HR Consultant Networking

At different times in the past I have been able to land projects but not been able to adequately staff them with the kind of people I really would like to have.

In fact, the problem has been so acute, that I have sometimes have felt as if I could not bid on larger projects because I could not find the right team to execute it.

Partly motivated by that problem, I recently started up a message board for HR Consultants.

This discussion list will hopefully become a home for those of us who are working in this area.

Click below to be taken to the message board:

Why Framework Sells the Way It Does

I recently had the opportunity to solidify the way Framework does its selling.

Most of what passes for “selling skills” focuses on making the quick sale, which involves convincing a single person that they need to make a buying decision.

Unfortunately, this approach does not work for complex projects, products and services that involve more than a single buyer, or a significant dollar amount. Here in the Caribbean, I consider a “significant” sale to be more than US$10,000.

It all usually starts with a call initiated by either a prospective client or ourselves in which we discuss a potential problem. At this point, we only have an inking that a potential collaboration might exist.

The next step is to validate the problem through a round of informal interviews, in which we ask those impacted by the problem if they agree an issue exists, and whether or not it is worth putting time, effort and money into a solution. We try to get at the nature of the problem — the cost of its continued existence, and also whether or not it is a priority item, or should be a priority for the company.

Once these interviews are done, and we agree with the company that the issue is real, we sit down with them to co-design a solution, and issue a discussion document describing the solution.

After the discussion document has been validated, the following three questions are asked:

  1. What is the problem costing the company?
  2. What return can the customer expect?
  3. How much should the customer invest to achieve the desired result?

Once these have been discussed, a proposal is written to capture in writing what usually has already been decided.

In an earlier post, I shared why I run from RFP’s, but that was before I read Exceptional Selling by Jeff Thull, which put my years of experience selling projects in perspective in a powerful way. He shares the same point of view, and urges a salesperson of complex products to walk away if their standard process cannot be accommodated.

The problem I have had in the past is that I have been too willing to write a proposal based on a single conversation, with one person. The results of these proposals are usually problematic for both Framework and the prospective client — in short, no-one wins.

There just is no short-cut to the trust that is built when a process like this one is used.

CaribHRForum 2007 Survey Results

The members of CaribHRForum responded to a simple survey in 2007 on their priority areas of interest, and how the forum could be expanded. The results have been compiled here, and include a copy of the actual survey instrument used.

To receive a summary of the results, you are invited to send an email to hrsurvey2007@aweber.com. Upon receipt by our auto responder, a confirmation email will be sent to your email inbox, which you must respond to in order to receive the report. Simply click on the link that looks like this when the confirmation email is received:
————————————————————————————————————————
CONFIRM BY VISITING THE LINK BELOW: http://www.aweber.co?/??????

There were some great suggestions, and I was surprised to discover which topics were of the greatest importance to HR practitioners. Someone suggested doing a more -in-depth survey of the entire memberships of HRMAB, HRMATT and HRMAJ — the three largest bodies. I think the idea has some merit.

Framework’s Strategic Plans

I am toying with the idea of sharing the content of Framework’s strategic plan — and basically making it open source.

Why do that?

I have a hunch that I would gain more from sharing it than keeping, and while there might be some loss of “competitive advantage” of some kind, I believe that it would be minimal, and even be minuscule.

I’ll start out by sharing the broad themes and then give more detail as time goes on.

Here are the”statements” that Framework’s 2007 strategy is built around:

Marketing Tagline: “High-Stake Interventions”

Vision 2030: FWC is a world-class Caribbean-wide consulting firm, with a core of partners, excellent support staff and a virtual, cohesive network of independents.

Mission Statement: In partnerships with our clients, FWC intervenes in Caribbean companies to provide unique, practical solutions to difficult people problems. We use the best ideas in the world combined with the latest technology to produce both results and experiences that are unattainable without us.

Audio Logo: Working with Caribbean executives on their most difficult/pressing/top of mind people issues relating to service, motivation, culture and productivity.

Who We Are: Framework Consultant: Great minds, Great hearts. Lovers of life, excitement, fun and a challenge in every assignment.

Values/2007: The Tao, Perfection, Giving, Truth to Power

Brand Promise/Attributes: Bring sunshine, Newest thinking/innovation, relentless, speak truth to power

Open Positions at Framework Consulting

We at Framework rely heavily on a network of paid and unpaid professionals. Some work on projects directly for clients. Others provide services for Framework capabilities, such as our ezine or web-site. The vast majority are willing to share their ideas and input to help improve our thinking, often without being asked — comments to this blog are an example.

At times, however, we are looking for specific kinds of expertise that we have started to let the world know that we need.

The first requirement is simple — anyone who agrees to work with us must agree to get more for themselves than they give in any assignment, position or project. In other words, it is their responsibility to ensure that the balance of benefits is always working in their favour, whether actual pay is involved or not.

I’ll be posting up some more thoughts on the kind of people we work best with at a later time and link it to this post, which I will update on a regular basis.

Consulting Project Positions: none at the moment

Administrative Non-Consulting Positions: none at the moment

Web Designer: We are looking for someone to edit and update the Framework blogs and website. The edits are relatively minor, and don’t involve changing manor aspects of these sites.

Job Description
Preferably living in Jamaica, the Web Designer must have a working knowledge of html.

Volunteer Positions: 3 at the moment

eBook- Designer: We are looking for someone to be either a co-author (unpaid) or designer of an ebook on the topic of Caribbean Networking.

Job Description
— an experienced writer to create a 20-30 page ebook about networking in the Caribbean.
The content has already been created, and exists the following forms:
— blogs
— presentations in Power Point
— recorded speeches
— recorded video
— design all layout and formats for ebook
— place all graphics and video, plus hyperlinks

The ebook should cover everything from:
– Table of contents
– Introduction
– Relevant statistics
– Barriers to networking across the region
– The old methods of networking
– Authentic interests
– Using technology
– Conclusion
– Copyright statement
– Disclaimer statement

The book needs to be in conversational English and needs to be grammatically correct.

Platform:
The book needs to be in MS word in landscape format with a workbook field, and easy-to-use forms

Send email to fwade99@gmail.com

Blog Editor: An editor who can read through the Framework blog and make corrections in spelling, missing words, shockingly poor grammar, etc. The Editor will also apply a relevant label to each entry.

Send email to fwade99@gmail.com

Time Management Content Contributor: We are in the process of rolling out a new time management course with the flexibility to be useful to any professional in the Caribbean.

The ideas for the course are still being fleshed out, but this 3-6 month project will involve looking at the ideas that have been developed to date, and working to improve them.

This position requires a willingness to learn how to use a wiki, a knowledge of how to access a blog and a bonafide interest in coming up with practical ideas to include in this open source effort.

Send email to fwade99@gmail.com