How We Work
Results you can expect
Remember the saying that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”? We help you focus first on the parts most likely to make the whole organization stronger and those that enable you to do more of the good work about which you are passionate.
We first work with you to look for areas where simple changes can have significant impact. Collectively, we explore how to measure results and help you repeat and improve your processes incrementally.
For example, let’s say your organization is driven by many individual projects. By improving one project, then applying that same principle to other projects, we can significantly impact the overall performance of your organization. In many cases, the result can more than cover the amount of the investment.
When you work with us, we will create an action plan together. By implementing the action plan, you can expect:
- More clarity and better insights about how to make your business stronger so you can do more for your mission.
- Clearer focus on the business priorities that can make the greatest impacts for your mission.
- Better understanding about how to create plans that keep your projects on track and improve project results. Then we look for ways to apply similar techniques across all projects across the organization.
- Ways to work better together as a team. The whole organization is only as strong as the collective strength of its people. Stronger teams result in stronger organizations which lead greater impacts for those you serve.
Guiding Beliefs and Values
We believe:
- People who choose nonprofit work have energy and passion to change the world. Our goal is to use our own energy and passion to help you get the most out of yours.
- A nonprofit’s attention must be balanced between changing the world and making sure that it stays in business long enough to achieve its mission. We strive help you improve that balance.
- In applying both “PM Thinking” and strategic thinking to the work of an organization. Learning to think about an organization’s work through both a strategic and a project management lens helps nonprofit leaders put the right amount of emphasis on the right things at the right time. This helps them channel their energies and passions to the areas that can make the most difference and get the best results.
- Project management is a tool to help nonprofits do more of their good work better – more efficiently and more effectively – and that improvements in individual project performance can improve the performance of the whole organization.
- Project management contributes 100% to a nonprofit’s mission.
- In partnering with our clients – working as a team.
- Outstanding service is at the heart of everything we do. Our success begins with the success and satisfaction of our clients.
- Our goal is to help you solve your immediate issues and then work collaboratively to help you help yourself in the future.
Why Howard Consulting? What makes us different?
Our Approach
Our approach combines strategic thinking and project management thinking. We stand behind the idea that by applying both a strategic planning and project management lens to the challenges being faced by an organization, you can develop both strategic goals and strategically tactical ways to achieve them.
We bring a facilitative and collaborative approach to every engagement. Our role is to increase our clients’ effectiveness. We work with the organization, through a series of facilitated strategic conversations and working sessions, to achieve a better outcome relating to an organization’s goals.
Commitment to High Ethical Standards
Our commitment to confidentiality and high ethical standards in everything we do is a key value. We take the consulting relationship with our clients and the inherent confidentiality and ethical issues very seriously.
We ascribe to the Institute of Management Consultants USA Code of Ethics. IMC USA is the premier professional association and sole certifying body for U.S. management consultants and sets and enforces professional conduct standards (www.imcusa.org).The IMCUSA CMC® certification represents the highest global standards and ethical canons of the profession. These standards address issues that range from client relationships, the nature of the consulting assignment, qualifications, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality.
Our founder, Linda Howard, is one of only a few people in the country who has been awarded both the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Management Consultant (CMC) certifications. Recognized in 50 countries, fewer than 1% of management consultants ever achieve the CMC mark during their career.
What it’s like to work together
Asking good questions helps us understand your situation clearly. Then… we listen. After that, we ask more questions and listen some more. All this questioning and listening helps us more clearly understand your:
- Current situation
- Goals – what you WANT your situation to be
- Roadblocks – what’s keeping you from getting there on your own.
We help you prioritize and develop action plans that can be implemented to achieve your goals.
Digging into the roadblocks is the next step. These are the barriers keeping you from implementing your strategies and achieving your goals. We work together to determine the right next steps to move you beyond the barriers and enable you to see progress.
Throughout each of these steps, you get to know us and we learn more about you. Our work together is a partnership. We may facilitate discussion and action planning, offer advice, and/or roll up our sleeves and work with you to plan and implement important initiatives.
Sometimes, we bring in other strategic partners to help, especially when you have challenges that require additional skills and resources. We believe in meeting the needs of our clients. When those needs go beyond the capabilities or capacity of our immediate team, we tap into our robust network of trusted colleagues to be sure you have access to the expertise you most need to address your highest priority challenges. Each of our consultants also personally endorses the Institute of Management Consultants Code of Ethics, guaranteeing the strongest commitment to clients, the public, and the consulting and project management professions.
We are flexible – both in how we work together and in choosing the services that would best address your challenges.
Above all, OUR mission is helping you achieve YOURS!