A Cost-Effective Alternative
to On-Site Consulting
Catalyst is committed to your success so, ironically, we are concerned about how much you spend for professional services (such as consultants). Although we believe that good consultants can bring to their clients tremendous value, yielding returns many times the fees paid, let's be honest. It is also part of the traditional consulting ethos to "latch onto" clients and keep creating perceived needs (e.g., new projects, expanded analyses, crises issues, etc.) that require on-going consulting help. Project creep such as this is common, and sometimes perfectly appropriate, but it creates a perception in the minds of many clients that a consultant's diagnoses and recommendations are suspect.
Catalyst is trying to change this perception by being sensitive to the many situations that you face every day where a consulting solution would be extremely valuable, but the presence of a consultant is not justified. What you really need in these situations is a template for solving a well defined problem, a work plan for addressing a recurring issue, or a prescribed agenda for running a productive meeting. along with instructions on how to make the most out of these resources. To meet this need, Catalyst has developed an innovative series of Self-Guided Solutions that "pre-package" some of Catalyst's most popular and client-friendly workshops and seminars into self-help tools that you can implement yourself — without the need for an on-site consultant. These solutions are offered complete with whatever support materials, diagnostic tools, PowerPoint presentations, Excel worksheets, meeting agendas and FAQ guides are necessary to make your Catalyst Self-Guided Solutions a success. And as a further demonstration of our commitment to your success, Catalyst we even provide your chosen in-house facilitator with free telephone support to help prepare him or her to lead a productive session. To explore Catalyst's Self-Guided Solutions, please visit our Workshops & Seminars page and look for the "Self-Guided" designator & or contact us for more information. You won't find a more cost-effective way to access Consulting-that-Works™.
Are Catalyst's Self-Guided Solutions Right for You?
The three most important criteria for determining whether Catalyst's Self-Guided Solutions are right for you are:
- Have you accurately diagnosed your organization's problems and/or opportunities such that you can identify and prioritize the highest impact interventions (e.g., self-guided workshops or training sessions)? Are you convinced that the intervention you are contemplating will produce meaning results that will positively impact your organization's overall performance?
- Does your organization have an in-house facilitator with the experience, personal confidence, and internal credibility necessary to effectively lead your planned intervention? Although Catalyst designs its Self-Guided Solutions with non-professional facilitators in mind — and we will support your in-house facilitator by telephone to help ensure his or her success — the skills of your chosen facilitator will be a key determinant of your interventions ultimate success.
- Will the group you are planning to involve in your self-guided intervention (e.g., anticipated workshop attendees) accept facilitation from an "insider?" Before you answer this particular question, please pause and objectively think about it. If, for example, you are launching a strategic planning workshop with your executive team, or a conflict surfacing and mediation workshop with your supervisory staff, will these groups actively participate in the process if you use someone from within the organization to facilitate?
If you are unclear about the wisdom or practicality of utilizing in-house facilitators in a particular situation or with respect to a particular workshop or seminar, please give us a call at 1-800-378-9843. We want to partner with you to create real value for you and your organization, especially with respect to our Self-Guided Solutions, so don't hesitate to contact us.
