Are these scenarios familiar?
Rework.
Scope creep.
Silent conflicts.
Request from the business - “Can you figure out what’s best?”
Request from the business - “Please create this app…quickly!”
Remark from the business - “This is not what I expected. And you guys took so long.”
Do these sound familiar?
Ong Whee Teck, a technologist leader with over 30 years of experience working with many organizations in their digital transformations, asserts,
"Technology is not the issue, it is the lack of clarity of the problem. Clients become the solution designer before engaging the technologist, but sometimes the problem is technical, process or organizational. So when the projects don't yield the outcomes, technology tends to be blamed."
What Tech People Typically Do?
In most cases, tech people want to do good work. They usually want to be liked and strive to be helpful to make meaningful contributions.
At the same time, tech people may prefer to keep conversations brief, focused on the technical side of things, and avoid conversations that involve feelings and touchy topics. Some tech professionals may also feel uncomfortable expressing their concerns and feel ill-equipped to be assertive or deal with the emotions of others.
Comparing a typical exchange (left) and a conversation based on the Flawless Consulting® approach (right).
What’s the difference?
| The Typical Conversation Between Client and Tech Consultant | | The Conversation Between Client and Tech Consultant Trained in Flawless Consulting® Skills |
Client: | Please develop this mobile app quickly, the competitors have it already. Time is of the essence! | Client: | Please develop this mobile app quickly, the competitors have it already. Time is of the essence! |
The Tech Person: | Understand! What is this app for? What kind of features are needed? When do you to launch this?” (Tech person assumes the client has the right solution to solve the problem.) | The Tech Person: | Understand, the business must be under some pressure to maintain our market share. (Tech person empathizes with the client.) |
Client: | This is critical for us, next month will be perfect! The competitors use chatbots for client inquiries. | | Before we jump into implementation, can we understand your business objectives, challenges, and how an IT solution can help?” (Tech person contracting to understand underlying issues). |
The Tech Person: | Yes! Chatbots are very popular now, we should progress as well. Let me talk with my team and come back with a chatbot design next week!” (Tech person is eager to be helpful, jumps into solutions and implementation.) | Client: | We wanted to give clients the best customer support they need. However, one of the challenges lately is the fast movement of tech trends, our competitors have chatbots on their websites while we are still dealing with customer support through email and calls. So I am thinking of having a chatbot. |
Client: | Perfect! (Smiling) | The Tech Person: | I hear you want the chatbot. Are you open to alternative suggestions to achieve your business objectives? (Tech person is contracting to be a partner and scope to add value.) |
| | Client: | Sure, I am open to it, but we need to act fast. |
| | The Tech Person: | Sure, can you give me access to data on customer inquiries? Can we meet next Monday to discuss the options? |
| | Client: | Sure, looking forward to meeting you and your team! (Nodding and smiling) |
Key Questions
Which conversation is more likely to solve the client’s business problem?
What happens if the chatbot is developed and the problem is not solved? Who will be blamed?
Which conversation will enable the Tech person to get their expertise used more?
Which conversation will save time and money for the organization in the long run?
The Pain
Not negotiating for an equal 50:50 partner role and addressing the human side of the work has led to lose-lose situations, creating endless frustration and finally an impasse. The business does not leverage the expertise of its tech resources fully and has a hard time introducing innovation. Tech people themselves feel frustrated, even though they want to do good work and create innovative solutions too!
What’s the Alternative?
"The ingredient for true success is soft skills, in how we engage our clients,"
quips Whee Teck. Tech people can be the bridge between the end users and the business, understanding the needs of both and finding win-win solutions that will satisfy both parties.
They need to state their wants clearly and assertively so that they have the scope to do good work. Tech people also need to be skilled to deal with resistance and pushback so that they understand the underlying concerns of their clients. Finally, be curious to discover the underlying dimensions of the problem, and recommend effective solutions.
In short, Tech people need to manage the human dynamics of the partnerships skilfully. Flawless Consulting skills help Tech people do just that!
The Result
Co-create solutions to solve problems. Technology is at its best when it can bring people together, allowing collaboration, creativity, and progress. By leveraging technology and forming these kinds of partnerships, any business or organization can take meaningful steps and achieve its goals.
Case Study: Technologist As A Partner | Flawless Consulting®
Flame Centre | Future Skills Institute
If you're curious about:
How to build trust with clients, help and add value.
How to discover client needs, provide support and effective recommendations.
How to develop a collaborative relationship so you can achieve long-term partnership.