In order to effectively plan for and with a client, we need to utilize a variety of tools. These tools help us to assess what the client's situation is, and what the client's goals are going forward. The structure of this conversation is what helps our client to identify their needs, and helps them to prioritize these needs to choose appropriate solutions.
While our process can seem complex, its execution is streamlined by having a set of standard tools that we can use in each and every situation. These tools set us apart, and, in the long run, help to set our clients apart as well.
Solving Problems, Not Selling Products
First, we stop discussing products as solutions. The worst way to plan is to have a solution seeking a problem. Rather, the right solutions will naturally surface once we have identified the true problems and decided that there is a desire to solve those problems. The tool of problem-centric planning, in contrast to product-centric planning, helps us to arrive at the right solutions for our clients.
Leave No Stone Unturned
Second, we work to get out all of a client's issues, not just the ones on the surface. When we identify all the deeper issues, we can determine of there is overlap between them, and if there are wats to address multiple issues with a single, comprehensive solution. Using problem-seeking as a tool assures our clients that their solutions will truly encompass all their planning needs.
Prioritize Problems to Prioritize Solutions
Third, we prioritize a client's problems in order to understand how to focus resources on creating a workable solution. We all have limited resources, including time, energy, and money. The key for finding an effective solution is to properly allocate resources so that we can maximize our efforts and reach the goals we set. Prioritization is the best way to focus our clients' limited resources onto their biggest planning challenges.
Solution Analysis Leads to Better Solutions
Fourth, we analyze the solutions for impact. It's just not good enough to assume one solution will automatically work best. We want to choose the best solution from an array of possibilities. We do this by looking at both the short-term and long-term impacts of each of the proposed solutions. Through solution analysis, we are able to dig deeper to find the right solutions.
Solution Constraint Awareness
Lastly, we learn what are the constraints that will inhibit proper execution of an accepted solution, including such constraints as monetary resources, incidental effects on related parties, and structural legal issues. We work to discover whether we can overcome these constraints, and how the solution works with all concerned parties.