As patient advocacy and engagement consultants, we are always looking for ways to maximize our partnerships with our clients, whether it be through effective short-term projects such as a landscape assessment, a years-long commitment to the development and execution of an expert patient council, or through the many other services we offer. As you consider implementing a consulting  project, here are five best practices for the start of a new engagement: 

  1. Finding the Right Fit: When entering a partnership, it may sound evident, but finding the right fit between clients and consultants is critical. While the expertise and skills consultants bring are essential,  personality also matters. Take the time to have early exploratory conversations to determine if you can foresee building a long-term relationship with your consultant and fully align on the definition of success. Discuss how this project will be utilized within the organization and be clear and specific about success factors. 
     
  2. Sharing Resources: Both teams need to be clear about goals and objectives, expectations and deliverables, and roles and responsibilities. With this, clients should proactively share context and resources that may be helpful for the consultants to get up to speed as quickly as possible. Sometimes this is through the sharing of brand plans, cross-functional meeting presentations, previous research done in the space, potential legislation or regulatory initiatives, or corporate strategic objectives  that could impact the execution of the project.  
     
  3. Team Integration: It does not serve either the consultant or the client to work in a silo. Where appropriate, allow consultants to have a holistic understanding of your operation by introducing them to cross-functional team members or other key stakeholders.  
     
  4. Ongoing Feedback: Clients should provide timely feedback. This allows both teams to promptly address issues before they escalate, ensuring the project stays aligned with the client’s vision. Maintaining open, transparent communication fosters a collaborative environment and regular check-ins and feedback loops will ensure ongoing alignment and reinforce a proactive approach to problem-solving throughout the project. 

  5. Course Correction: Both teams should be cognizant of ‘scope of work expansions or overages’. For both the client and consultant, understand that projects do not always go as expected and sometimes face difficulties that were not anticipated when budgeting. Both teams should be receptive to conversations about modifications if needed.