– Facilitate behaviour change
• Can-do, positive culture, rather than full of reasons why something can’t be done:
– It’s OK to fail, not OK not to try
• It’s a more open and supportive environment
– It’s not OK to fail if you haven’t asked for and made use of help
• Budget are project specific not function specific and are manpower/deliverable driven:
– Profitability is measured/controlled only at the highest level
– Income statements are impacted by a much smaller set of variables
• Very little support of infrastructure other than production facilities - you get yourself to the right
place at the right time without the aid of a secretary:
– Personal accountability
• Very little personal space - you operate in someone else’s environment all the time
– No personal desk in the London office
– We are typically guests in the client’s “house”
• You aren’t, and shouldn’t be, running the business - always bear this in mind
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5. How is consulting with Gemini different to consulting
with someone else?
• Success comes through teamwork, rather than through individual efforts:
– Heroes are not encouraged
– Not asking for help is a crime
– We are not expert consultants
– Much joint working with client
– We frequently lead from behind
• Primary loyalty and affiliation is to the project, then to an office or GMT, rather than to a group
or department:
– Multi-disciplinary outlook established
– Networking through GMT’s, CoE’s, Disciplines and POA
• Working through/in self-reliant and self-managed teams:
– The team is the first line of resort
• Measurement of individuals is on delivery and behaviour within the values, rather than on
utilisation or personal billing
• Emphasis is on role rather than rank:
– Where hierarchy exists it is for differentiation of role and clarity for the client
• Individuals are encouraged to pursue roles at which they can excel, rather than be forced
to be jack-of-all-trades:
– Separation of selling from delivery from administration roles
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6. So what does it mean to be a Gemini consultant?
P rofessional
O bjective
S ympathetic
A Gemini consultant is
P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E. I nformed
T eamy
I nspiring
V isible
E nergetic
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7. P rofessional
• Maintain high standard of integrity:
– Influence with integrity
• Only promise what you can deliver and deliver what you promise
• Be well organised and look well organised:
– Maintain documentation
– Notify meeting owners if unable to attend - be punctual
• Do not allow yourself to have a bad day in front of the client
• Do not gossip or character-assassinate:
– Treat everyone with respect
• Be consistent:
– Core skills application
– Coaching and feedback
• Maintain high standards in all your work:
– Treat client documents as reference documents
– Document standards, spelling, grammar
– return borrowed items promptly
– Maintain clean work area
– Prepresent with new drafts when appropriate for builds
But above all, be human.
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8. O bjective
• Use facts and data:
– Data driven conclusions
– The “answer” may not be what the client wants to hear - be prepared to challenge
the client
• Try to see and evaluate a situation from all sides
• Try to get the client to see the situation from different sides:
– Seek to understand before seeking to be understood
• Remember you have 2 ears and 1 mouth - use them in that ratio:
– Become a good active listener
• Do not be tempted to join in department or people bashing
• Try not to react emotionally:
– If you do, make sure it is appropriate and controlled
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9. S ympathetic
• Be a good active listener:
– Be open to listening
• Be attentive to and interested in other’s ideas, activities and opinions:
– Use discretion and judgment
• Understand why the client takes certain positions:
– Ask questions, seek input and view points
– Make sure you’ve taken the emotional and political dimensions into account
– Respect the client’s culture
– Develop empathy
• Aim to do something “important” for the client or “workwith”:
– Know where they are coming from
• Understand and respect that others have different life experiences and
therefore see things accordingly and react to them differently
• Be sensitive to colleagues’ positions and expectations
• Ensure you don’t go native
Develop your relationship with your client at whatever level.
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10. I nformed
• Know the client’s business and situation:
– Industry, competitors, strategy
– Find out - briefing packs, library
– Create credibility in the client’s eyes
• Prepare for meetings by researching what ‘excites’ clients:
– Success is not measured by the size of your panel set
• Keep your fellow team members informed and be informed yourself:
– Know what is going on throughout the project generally
– Know your work area status in depth
– Be proactive in anticipating what the Project Lead needs
• Do not give opinions straightaway, raise topics for discussion and express your
opinion at the appropriate time
• Look for knowledge capture/learning opportunities
• Build a Gemini network to ensure you maximise your content/impact:
– Nurture those contacts
• Differentiate between “what?” questions (content) and “how?” questions (process)
Develop your relationship with your client at whatever level.
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11. T eamy
• Partner with your clients
• Help others win:
– Help out when others are struggling
– Don’t wait to be asked
• Have a working knowledge of other streams’ activities
• Use, and contribute to, Gemini networks
• Ask for, and give, feedback, including builds on daily work:
– Give coaching and feedback at appropriate times and on an ongoing basis
• It’s OK to ask for help and OK to say “I don’t know . . . I’ll get back to you”
• Actively participate in team events and training sessions, but remember you have
a life outside Gemini:
– Take your share of team “A’s”
– Be proactive about making constructive suggestions within the Gemini team
– Everyone has a role in developing the team
• Look for the good points and opportunities in someone’s ideas:
– Value the differences
• Remember that win-win drives more effective teams:
– It’s not necessary to seek the spotlight
– Always seek the win-win solution
Have a go at anything.
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12. I nspiring
• Always seek to exceed expectations and be clear what they are
• Anticipate, be proactive:
– Be creative
– Consulting by walking around
– Talk to people
• Actively care about your client and helping them do the right thing:
– Take personal pride in the project and company
• Actively care about your client and helping them do the right thing:
– Take personal pride in the project and company
• Be concise and to the point:
– Strive for clarity of thought and expression
• Keep calm, don’t flap, look and act confident
• Be incisive and decisive
• Seek to be a “guru” in something (worthwhile!)
• Use people to best effect by involving them in every way
• Think and use the values
Leadership inspires.
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13. V isible
• Remember, that we are not expected to have bad days in front
of the client
• Remember, that we are not expected to be wrong or to make mistakes
• Keep the status, progress and results of your workstream visible
• Don’t spend all day in the project office
• Clients can have bad days or be wrong - it’s our job to coach and counsel
them
• We must be seen to contribute no matter how many days per week on-site
• We are guests in their company and they are always the client:
– They are physically always around
• We must maintain “consultant guard” at all times
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14. E nergetic
• Be prepared to work hard for the client and get involved
• Be active and display real energy in team meetings and team social
activities
• Be seen to add value at all stages of the project
• Be seen to enthuse clients and JTM’s in delivering results:
– Don’t try to do the impossible on your own
• Look for ways to contribute to the clients overall success
Hit the ground running fast.
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16. “Treat relationship building as
formally and with as much
importance and thought as any
other project activity.”
17. Remember that you cannot NOT communicate
• The overall impression we leave with someone will depend:
– 7% on the words we use
– 38% on how we say them
– 55% on how we look
• That means that the words have to be right but how we speak and
how we look is also important
Remember that when there is a conflict between what you say
and how you said it, the non-verbals will win out.
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18. First impressions count, so be prepared
• First impressions will be taken as predictive of your behaviour
– The other person will characterise you
– At future encounters you will h ave to work hard to change this if you are unhappy with it
• First impressions are based on what you say, how you look and dress
and how you sound
• Perception is reality
First impressions decide whether you have made a potential
friend or a potential enemy for Gemini.
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19. Remember these guidelines when first meeting
the client
• Before:
– Find out about the business, the project and the key people
– Focus on facts. Avoid judgment or vague statements
– Find out about him or her: Position in the company, involvement in the project, attitude
toward Gemini
– Find out how you have been pre-positioned by your colleagues
– Make sure you have been on-boarded
• To be credible, be prepared:
– Something about yourself
– Something about Gemini
– Something about the project
– Three point of substance about the client, preferably issues of common agreement amongst
client and Gemini people
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20. There are other guidelines to keep in mind when first
meeting the client
• Don’t express views to forcefully
• Emphasise what you have in common but don’t overdo it or invent
things
• Demonstrate yourself to be knowledgeable about the business and
the project
• Show interest in what the other person does by asking questions and
listening. Don’t rush to respond:
– 75% listening
– 25% speaking
• Use summaries when the person offers views about the project but
you may have to avoid showing strong agreement or disagreement
• Take notes during or after, including their name
The key is to see yourself as others see you.
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21. You won’t get it right every time
• Review what you do and ask for feedback from others
• Remember plan, do, review
• Aim to do more of the things that work and less of the things
that don’t work
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23. Consultant guard is all about professionalism
and trust
• Role modelling good change management behaviours:
– Always demonstrating impartiality and honesty in words and actions
– Consistently using core skills, particularly:
• Effective meetings and facilitation best practices
• PS/TB
• Coaching and feedback
• Maintaining a safe distance:
– Being objective at all times
– Giving credit for the ideas and the efforts of others
– Avoiding going native
– Using discretion and judgment in personal relationships
Setting and working to high personal and professional
standards, ethics and values is the first step towards gaining
the client’ s trust.
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24. Professionalism covers how we act and how we are
seen by others
• Actions communicate more than words:
– Maintaining client confidentially and anonymity
• Not mentioning clients by name unless cleared by them or having their materials visible to others
– Attending meetings on time and being well prepared:
• Ensuring next steps done well and on time
– Maintaining enthusiasm and a positive ‘can do’ attitude
– Ensuring accuracy of data and information
– Offering help when lightly loaded or others appear to need it
– Taking accountability for a fair share of next steps
– Avoiding involvement in gossip, particularly when negative or derogatory
• Appearances paint important messages:
– Dressing appropriately
– Keeping work area, car, documentation and filing clean and tidy
Demonstrating capability in use of core skills and adherence
to high levels of professionalism creates credibility.
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25. How not to let your guard slip
• “Care and Feeding of Client Resources”
– Get to know secretaries, etc.
– Schedule meetings as far in advance as possible
– Keep meetings to time contracts
– Don’t have a meeting if not needed
– Be sensitive to client’s other “real” work requirements
REMEMBER:
If you can’ t explain/justify it to a client, don’ t buy it, do it or
use it.
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26. How not to let your guard slip
• “Care and Feeding of Client Equipment”
– If you jam a machine, fix it or report it
– Let clients use photocopier first - let them go ahead if they are behind you in line
– Don’t monopolize equipment
– Ask for their rules for production
– Ask where to part, cafeteria rules, etc.
– Don’t move their equipment
– Don’t leave your materials in fax machine or copier
– Remove the transparencies from the copier when you’re done, refill paper tray
– Schedule conference rooms through appropriate path
– Ask what you are allowed to do in the conference rooms (I.e. tape up flips?, brown papers? food?)
– Find out long distance phone call rules (how will client bill Gemini)
– Find out security rules/hours of operation
– Ask for client supplies - don’t simply help yourself - check with Project Manager as to how to get
them
– Turn off light switches
REMEMBER:
If you can’ t explain/justify it to a client, don’ t buy it, do it or
use it.
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27. How not to let your guard slip
• “Remember Your Communications”
– Don’t listen to your VMS on a speaker phone at client site
– Don’t respond to your VMS in a loud voice, in an open area or in hearing distance of clients
– Don’t talk about expenses or do your voucher in client view/earshot
– Keep personal calls limited to hotel
REMEMBER:
If you can’ t explain/justify it to a client, don’ t buy it, do it or
use it.
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28. How not to let your guard slip
• “Impressions You Can Make”
– Do fly/travel in the same class as client traveling with you
– Don’t show up to client site in a limousine or very expensive rental car
– When reusing panel sets from other projects, don’t forget to sanitise them (no logo or previous
client indicators)
– Don’t work on other client work at the client sight
REMEMBER:
If you can’ t explain/justify it to a client, don’ t buy it, do it or
use it.
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30. How to approach the early stages of your project
(prior to and up to first week of first project)
• Make friends with IST
• Make friends with Document Production / Mac Resource, they are equals - treat them
as such
• Offer friendship as well as panel sets!
• Make friends with the Information Centre
• Befriend the editors
• Befriend the Communication Centre
• Befriend the Reception team (JIT desks . . . )
• Link up with your buddy
• Demand an Expectations Exchange in week one which is absolutely clear -
deliverables, timing, etc.
• Make sure you get the onboarding briefing on day one
• Understand and use the consulting guard
• Understand the client politics - who is pro / against Gemini
• Understand how you have been positioned with the client - experience,
length of time in Gemini, etc.
• Never be afraid to ask for help
• It is not okay not to ask for help
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31. Personal life management
• Expect it to be concentrated around weekends
• Expect big phone bills
• Expect to work less than one out of four weekends
• Discuss work commitments up front with partners: BE TRUTHFUL
• Don’t bring Gemini jargon home!
• Endeavour on a daily basis to make time for yourself to do what ever you like
(applies particularly when you are not on a home-based project)
• Try to make friends with team mates so that after office time is relaxing . . .
• . . . but don’t be afraid to spend time on your own
• Strive for 3/4/5 - it’s allowed
• Don’t stay on site for appearance sake
• Don’t be afraid to accord “home management” high priority when on a home-based
long hours project
• Don’t do VMS late on Friday night
• Plan your weekends early to maximise their benefit (I.e., don’t expect friends
to be available at the drop of a hat)
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32. ‘Watch outs’ around how you might feel early on
• Don’t expect to necessarily feel good in your first few weeks
• It gets ‘hugely’ better after the first six months
• Write down every little win and remember them when it all seems
doom and gloom
• Get regular feedback - things may not be as dire as you suspect
• Don’t be afraid of the ‘hit the ground running’ expectation - help is
available for if you trip up
• Be aware the client may not necessarily know how new you are to
begin with
• Be confident! Gemini recruits less than it rejects
• Remember ‘former life’ skills and experiences and relate the current
situation to them so you can use them
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33. ‘Watch outs’ around how you might feel early on (cont)
• Respond honestly to questions, buy time when you don’t know
the answer and go and find it out
• When faced with client hostility remember the political, rational,
emotional dimensions, move the issue to rational and work it
• Don’t take attacks on Gemini personally
• Don’t go native
• Remember the Consulting Guard
• Role model the values, (excellence and mastery in particular)
to overcome hostility
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34. Suggested Reading
• “Keeping Your Professional Edge” - Journal of Management Consulting,
Volume 4, Number 4, 1988
• “Process Consulting” - Ed Schein (Excellent)
• “The Art of War” - Sun Ten (English translation)
• The Economist
• “How to Lead Work Teams” from Rees, Pfeiffer Publishing (Excellent)
• Amazon.com on the internet to order most any book with a 2 day delivery!!!
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