70 ◾ Odyssey—The Business of Consulting
He had originally talked about a €5,000 to €10,000 piece of work. The bud-
get I proposed to him was €65,000, and I did that with absolute confidence.
We could both see that this is exactly what he needed to do, and if he didn’t
do it, he would struggle. He accepted the figure without any argument.
Another point: Before the BMR, I had one-on-ones with each one of the
executive team. I got their input about their goals and objectives, where they
thought the company was going, what they thought the challenges were,
and so on. Because I had those meetings, the team was much more forth-
coming and much more willing to challenge the CEO during the BMR. They
were able to say things like, “Well actually no, things aren’t good, communi-
cations aren’t fine …”
I now have the confidence to charge fees that I would never have
charged before, ever. I would never have had the courage to say, “That’s a
€65,000 piece of work.”
Incredible though this seems, I now have next year’s budget secured, and
I secured it within a month of coming back from the Odyssey workshop
in Ottawa and implementing the Odyssey Arrow. I’ve doubled my revenue
from this year to next year. Anybody in the consulting field will understand
what a result that is.
Odyssey has been a transformational experience for me. I now have
absolute confidence that my business will grow and prosper. There is no
doubt in my mind. This methodology is the only way to go, and I’ve been
in this business for twenty-five years. I only wish I’d implemented it twenty-
five years ago.
Chapter Summary
The integration phases of the Odyssey Arrow begin with the REC, which
requires a thorough understanding of the client’s issues and objectives
driven by the M1, M2, and BMR. In the case example, the REC document
issued to ACP Engineering began by stating the client’s macro and micro
objectives. The consultant, Century Management, went on to recommend
a four-phased integrated intervention and implementation process (ODI),
which embraced communications and team building, the business of the
professional practice, and strategic thinking and planning.
The penultimate stage of the Odyssey Arrow is the ODI. Effective imple-
mentation requires a careful transfer of responsibility to the client company. A
successful exit strategy using the SER is a vital element of that exit strategy.
The Odyssey Arrow Integration Phases ◾ 71
Calls to Action
1. Using the concepts from this chapter, outline your portfolio of solutions
and identify the kinds of interventions they are capable of addressing.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. What are the gaps or missing tools in your toolkit? Describe how you
will address these solutions gaps.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
3. Identify three separate opportunities where you can complete a total
ODI intervention.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
72 ◾ Odyssey—The Business of Consulting
4. Map out your ideal value-based solutions and time frame for the coming
six months … Who will you connect with? What is your recommenda-
tion? How will you measure success?
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Bibliography
Behar, H., and Goldstein, J. (2007). It’s Not about the Coffee: Lessons on Putting
People First from a Life at Starbucks. New York: The Penguin Group.
Butler, J. (2005). Successful Entrepreneurial Management: How to Create Personal
and Business Advantage. Dublin: Century Management.
Porter, M. E. (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior
Performance. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Roam, D. (2009). The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with
Pictures. New York: The Penguin Group.
..................Content has been hidden....................
You can't read the all page of ebook, please click here login for view all page.