Engaging Over Installing During an Implementation

“Change cannot be installed and engineered, and so it always takes longer and is more difficult than we ever imagined.” – Peter Block

When implementing a new program or process on a client engagement it’s easy to just follow the blueprint and install it manually. Instead of just installing the work at a client space, there needs to be an enhancement to the strategies and that’s where engagement comes in during implementation.  Becoming more engaged, on both sides, leads to better results in the long-run.

Two Aspects of Implementation for Consultants

1. The technical work using the expertise you have spent developing over years of real-life experience
2. How to build support for the business or technical change you are planning
3. Real changes require real commitment, and part of your role is to help fire that spark.

Key Takeaways

• Too many consulting projects result in cosmetic change: the thinking and rhetoric about the change are perfect, but the experience of people does not match the promise.
• No single person runs a business, no one person makes or delivers a product, and no one general ever fought a war.