1. Quite a few people were out walking today. I don't think I saw anyone who was actually walking to get somewhere or do an errand. Everyone was either walking for pleasure or exercising (unless you count walking a dog as an errand).
2. Was reflecting on the phrase I used yesterday at work - "...we do ourselves and our clients a disservice when we do not offer multiple ways to interact with Gartner to solve a given problem." 
3. This led me to think of the proposed timeline of interactions with Research that my colleague sent. I think this timeline is good but it is incomplete. It would make a good framework for presenting an "action plan" for a client - not quite a roadmap, but more like a menu of options for various ways of tackling a problem or set of problems facing a client.
4. This led me to think of the different ways that we can bring our services to bear to address different problems, and I began to think of what consultants do using a metaphor of "Consultant as Doctor."

• Research can be thought of as a resource of information for managing one's own health. For the most part, it is possible to maintain your health by following published good advice. Occasionally it may be necessary to follow-up with the author of such advice to ask more specific questions about how the advice may apply to you. But at some point, and under certain conditions, it just makes sense to go see a doctor.
• Doctors diagnose patients (organizations) to determine their illness or condition (problems). Consultants do this in three ways:
1. Identify problems by naming them, taking what a client says at face value
2. Refining problems by probing further into what a client says (doing some root-cause analysis) 
3. Framing problems by interpreting their meaning in the context in which they are found
• Consultants diagnosing a problem is like one or more office visits to a doctor or a stay in a hospital to figure out the true nature of one's symptoms
• Developing an action plan is like developing a course of treatment to address a given condition. A full treatment plan should include several modalities:
• Developing a strategic plan or road map is like visiting a psychologist or a personal trainer who helps you set your goals and then make a plan to achieve them
• Physical therapy and/or outpatient surgery (like workshops or taking action on risk assessment findings presented in a deliverable)
• Self-monitoring and maintenance (specific behaviors a client must do to ensure the benefit of the treatment). This can include doing some homework (like reading research) to be well-informed to make good choices
• Attending support groups is like participating in briefings, webinars and events
• Consultants can also be brought in as "specialists" to treat a very specific kind of problem. Changing the medical metaphor to a sports metaphor, consultants can be thought of as "free agents" you acquire to add to your team to win a championship, or in some cases, these specialists are like "designated hitters" - role players on a team with particular strengths (e.g., getting on base and hitting home runs)

Labels: Walks

posted @ 12:34 PM