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To effectively conduct a discovery meeting as a performance consultant, consider the following nine steps.
1. Prepare thoroughly: Understand the purpose of the meeting, familiarize yourself with the client’s background, and identify potential areas of improvement.
2. Establish rapport: Begin the meeting by building rapport with the client. This can be done through introduction, small talk, and expressing genuine interest in their concerns.
3. Ask open-ended questions: Use open-ended questions to encourage the client to provide detailed information. Examples include:
- Can you tell me more about that situation?
- What challenge have you encountered with your current processes?
- How do you envision success in this area?
4. Listen actively: Pay close attention to the client’s responses and actively listen to understand their perspective fully. Take notes to capture important insights.
5. Probe for details: Use closed questions strategically to gather specific details or confirm information. Examples include:
- Are there any metrics you use to assess performance?
- How many team members are directly impacted by this issue?
- Would you agree that communication breakdown contributes to this problem?
6. Clarify and summarize: Summarize the information shared by the client periodically to ensure understanding. Seek clarification on any points that are unclear.
7. Set clear objectives: Establish clear objectives for the meeting and outline next steps for further analysis. Ensure alignment between your recommendations and the client’s goals.
8. Follow up promptly: Follow up with the client promptly after the meeting to provide any additional information or insights. Maintain open communication throughout the process to facilitate ongoing collaboration.
9. Reflect: Consider the effectiveness of the discovery meeting and identify areas for improvement in your questioning techniques or approach. Continuously refine your skills based on feedback and experience.
It all starts by engaging with the client during the discovery meetings and asking the right questions. If your discovery meetings go well, you’ll be one step closer to identifying the needs and determining the causes of your client’s performance problems.
Additional Resource: How to Use Discovery Meetings to Find Training and Non-Training Solutions [Video]
If you’re looking to refine your performance improvement process, then Consulting Skills for Trainers is the perfect workshop for you! You’ll learn a structured process and the key interpersonal skills associated with the process. Plus, you’ll leave with templates to set you up for success during your next performance consultation!