After studying Chapter 7, you should be able to: 1. Enumerate in stages in a management Consulting engagement. 2. Know and describe the activities involved in Negotiating the engagement. 3. Know the \en,”® Purposes and contents of aCHAPTER 7 STAGES OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTING ENGAGEMENT — PART I Generally, a management consulting engagement involves the following stages: L Negotiating the engagement Engagement planning Il. Conducting a consulting assignment A. F. G. B. Cc. D. 4 E. Preparation and presentation of the report and recommended Problem identification and solution . Identification of suitable and accurate sources of information Data analysis and diagnosis Solution development solution Implementation Follow-up evaluation of the implemented solution IV. Evaluating the engagement and, post-engagement follow-up Variations in the above-enumerated stages may occur depending upon the nature and additional requirements of clients seeking the services of the CPA. I, Negotiating the Engagement This involves the stage where the CPA and the client discuss the proposed Professional consulting services. It is the process whereby the client decides whether or not he wishes to engage the CPA and the CPA determines whether or not he can accept that assignment. As far as the CPA is concerned, he should accept the engagement only if he knows that the work can be successfully undertaken. ‘The steps necessary to assess this can be summarized as follows: 1. Ascertain the real problem and what is required to reach a solution. This may require a limited survey before a responsible conclusion can be made. 2. Identify the end product of the assignment, i. ¢., suggested systems, installation of the system or report or findings, other objectives.ee 8 oct eran the one OF more 3. Ages cathe rol tbe prime giiation UY Sve 5. Confirm understanding in writing. (AICPA MAS Guideline Series No. 1) advisable first step in most MAS The preparation of Proposal letter isan ication between th SRA letra ops «wien communication betwen the CPA and the client setting forth the terms and conditions ae work. It may be prepared by either the CPA or the Purposes of the proposal letter are: 1. To minimize misunderstandin igs between the CPA and the client, 2. To assist in better administration of the engagement.by 3. ‘Aree onthe role obo perfor participation consultation 5. | Confirm understanding in writing- (AICPA MAS Guideline Series No. 1) Proposal Letter ‘ in most MAS The preparation of a proposal letter is-an advisable first step A eter of propos! isa writen communication between the CPA and the client setting forth the terms and conditions of a proposed Consultancy work. It may be prepared by either the CPA or the client. Poses of the proposal letter are: x, Te minimize mi lings between the CPA and the client 2. To assist in beter debs fe cee— Sites of Management Consulting Engagement — Part |_129 Approach to the Study The proposal letter should be accompanied by an engagement program if one vera prepared as the initial phase of the proposed engagement. ‘The client \ should understand how the work will be. undertaken and the specific approaches such as the fdllowing might be covered in the letter or in the ‘engagement program: 1. Data gathering methods such as questionnaires and interview check lists, ia. Flowcharting and documentation testings. 3. Extent of use of mathematical methods such as linear programming and simulation. 4 The order in. which the various phases of the project [Link] be undertaken, Project Organization ‘The proposal letter should specify how the CPA and client personnel are to be assigned and organized, and what the working relationship between them and the client’s organization should be. The following should also be Specified: 1. Functions and responsibilities to be assigned to the Project, 2. Number and types of Personnel. Fees and Billing Arrangements The fee estimate, the frequency of interim and final billing and the method of billing 'should be included in the proposal letter, The following factors should be considered in setting the fee to be charged to MAS clients Nature of the MAS job. The job’s degree of difficulty and complexity. ; Qualifications of the staff required. Time involved. Technical importance of the service to the client.. VV pe 1. Illustrative Proposal Letter (Appendix B.1 2. Detailed Proposal Format (Appendix aa.IL Ci 7, ix B.4) B3) ) capped! Contract Fomat Apr 8 a BS) ered be cere (prepared bY i B6) Formal Consulting Cet B.7) ix BS) goon ae Engagement Planning time the consultant is : the first il as the project Engagement planning actually begins | ges in more detail i plan is contacted by a potential client, and continy cepted, a detail : Proposal is presented. After the proposal is the remainder of the project. developed which will become the blueprint of Engagement Program or Work Plan Contents t The program, [Link] take many forms, should contain the following: |. The objectives and a description of each task to be accomplished. ri 2. A description of tangible output required at completion of each task. PIAA Ew A list of manpower required, A list of the personnel assigned. The starting and completion dates. Project costs. Aaupw Objectives Engagement program or work plan i i management service engagement. The cece Plan for conducting 1 Provide 4 means for arranging, distributi aa responsibility for Various of ting and assigning 3; Of te canoes cit detrminie Ss of the engagement have in fact been Whether all segments . Comy 3. Provide the framework for reporting pre Pl 4. Facilitate time and efficiency BESS Of an en, the engagement, Sontrol over ial . 5. Assit in an engagement review by g assigned to 6. Provide the basis OF eatimatng fogg, "OF supervisoy(2) problem identification and desired outcome (©) identification of suitable and accurate sources of information (C) data anatysis and diagnosis (d) solution selection (©) preparation and presentation of the report and recommended Solution (f) implementation of recommended solution (g) follow-up evaluation of the implemented solution Each phase has one or more distinct purposes and occupies a separate time A. Problem Identification and Desired Outcome Problem definition is the first phase of the problem-solving process and its position in the process is well-established. The term problem definition assumes a variety of meanings since it is used by numerous parties in reference to a wide variety if problem-solving -situations. A generally accepted definition however may be expressed as follows: “A problem is said to exist when the observed behavior of a system . oF Process ‘violates the botinds of reasonable expectations.” This definition usually requires the existence of the following factors:: (a) Human awareness of the problem, (b) Predefinition of the allowable tolerances, and (c) Recognition of the established standards.Ba cee pte pert z are of Oo a OF A invotved bom U8 i PS phtrornhge cir igo ple, if 10 08° no Process going beyond the bounds of' is truly apparent. be AA problem also requires thatthe sulable iT variances uteet. This means that allowable deviations situation should be known to determine whee beyond the bounds of reasonable expectation. ‘symptom pointing to the problem and ends with the complete problem description. Key ‘facets of the problem description include amongS82 of Menagoment Consulting Engagement - Port! _ 333. ‘The final answer procedures, namely, ‘1 Te%ion will emerge only after completing two 1) Problem finding 2) Problem stating” eerie involves the identification of the: (a) reasonabic explanations pertaining to a system or process, and (©) allowable tolerances from these reasonable expectations. ‘An example of the problem finding procedure, ially familiar to spooumntunts, isthe operation of a standard vost cceounting system. The first step is to establish (1) standards for unit direct materials and unit direct labor costs and (2) allowable variances from these standards. Periodically, the actual unit direct materials and direct labor costs are compared with these standards. Variances that exceed the allowable ranges are flagged for the attention of production management. Problem stating involves the formulation of a comprehensive and valid statement of the problem. This may represent an expanded and polished version of the initial statement. The final statement of the problem should contain such facets as the objectives to be achieved-by the solution to the problem; the problem’s scope, intensity, time dimensions; and location; the human elements involved in the problem; the support system and tracking systems related to the problem solution; and the institutional process for managing the problem. In addition, the ‘statement may clearly separate the symptoms from the underlying causes of the problem, identify relevant constraints, and reveal key relationships among the factors involved in the problem situation. ‘The consultant should also be aware of and avoid possible pitfalls in identifying the problem such as re) Mistaking symptoms for the underlying problem. i (2) Accepting without question the opinions of others concerning (3) Assuming that the problem is a person rather than the behavior or nonbehavior of people. ; ; (4) Assuming that the person who reports the problem is the cause of the problem. (6) Overlooking the multicausality of problem:en ty Id the causal All the undetyng cases of he Obl Hi ghips ONS Stated. tt may also help unoover key Odpeceives af the Problem-sotving Process ff the problem-solving objective 0 i The desired outcome is —* sbed in the problem definition Haterent teen of eanet expects of Dee. 75° See oF bjectives depends upon the type of problems. MM it designated process involved. It [Link] expressed quantitatively Rte)! “ime horizon. For instanoe, an objective might be f the “To improve deliveries of goods 90 that by the end of the year 99.5% of all deliveries are made on time. in busi Typical objectives pertaining to systems and. processes. in eatiioe are conceraad with frforsance,eficincy, economy, control, Security or availability of information. Scope of the Problem A clear statement of problem scope should suggést the extent of the teeded response or solution to the problem. It might also point to the need for repackaging the consulting engagement, For instance, if the Intensity of the Problem ; Another key aspect of the problem is its intenci Gituty or bere effec ag sly pain, 8 demos of intensity may determine te relative urgency and i, Ree oe 8 particular Process, portance initiating Time Dimensions of the Problem2 Cc =Part! 138 How long has the problem existed? How much longer is the problem likely to continue if left unsolved? How often is the problem likely to occur in the future? is important and will help in the development of a solution. Location of the Problem The location, or focus, of the problem is the geographic point or points where it occurs, While in most problem situations the location can be easily determined, in some extreme: situations the location may require laborious retracings of tangled paths. In every situation, however, ‘pinpointing the location is necessary to provide a complete of the problem. ‘Human Elements of the Problem Human-related elements should be identified and assessed in the statement of the probleni. Examples are: 1. Attitude of involved managers and employees . i 2. Personal traits of involved managers and employees including intelligence, motivation, leadership, quality, dependability, trustworthiness and interpersonal skills. 3. Training of involved managers and employees. 4. Tenure of involved managers and employees. ‘ ‘Another human-related element that may often appear in the problem statement is the prevailing political climate. An assessment of this climate should be included as well as an assessment of the priori ‘ities that have been established by the policy-makers. ‘Support System Surrounding the Problem Elements that comprise a support system should be identified in the problem statement together with an analysis of their functional or: dysfunctional effects upon the problem. Tracking Systems Related to the Problem ‘A tracking system often detects a problem. The problem statement should reveal:li ing. system : How te problem was brought 1018 Ho toot detected by , designed forthe purposs oY Be for the purpose, Wily the Neckdng oye Bie aoe soem to ome Ceslaed Sr tip 4 Purpose should have detected 196 Fra 4» monitor the situation . Whether tracking systems i in the reliably, as welt to measure the depee Of inprOvernent Process or system due to an implemented Institutional Process for Managing the Problem a ‘ Problems in an organization are managed es, ‘process delegated, solved) through an institutional process. The igned pad informal in nature, with the management tasks being ue it and with little written evidence. On the other hari, it may be: quite formal, involving a chain of command and such written evidetice. as elaborate charts and graphs. The degree of informality or: formality in the institutional process may extend outside the organization structureto encompass customers, lenders, suppliers, and consultants. ro Identification of Suitable and Accurate Sources of Inforthation and Data Gathering . Facts help the consultant in sorting out clicnt symptoms from client problems 2s well in structuring and organizing the problems. ‘They form the foundation for prospective solutions and direct the consultant ta the solution ultimately rendered: Because facts serve such important n — fesourceful in fact gathering and This ‘section deals with fact sources and identifies where 5 Places consultant can look to find facts associ with the operation of eliene ‘A wealth of internal and external fact sources i iam genders are are available to help the and external fact sources for typical business posal 7,8 and 7.2. . &m listed inInternal Sources source of facts. ie lerical, 1. People are the most important tet eo includes ‘not only a client's ana the consultant's job to keting and production a identifying distinguish between facts from fantasies 904 : tinged with biases. source of facts. 2. Client documentations are the second imp dante Most organisations classify ticir documentation that describe (@) How the organizat‘on is structured (©) What the organization has been doing (©). What the organization plans to do Documents typically found in a client organization include:Ste ° “a ‘onsult -Pan! 139 External Sources Sources from Soaifinny, For aide the organization provide many facts about the ing, thei xample, facts may be gathered from customers saa - e F Perceptions of the client's products and services as rh ba as the major competitors, A company’s sales forecast . tested for reasonableness by comparing them to projections obtained by an econometric madel af thecomreeny Fact-Gathering Techniques At the beginning of an engagement, » consultant's important task is to oho Fea eo ene rnb 8 clita the endertre’ proble ead Gon ~ father than the symptoms that need close The following techniques are available for gathering facts concerni the undertying problens: gathering ing (a) Interviews (©): Questionnaires (¢) Observation (d) Document gathering (e) Charting (1) Organization chart (2) Data flow diagram (3) System outflow (4) Detail flowchart (5) Decision table Interviews A series of interviews with client personnel is considered the best way to zero in on problems. It can be copducted at all levels of the organization, from the president down to the rank and file employees. The consultant should have temperament to adjust to people who have differing commitments to the client’s goals as well as to many environmental variablesa sees . 140 Chapter 2 a ee aaa 1 * During the interview itealf, — the interviewees Job * jing 1, Confirm — understand that allow remem an spooifia questions 2. To the extent possible, them (in a quantitative responses vaguely, pursue 3, When questions are answered clarified. ‘5 feal lensant way) until they aro fully the intervieweo’s feelings, t fan awareness of ell and roading the i L feation achieved by listening wé interviewoo's “body language.” 8 “know-iteal) 5. Aveld ang own opinions or acting like a if he 6 fs the interview draws to a close, ask the interviewee Sect has additional ideas, thoughts, or re tions : “Do you have any Concerning the topics of discussion: haar tp additional suggestions of recommendations concerning method used to calculate budget variances?” 7. Do not allow the interview to be too lengthy, : 8. At the end of the interview: summarize the main points Uncovered, thank the interviewee, and indicate that he or she will be contacted again if further questions are Necessary, Questionnaire © The use ofa clon ai re eHtons somewhat restr channel of communication and should be ith great Purpose of fact finding. iethies! care for the e inforationsted hen the prone from who, Consu| information are Physically removed 4nd trave] i pronatat ‘when ie rom other sted td he fst oti a ir nu rous penne . 80 determined © To be more specific, follow these guidelines, 1, Explain in an accompany; and dispositionSet of Management Consuing Engagement Part! 141 3. 4. 4 Provide - questi time limit or deadline for retum of the ire. Format questions . So that responses can be tabulated ae namically oF manually. 7 Pointed, concise questions when possible. Ifa Question cannot be answered objectively, provide an SPPortunity for the respondent to add a clarifying comment. Provide sufficient space for complete responses. Include a section in which respondents can state opinions and criticisms, Identify each questionnaire by the respondent’s name, job title, department, and so forth. Observation Facts can be gathered by observing the employees of a client perform their job-related duties, The technique of observation is useful in gathering facts prior to an interview, in verifying statements made during an interview, and in ascertaining relationships between individuals. The usefulness of observation can be maximized by following these guidelines: 1, Before beginning, identify and define what it is that the consultant will observe; also estimate the length of time that the observation will entail. If persons are to be aware of the observations, explain to them what will be done and why. Note the time periodically while making the observations. Record what is observed as specific as. possible, avoiding generalities and vague descriptions. Avoid expressing value judgments when interacting with persons being observed. Document all impressions and organize the notes as soon as possible after the observation period. Review the facts obtained and the conclusions drawn from observations with (a) the person being observed, (b) the person’s supervisor, and with (c) the consultancy firm’s supervisor (when desirable),pretties FE esate ete 1 relevant Document Gathering : facts is 10 collect all relevant Another technique for gathering work sheets, Teports, of what is focuments, iLe., source parrots si understanding © lable, and Tom these document one 4 is + .. Presently 08 aad rae it is el Efforts in eenering Eh te let ie Eton luring interviews P . of documents have been gathered and are in hand. : lient’s documents, Moreover, if one has a working understanding of ee athe with the clgpc a, increase the likelihood of smooth comm client personnel. Charting ‘ ‘ Charting is a factgathering technique that Provides a pictorial f a dimension of the client's organization or of its activities. This technique is highly valued, since it also facilitates analysis, synthesis communication, and documentation. Organization chart, The organization chart provides facts Concerning reporting relationships, quantities of Tesources, and levels of authority and Tesponsibility within the client’. ‘ion. It is often useful to Prepare a brief narrative describing the functions and role of each Manager Appearing on the Organi: hi: Data flow diagram. This isa logical view of ; system. It clearly Portrays the Workings ofa — oe as a transaction Processing system, IEX sys System flowchart, A system flowchart a system in terms of major element = an Overall view of a Tns, files, inputs, and outputs, It Provides Processing either a present system or ne ‘Ss Or ® proposed documentation of to 8 computer-based in ion system: Genera Y, it pertaing diagram, ‘therefore, it SPECifies the Physi a Tt to a data finns Processing and data storage, ical of the figs Detail flowchart, A detail flowchart : of a process, Generally, it describes Ph or run.Stages a C ment -Partl 143 Pomcter able. A decision table isa viable erative to a detail facilitates the it portrays a situation involving logic. It particularly processe: a and communication of decision s having complex logic (i.c., multiple conditions). C. Data Analysis and Diagnosis In most consulting engagements, a consultant needs to apply # variety of fact analysis techniques. Four representative approaches to analysis - decision-level, input/output, structured, and unstructured analysis - are described below. All are useful, though consultants (like artisans) are likely to use one type more than : Decision-Level Analysis Decision-level analysis has the purpose of depicting the varied interrelationships among the decisions made throughout the segments and levels of organization. . It is useful in demonstrating, to client management the variety and kinds of decisions that the organization must make. This analytical approach begins with interviews of key client managers. During the interviews, the consultant focuses on resources, sinceae eel organization is i tht any are Structured Analysis underlying this seroesiot, which in turn 4 ne of well dt rn ites tetopene up of eee of activities. By a clear ul Supporting activities, you can organization. oe ferable procedure is o begin a {B Performing structured analysis, the Prt at activity leve Sony a ™ the top level and then work down to through several levels, fimotheon a be repeatedly subdivided ; is an upside-dow smallest activity is isolated. ‘Tho resulting irl ‘an organization chart, tTeolike function diagram, similar in — helps you 10 sec Like the organization chart, this function diagram he! relationships among the activities of « function. Less-Structured Analysis Unstruct approaches to fact analysis could. be employed to counderset sone limitations of the structured approaches such as (1) of ideas among are received without restrict; the group members, Ideas ction oF criti . find the that are judged tobe the ee and later sifted to © Delphi approach Opinions are is Present problems op fee Conditions oncemning impending opinions Used fo arive ata deisioe A consensus of the Creative Approaches to AnalysisStare Managemen Conting Engagement — Prt} ME Despite the & in the availability of information, managers’ jobs do not 0 sic If anything they are harder. Managers must lear not only to make isions but also to collet, manipulate and store ever more del upon which effective decision-making must be based. Uimately, most managers have acces to the same information show Se ‘competitive world they work in. Numerous commercial and government, izations offer information and analysis on business sectors. Modern gurket research techniques can quickly identify new potential Wosrer rtunities. ‘The Internet provides a stream of information on customers, suppliers and competitors. iti is build not so much on access to data but on ability to #86 it effectively. Underpinning this is the ability to identify and adopt an analysis strategy so that data become i jon and information becomes the knowledge that leads to effective decision-making. whatever the analysis technique adopted, analysis is an aroa where (8 consultant can add value. The consultant creates value by identifying the client’s decision-making requirements, directing the client towards the right Ct ec ring him or brn sing it and being tet he ini it offers. classification does. examples of categorization used in tude the —_strengths~ jities-threats Classification Clifcation is also a process whereby items are sored into Otte groups. Lin i however, the groupe aré defined by extemal cites rather than by arbitrary features. ‘An example of the use of classification is146 7 business’s strategy is Management science is @ technical discipline that offers a highly to support managerial decision-making. Association two things ne nase hing ar connec two things are associated that the i some way. Ifizes of Management Consulting Engagement - Part! _147 may be identified statistically by the E 7 correlatit indi measure of a correlation coefficient. A and ne the a ‘een that the two variables follow each other perfectly variabl ‘on. A correlation coefficient of 0 indicates that the indicates that Ey totally independent. A correlation coefficient of -1 rections two variables follow each other perfectly but in opposite Correlation suggests that there mi; i - 5 ight be a causal link between the two variables but it does not prove it. A good correlation is suggestive, though. It is an invitation to explore further for possible causal relationships. Causation Causation explains correlation. Causation suggests that two variables are correlated because there is a cause and effect link between them. It provides an important insight for management because, if a causal link exists, control of the cause will automatically lead to control of the effect. The relationship between ‘planning’ and ‘perforniance’ provides a very good example of the problem of assigning cause and effect in management. This is particularly pertinent to us as so many consultancy exercises advocate and involve planning activity. jTIONS REVIEW QUES Questions ied to MAS 1. Describe the analytical approach and process 2. What are the basic stages ofa management oonsvHDB AT 3. -What is an MAS proposal letter?" What are the contents 4. What are the uses of an engagzment plan? 5. Give the adv: of ing a proposal letter. 6. Wat are the onset snout be considered in sting the fe2 10 be charged to clients? 7. Define an engagement or work plan. 8. What are the basic contents of an engagement program? 9. Describe the activities involved in the problem definition phase? 10. What are the data-gathering techniques available to [Link] consultant? ‘ 11. Give 5 internal sources of data and the corresponding data that may be obtained from such. a of 12. Describe the four approaches that a consultant i analyzing facts gathered in relation to the problem at hand. areheete 13. Explain briefly the steps in the problem-solving process. 14, Give 5 external sources of data the kind informati drawn from them. that may be 15. Discuss briefly (at least 5 4 facts. ; eee mnmonly used techniques in gathering 16. Describe the following epproaches to analysis (e) Decision-level (&) Input/Output (c) Structured (d) Unstructured2 Consis —Portl 149 (©) Numerical analysi (@) Association (©) Correlation (f) Causation I. Mattiple Choice Questions ‘An engagement program contains the following except & engagement objectives. b. list of manpower required. ¢. — description of tasks to be accomplished. d. amount of fees to be earned for each tangible output completed. The activities involved during the negotiation stage of a consulting engagement include the following except a. limited survey to ascertain the problem of the business entity and what is required to reach a solution. b. identification of the end product of the assignment. ¢. determination and agreement on the role to be performed by the CPA. d. agree on the final fee to be charged for the service of the CPA. The engagement proposal letter generally includes the following a. _ objectives and benefits. b. _ personne! who will be assigned as Engagement Team members. c. scope of the work and role of the consultant. d. fees and billing arrangement. The objectives of an engagement program include the following except a. — to facilitate time and efficiency control over personnel assigned - tothe engagement. - b. to provide a means for arranging, distributing and assigning responsibility for various segments of an engagement.BE eae iis eS ene for evaluating Whe c to provide means mpteted. engagement have infact been s eatly how much and wien 4. to provide a means of determining to bill the client. S. Which of the following statements isu? the support and a. in rendering MAS, the CPA does not need : is isi the 4. MAS engagements usually involve making decisions for t client and assuming responsibility for the full implementation Of the alternative chosen to solve the entity’s problem. 6. The following are the basic steps in the problem solving process: Evaluating the engagement and post-engagement follow-up. Data analysis and diagnosis. Solution selection. Laat wet | | ! | ‘The order in which the above activities is should be preferably followed a 1,2,3,4,5,6. db. 4,5,2,3,6,1. c. 4,2,5,3,6)1. da 4,5,2,6,3, 1. 7. The problem definition phase of the With the initial recognition of a symptom soo *°'¥ing process bep; ends with the complete problem descr; the robles o of the problem description are the followin Amon, the key mand. ives of the 4. Fe ne Problem - ficou : 8. The ie bie ri Oe een rien a with the initial recognition of the problem-solving process begins ends with the compl 4 symptom pointing to the problem and of the problem deseriptcn ae te folk ‘Among the key facets a. _ Intensity of the following except b. Time dimension. 7 c. Location. . d. Responsibility of creating the probl 7 hand otter definition phase of the ing process begins oaks iil engin of oman on a Fas the complete problem description. ‘Among the key facets of the problem description are the following except .a. _ Human elements involved in the problem. b. Support system surrounding the problem. c. Tracking system related to the problem. d. Specific person in charge of managing the problem- 10. The following pitfalls should be avoided by the consultant in identifying the problem in a consultancy engagement, except mistaking symptoms for the underlying problem. a b. unqualified acceptance of the opinion of others. c. measuring the financial loss caused by the problem. da overlooking the different and various causes of the problem. The following elements should be identified and assessed in of the problem except a. _ attitude of involved managers and employees. b. traits of involved managers and employees. c. training of involved managers and employees. 4. age of involved managers and employees:ae 1S2_ Chapter 7 : —_—_—_————4 be casily made 12, Information about product pricing and costing 8 ices with mark 13. Information on types of new products oF services mt possibilities are usually provided by the a. — production department. b. personnel department. ¢. accounting department. d. — marketing department. 14, sources of information that the consultant could avail of : ee mai sources, Information about market conditions could best be provided by a. _ industry reports. b. database retrieval systems. ¢. customers. d. distributors. 15. Which of the following is generally not considered an effective technique of gathering facts? a. Interviews b. Questionnaires ¢. . Observation 4. Cutoff procedure 16. Which of the i i with client 8 should a consultant avoid during interviews a an understanding of the interviewee’s job responsibilities b. Avoid Person, : When me isterview tobe 00 lengty, Pleasant way tml they are fly ia Pa ina‘ ing a Stating own opinions or acting like a “know-it-all”18. ae The usefulness of observation can be maximized by following these gaidelines except a b. Identify and define what it is that the consultant will observe and the estimated length that the observation will entail. If persons are to be aware of the observations, explain to them what will be done and why. Expressing value judgments when interacting with the persons being observed. : Make a record of what is observed as specific as possible,