Strategic Action Group for Consultants

 

Get balanced! How to start using your head and heart, not just your hands

Do your clients see you more as an extra pair of hands rather than as a strategic advisor?

You’d prefer it if your clients perceived you as a both a reliable and influential “thought partner.” You want to be able to be more strategic with your clients instead of spending so much time meeting deadlines.

But how do you get to that place with your clients? Wouldn’t it be great to have peers to talk and brainstorm with, to understand what’s working for them, and feel part of a community that was supporting each other?

This is a program that helps communication consultants on the path to become more experienced and more trustworthy coaches around communication and change.

All of these concerns are common.

Yet, independent consultants who successfully provide strategic counsel and advice face other challenges. They are getting their pick of interesting clients and assignments, they’re raising their rates and they’re turning away clients.

How do you show your value and be valued?  

In these tough economic times, CEOs and other leaders are requesting more and more strategic support, yet they continue to report in surveys that the advice and communication support they receive is ineffective. They want help from individuals who understand them and their business, can keep them out of trouble and help them take advantage of opportunities.

Are you are ready to move into this role? Going beyond just doing tasks for your clients and developing your skills and confidence as a strategic advisor?

For you and your business to flourish long-term, you may need to do more than produce work on time and on budget. You also may need to be an effective coach, advisor and strategist for leaders.

Why aren’t more communication consultants taking on the role of strategic advisor for their clients?

The survey Being a Strategic Communication Advisor, conducted by Connect Consulting this summer, showed that strategic communication advisors believe that leaders and communication professionals both share the fault for the significant gap between what leaders say they want versus what they get. In fact, strategic advisors feel leaders’ attitudes and actions contribute more to the gap than do advisors’ mindsets and behavior.

Yet, the survey results also showed a divide among advisors. About a third of advisors in the survey spend 50% or more of their time advising leaders. These Absolute Advisors enjoy what they do and they consider it a career choice. By contrast, the other two-thirds of respondents, the Accidental Advisors, tend to have fallen into their role.

The Absolute Advisors don’t just spend more time advising; they have taken the initiative to adopt more disciplined and targeted practices in three areas. Specifically, they put more effort into building relationships, measuring the value of their work, and getting professional development, especially around networking, mentoring and coaching. As a result, they consider themselves more confident, capable and credible strategic advisors.

These actions—relationship-building, measurement and professional development—are relatively simple things you can do too, whether you consider yourself already an Absolute Advisor or an Accidental Advisor who’s ready to claim your strategic expertise and get higher quality clients.

You now have an easy way to get help adopting the mindset and practices of an Absolute Advisor…a way that acknowledges the faster and often unpredictable pace of work, the competing demands on your time, and the limited time available for reflection…all the things that get in the way of taking advantage of traditional class-room instruction or do-it-yourself training.

You can take part in the Strategic Action Group.

The Strategic Action Group is a unique mentoring and mastermind experience that shows you step-by-step how to develop the consultative, measurement and networking skills that will make you valuable to leaders.

The group combines personal skill-building with group interaction and individual coaching from a trusted communication advisor, Liz Guthridge. You’ll learn in safe environment where you can exchange ideas with peers, benefit from multiple perspectives on issues and stretch your thinking. And you’ll get suggestions on how you can manage the non-value added work that may be overcrowding your work days.

The real-time problem-solving plus the discussions, case studies, and exercises will give you valuable tools and practical ideas that you can start using immediately

How you’ll benefit

• Learn how to switch your mindset from doing communication to being a communication advisor through personalized, flexible, and action-oriented training—without having to leave your office.
• Enjoy the camaraderie of learning from and networking with other independent communication professionals who work with different client companies and industries.
• Experience first-hand the value of having your own personal sounding board to help solve problems, bounce around ideas and get new ideas and inspiration.
• Build more courage, confidence and credibility as a communication advisor to executives.
• Feel more resilient and better equipped to deal with organizational complexities

 

Extra benefits

• Discover the one thing that executives truly need from their communication advisors. (Hint: it doesn’t have to do with writing.)
• Learn why it’s often important to think like a sociopath and act like a saint when advising executives.
• Get tips on how to prevent fires rather than always be fighting fires.

What’s covered

This five-session tele-workshop addresses topics that concern clients, senior leaders, and other leaders . These topics also were top of mind of the communication professionals who participated in the prior groups and those who took the recent survey, Being a Strategic Advisor.

In particular, we’ll cover:

1. Adopt the mindset of a trusted advisor

Be able to earn the 5 A’s:

• Ability
• Anticipation
• Adaptability
• Availability
• Affability

And know how to leverage these other critical As: self-awareness and acumen (business and body language).

Bring the outside in, examining the results of the new research study about the role of strategic advisors as well discussing what’s happening with:

• Customers
• Communication trends
• Emerging business issues

2. Build credibility and trust

• Learn your communication style and how to optimize it
• Walk in others’ shoes
• Speak truth to power

3. Be authentic

• Identify your personal brand
• Be a verbal billboard so you can speak succinctly, specifically and truthfully
• Influence others and make a big impact, especially when you’re not at the table

4. Coach, advise and teach leaders how to use

• Data
• Stories
• Social media

5. Advise, facilitate and oversee

• Curating conversations
• Measuring results
• Leading change
• Building communities
• Managing reputations

We’ll hit the highlights, giving you exposure to subjects that all strategic communicators need to know about and practice. By getting an overview, you’ll be better equipped to go deep and narrow later in the areas that most interest you. You’ll start to sense how you can combine your skills with your passion to become an indispensable strategic advisor, an Absolute Advisor.

Also during each session, we’ll provide real-time problem solving for participants and the communication challenge they bring to the session. As a result, you’re getting in-depth help for your situation as well as helping others.

What you’ll experience

The action group combines personal skill-building, group interaction, and convenience. It’s unlike any other training program you’ve experienced to date. For example, you:

• Participate in a selective group session limited to 8 people, selected for their level of experience  and interest in developing as a strategic advisor. This allows for candid interaction with like-minded peers and a strong support system.

• Join by phone from the convenience of your office or other location.

• Meet every other week for five 75-minute sessions.

• Take part in a combination of problem-solving sessions, short lectures, exercises and group discussions. You’ll learn skills you can apply immediately PLUS you’ll get immediate help on your specific work and business challenges.

• Interact closely with other action group participants who can become your ongoing trusted peer network and mastermind group, and maybe even collaboration partners.

• Establish relationships with one or more group members by working together on assignments

What you get

This small, focused yet fun action group consists of:

BONUS #1: Private group-only discussion forum using Basecamp, the online collaboration software

Network with other group members, post questions, test ideas, and collect feedback on your exercises!

You can form lasting, valuable relationships with your fellow action group participants. During the action group, they can serve as a focus group, mastermind group and accountability partners.

BONUS #2: What’s My Communication Style Assessment?

Take the HRDQ online assessment to determine your communication style. Knowing your style (Direct, Spirited, Considerate or Systematic) will help you be a better communicator as well as a communication advisor for leaders and others. Plus, the experience of taking and interpreting this assessment will give you helpful experience you can apply as you coach leaders.

BONUS #3: Copies of exercises, strategies and resources

You’ll get copies of all the materials we use plus additional tools and templates that Liz Guthridge uses in her consulting and coaching work. These materials can become part of the toolkit you use for your strategic communication advising.

BONUS #4: Online archive with downloadable recordings of all sessions

If you miss a session or want to review a call, you can do so at any time.

EXTRA BONUSES 

This core program will provide independent communication consultants with key support to start to make the transition to a more capable, confident and credible strategic advisor.

To keep the investment affordable and attainable, we’re offering the following as add-on options for you to consider. They can help you accelerate your transformation by providing you with more personal attention and support.

EXTRA BONUS #5: One personal coaching session on a topic of your choice

This is your opportunity to explore an area of interest, concern to you or anything that’s important to you—with a trained coach. For example, we could work on a particular issue or dilemma you‘re facing. Or we could brainstorm ideas for you about something that’s important. Or, we could work outside the traditional coaching realm by having you pick Liz’s brain about something. It’s your time, and if you want more coaching sessions,  you can make arrangements for them too.

BONUS #6: Your personal action plan to help you jumpstart your progress

To support your personal coaching session, we’ll work on your personal action plan to help you keep the momentum to develop your skills, know-how and experiences so you become a more resilient strategic advisor.

The sessions will be held from 8:30 am – 9:45 am PT (11:30 am – 12:45 pm ET) on:

Jan. 27

Feb. 10

Feb. 24

March 9

March 23

All calls will be recorded in case you can’t join us live.

Fee

The fee for this Strategic Action Group for Consultants is $325, a special price for the pilot for independent consultants.  This fee includes the five sessions plus the four bonuses. This fee is payable either in one payment or two installments.

For the two additional bonuses (#5 one-on-one coaching session and #6 personal action plan), the fee is an additional $150 for a total of $475. If you prefer, you pay at the time of your coaching session.

What participants say about Liz and the Strategic Action Group

“Thanks to her vast communication experience, Liz kept the discussions lively and dynamic.”

“By bringing the outside in, Liz exposed me to a number of new ideas and ways of working that will immediately help me.”

“Liz had some great, practical information.”

“The value that Liz brings is being a mentor. She’s a great sounding board.”

“She made me realize how much you can learn from others in a similar situation.”

“The technology solutions Liz suggested were so easy to use!”

“I loved the interactive aspect of the session, especially the group discussions.”

About your action group facilitator

Liz Guthridge will be your facilitator, advisor and coach. I’m a seasoned, results-oriented coach and consultant with diverse change communication and leadership experience.

As an external consultant, I combine strategic thinking with strong problem-solving skills. I’m known for my ability to assess new situations quickly and thoroughly and get things done. This includes coaching leaders to communicate more effectively, influencing employees to take appropriate actions, and turning resistance of controversial change initiatives into acceptance.

I’m the Managing Consultant of Connect Consulting Group, an independent coaching and consulting firm focused on change leadership and communication.

Connect specializes in supporting leaders who are introducing complex new initiatives and other major changes to their organizations. We work with leaders to clearly explain the initiative, its link to the business, and the actions needed so that leaders can inspire employees to understand, accept and adopt new ways of working.

Connect also works with Communication leaders of Fortune 1000 companies when they need to retool their department so they can provide more strategic support to executives. The executives are requesting communication support that’s more deliberative, less reactive and more consultative to the business. This often requires communication staff members to adopt new skills, adjust their ways of working (including identifying and eliminating non-value add work) and change their organization structure.

Before I founded Connect in 2004, I was a principal with Mercer Delta, Mercer HR and Towers Perrin. I also was a consultant with Hewitt Associates. I started my career with Amoco in its public and government affairs department as a writer and editor. (By the way, all of my former employers have experienced ownership and name changes, which are par for the course these days.)

Over my career, I’ve served a broad range of industries including financial services, telecommunications, high tech, consumer products, hospitality, aerospace and health care. Some of my recent clients include Advantech, AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah, Bayer HealthCare, Betfair, Central Garden & Pet, The Clorox Company, DirecTV, DRS Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, Hilton Hotels,  Kimpton Hospitality, Marin Healthcare District, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, salesforce.com, VeriSign, Xilinx, USEC and ZS Associates.

In June, PRSA recognized HP and Connect with a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for our collaboration in “Redesigning HR Communication.” In addition to doing award-winning work for clients and serving as a trusted advisor to leaders, I frequently speak and write on communication and change topics. For example, I was a lecturer on organizational communication for a graduate program at San Francisco State University. I also teach interactive workshops on change and communication topics.

I’m the author of LEAN COMMUNICATIONS: The 5-Step System for Doing More With Less and Getting Great Results (Ragan Communications, 2009). Along with Kathryn McKee, I’m the co-author of Leading People Through Disasters: An Action Guide for Preparing for and Dealing with the Human Side of Crises (Berrett-Koehler, 2006).

For four years, I wrote and edited the monthly eNewsletter, The LEAN COMMUNICATOR. I also have written many articles, which are posted here and here.

As for my formal education, I have an MA in communication management from the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; an MBA from the University of Connecticut; and a BSJ in journalism from Northwestern University, the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing. I’m also a graduate of the Results Coaching System’s Intensive Coaching Training, offered through the NeuroLeadership Group led by Dr. David Rock.

Affiliations are important to me. Some of the organizations I belong to include IABC (International Association of Business Communicators), The Communication Leadership Exchange (formerly the Council of Communication Management), Bay Area OD Forum, Bay Area Society for Organizational Learning, Organization Design Forum, and SHRM (Society of HR Management). (Yes, there are more….) I live in the San Francisco Bay area with my husband David Matthews (not the musician) and our dog Gustav.

What else you should know

This group is not for everyone. It’s small, interactive and results-oriented. It’s also designed to push you out of your comfort zone into a new space that is both authentic for you and more strategic. More specifically:

• You must be willing and able to make a contribution to others with your presence, involvement and feedback. This includes sharing at least one of your work challenges and getting ideas from the other group members to help you make improvements. If you don’t want a group experience, this Strategic Action Group is not for you. (I am willing to work with you individually if you’re interested.) The power of this experience comes from interacting, sharing and networking with each other.
• You must be willing to practice discretion as well as candor. We must be careful not to disclose any secrets about our clients. (We’ll abide by the “Las Vegas Rule: What’s discussed here stays here.”)
• If you prefer to be a communication technician rather than expand your horizons to be a strategic, trusted communication advisor, that’s your choice, which I respect. Just please do not join us. This Strategic Action Group is designed to help you be an Absolute Advisor, a more effective strategic communicator of today and the future who counsels and coaches leaders at all levels as a trusted advisor. (According to the experts, including McKinsey, PWC, Deloitte, Arthur W. Page Society, IABC and others, the strategic communicator of the future will focus on integrating communication strategy into business strategy, managing the organization’s reputation, and developing relationships and communities. Leading edge communicators of today are already taking these actions. You should too if you want to stay relevant.)
• Before you can sign up, you need to fill out this short application form to make sure this Strategic Action Group is right for you and you’ll be a good fit with the other participants. As soon as you are accepted into the Strategic Action Group, we will send you registration and payment information.

 

Any questions, email me at liz.guthridge@connectconsultinggroup.com or call me at 510.527.1213.

If you want to expand your services—or even reinvent yourself—into the bigger  role of a trusted strategic advisor,  join us!

As the Absolute Advisors know from experience, it’s easier to work with like-minded people.