Establishing a Relationship with Internal Clients

Overview/Description
 Even if your clients are internal to your organization, you still need to spend time getting to know them, and understanding what it is they require from you. When you are dealing with internal clients, there may be a temptation to think you know everything about them, and about the project. This course will stop you from making that mistake. It will enable you to understand your clients' needs clearly, in terms of project requirements and the way they work. By understanding your clients, you will be able to adjust your approach to the project accordingly, and take an appropriate role within the team. You will also be in a better position to build an effective and successful team that can function quickly and effectively.

Target Audience
 Anyone with some specialist knowledge who has recently moved, or is considering moving, into internal consulting

Expected Duration
4.0 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Getting to Know Your Internal Client

  • recognize the benefits of understanding the internal client's needs from the start.
  • identify the reasons why customer expectations may be misunderstood at the beginning of an internal consulting assignment.
  • identify the key elements required in the terms of reference for an internal consulting project.
  • identify whether stakeholders are internal or external to the organization.
  • match the different methods of gathering the information required for an internal consulting assignment with the type of information required.
  • analyze the most effective ways to obtain and review information in a given internal consulting assignment.

    • Your Contribution

  • recognize the benefits of clarifying the consultant's role in the assignment.
  • characterize the different roles internal consultants may play.
  • determine the role an internal consultant should play in a given consulting scenario.
  • identify the possible sources of influence of an internal consultant.
  • identify the key factors which determine which style of leadership is appropriate to a situation.

    • Team-building for Internal Consulting Assignments

  • recognize the benefits of understanding how teams work.
  • match the different stages of team development with the corresponding characteristics.
  • match different team roles with their characteristics.
  • determine which of Belbin's team roles are present within a given team.
  • identify the characteristics of successful internal consulting teams.

    • Course Number: CONS0123