Methodology:BuildRelationshipsOverviewThebuildingrelationshipsframeworkisacollectionofbehaviorswecandevelopanddemonstratetohelpusachieveauthenticrelationshipswithourclients.PeterBlockinFlawlessConsultingwrites,“Authenticbehaviorwithaclientmeansyouputintowordswhatyouareexperiencingwiththeclientasyouwork.Thisisthemostpowerfulthingyoucandotohavetheleverageyouarelookingforandtobuildclientcommitment.(author’semphasis,p.31)TheframeworkhasbeencreatedwiththeassumptionthatauthenticrelationshipsleadtothecreationofdesiredoutcomesandwillbenefitboththeFirmandtheclientinthelong-term.Aconsultantisapersonwithspecificexpertisethattriestohavesomeinfluenceoveragroupororganizationbuthasnodirectauthoritytomakechangesorimplementprograms.(Block,FlawlessConsulting,p.197)Aclientisapersonthatreceivesadvicefromaconsultant.Clientscanbeasingleindividual,agroup,adepartmentorawholeorganization.(Block,p.2)Astrongrelationshipbetweentheclientandtheconsultantthathasbeendevelopedovertimecanincreasetheprobabilitythataconsultant’srecommendationswillbethoughtfullyconsidered.Thoughnotacontinuousprocess,eachelementoftheframeworkactsinconcerttoestablish,maintainandleverageauthenticclientrelationships.Briefly,weneedtobecrediblebysharingideasandexpertise,bothfrompersonalandFirmexperience.Weneedtoberespectfulofourclientsinhopethattheywillreturnthatrespectandvalueourrecommendations.Relationshipsarestrengthenedwhenanenvironmentoftrustiscreatedthroughourwordsandactions.Whilecredibility,respect,andtrustbuildingoccurinasomewhatorderedprocess,communicatingeffectivelyandshowingtheclientthatyoucarearetwoelementsthatmustoccuratalltimeswhenbuildingrelationshipswithourclients.InthediscussionofeachelementoftheBuildingRelationshipsframework,youwillseedefinitionsofthekeyconceptsthisframeworkuses.Whileeachofushasourownpersonaldefinitionsofwordssuchas“trust”and“respect,”thesedefinitionsareprovidedtofocusyourthinkingontheoriginalmeaningsofthesewords.TheobjectivesoftheBuildingRelationshipsframeworkare:-Toestablishauthenticrelationships-Tomaintainauthenticrelationships-ToleverageauthenticrelationshipsMethodology:BuildRelationships1Hints-Thebuildingrelationshipsframeworkdoesnotrepresentalinearprocess,ratheritrepresentsacollectionofkeyelementsthatareimportanttodevelopinglastingclientrelationships.-Theelementscontainedinthebuildingrelationshipsframeworkwillvaryinimportanceandtimingdependingontheclientandengagementteaminvolved.-The“Steps”listedwithinthephasesofthismethodologyshouldbeconsidered“KeyComponents”ratherthansteps,astheyarenotpartofanorderedprocess.OtherResourcesGettingTogether:BuildingRelationshipsAsWeNegotiatebyRogerFisherandScottBrownFlawlessConsultingbyPeterBlock“BuildingBetterBusinessRelationships,”anAAPublicationMethodology:BuildRelationships2Phase1:BeCredibleOverviewcredible:adjective1.offeringreasonablegroundsforbeingbelievedTheBeCrediblephasewillintroducethekeycomponentsofcredibility,andprovideexamplesoftoolstoenhance/establishcredibilitywithArthurAndersenclients.Ourcredentialssometimesactasaformofproofofourabilitiestoourclients.Credentialsarederivedfromoureducationalexperience,engagementexperience,orotherexperiences.Whilewepersonallymayfeelthatwearecredible,whatcountsisourclients’perceptionofourcredibility.Forthisreason,itisimportanttoseekfeedbackfromotherssoyoucangaugeyourowncredibility,anddiscoverwhata...
