Responding to the suggestion, following Rob Shorrock’s article in the last newsletter, that people might like to let us know how they have used the Five Questions outside of a formal SML programme structure, CSML Board Member, Liz Barlow, reflects on their use in the context of consultancy.

Having used the five questions to structure my learning for the last nine years, Rob Shorrock’s article on using them at the start of a new role, prompted me to think about their application to other situations. I realised that unconsciously, I had been using them with clients since becoming an independent consultant almost three years ago.

When meeting a client for the first time it is important to elicit as much information as possible in order to ensure that you meet their requirements for the project. You may have worked with the organisation or even that particular client before and so the exploration of the past may not be as extensive on every occasion.

However, using the five questions, even if some are brief re-caps, ensures that nothing is missed and more importantly, that incorrect assumptions are not made.

Many of the questions that Rob identified would also be useful in this situation and I have tried to build on them.

The detail under each of the questions will vary, depending on the type of project that you are involved in, and I have listed some ideas under each of the five questions.

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