While we are experienced at coming into an organization in a consultant capacity, we recognize this may be the first time your organization has received such assistance. There may be hesitation or discomfort, and we have found this is all centered around the unknown! So ask away — for any questions you may have, we are here for you. Feel free to use these five questions as a starting point to learn more about us and what to expect.

1. "What are my responsibilities for the engagement?"
   • It may or may not be common sense, but it is best to ensure you and your expert are on the same page from the start.
2. "What resources and support do you need to complete your engagement?" 
   • Our experts know their way around a practice and available resources, however creating a dialog around resources may present new opportunities for them to learn more about your operations and processes. It is also a great way for you to understand the scope of your and your team's involvement.
3. "How will you share information and progress updates related to your findings?"
   • Communication is key to the success of the engagement. Don't be afraid to establish your expectations about being apprised of updates, but also be open to feedback from the expert about plans they have had success with in the past.
4. "How do I tell my employees about what you are doing here so they won’t be threatened?"
   • We want to be seen as a helpful presence, not as a distraction or negative presence. We will work with you to align the message and output of information, so everyone is comfortable with the engagement.
5. "After your assessment, do you help implement changes?"
   • It is important to create a mutual understanding of what a successful assessment looks like, next steps and any further opportunity to advance the experience.

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The nature of an engagement like this is to get to the center of circumstances, which require a healthy amount of questions. Here are some you can expect us to inquire about early on to get a better sense of where the work begins.

1. "Have you worked with other consultants? How was the experience?"
   • We simply want to know what other outside resources you have used in the past, and what the outcome was. It will help us align expectations with previous benchmarks. 
2. "What information have you shared about this engagement?"
   • This is helpful to understand the potential climate ahead. While the vast majority of our engagements are received positively, we recognize that this may not always be the case and would like to be prepared.
3. "What level of access will I be provided?"
   • This may mean access to files, departments, personnel, and overall information to provide a better picture of the nuanced circumstances that led to our presence.
4. "What barriers can I expect during the engagement?"
   • This will serve to understand what’s off limits in our approach. While we don't see many barriers, we would like to have this established from the start so we stay inside any boundaries you need to institute.
5. "What does this engagement's success look like to you?"
   • We expect nothing but satisfaction from you, as we are sure you do to. Let's make sure we define exactly what outcomes you want to have at the end of the engagement!

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This is one of the most important decisions in your organization's recent history. We will hare ways to optimize it according to how the engagement proceeds, but here are some top-level insights to keep in mind to get the most from us and the experience.

1. Have an end goal in mind at all times — what are we all here for?
   • We are here for a reason, a reason that is defined by a desire for something different. We must never lose sight of that! We are experienced in keeping things on track; an assessment is just the first step. While it is easy to go down many roads, we will pave the path ahead to the place we both want. At that point, we can decide what's next.
2. Be open and honest about expectations and needs! (This applies to all necessary staff as well)
   • We welcome honesty at every turn and hope you do too. Honesty and openness only benefit the process as a whole, which of course then benefits your organization and mission. Our approach is not "one size fits all" — every engagement is unique, nuanced and challenging and we wouldn't expect anything less!
3. Try to accommodate the consultant’s requests for information and access.
   • Information feeds results. While we don't want you to provide access outside comfort zones, we will need insider insights to get our assessment completed to your expectations.
4. Ask questions. 
   • Like us asking questions to get into the mind of your organization, we welcome you to ask questions to get into our mind. We are an open book and will share as much as you would like; that being said, if you have any questions at any stage in the process, we all ears!
5. The post-engagement analysis is not the end, it's the beginning!
   • The assessment/analysis can be a robust process that it is easy to think that the job is completed once finished; this couldn't be further from the truth. You are now armed with an objective perspective on the state of your organization. What are you going to do with it? When? How?

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