The long and winding (and frequently bumpy) road to successful client engagement: one team's journey

Authors
Citation
D. Campbell, The long and winding (and frequently bumpy) road to successful client engagement: one team's journey, SYST DYNAM, 17(3), 2001, pp. 195-215
Citations number
10
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Management
Journal title
SYSTEM DYNAMICS REVIEW
ISSN journal
0883-7066 → ACNP
Volume
17
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
195 - 215
Database
ISI
SICI code
0883-7066(200123)17:3<195:TLAW(F>2.0.ZU;2-8
Abstract
Successful client engagements require both good model-building process and good facilitation. Using an executive team-building wilderness journey as a n analogy, this article describes the process and facilitation of one parti cularly successful client engagement. At completion, in addition to using t he model results to guide their strategic decision process that year, the c lient took on full ownership of the model, its use as an ongoing decision-m aking resource, and its maintenance. Yet, between the smooth and relatively easy sales process and the important final results were a myriad of ups an d downs. Each obstacle in our road brought learning and insight, and confir med standard processes or suggested new ones. In the end, we developed a mo del to guide a specific but not restrictive strategic decision area, facili tated an understanding within the organization of the dynamic complexity of their business without the detail complexity, organized their data in a wa y that made it useful for them as it had not been before, and built a very strong client-consultant team relationship. Copyright (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.