1. Initial Meeting

An initial meeting of approximately one hour will take place between the Consultant and the Client in order to determine whether the necessary personal rapport can be established to ensure a successful relationship. It is only if both sides feel comfortable that they will be able to work together successfully that the process will begin in earnest.

2. Information Gathering

The Client and (ideally) the Client’s previous line manager will be provided with copies of the skills summary sheet and asked to complete them. At the same time the Client, will complete a Myers Briggs Type Indicator to provide the Consultant with further information with which to work. Wherever possible, a meeting will be arranged with the Client’s previous line manager in order for the Consultant to find out more about the strengths and weaknesses of the Client, his preferred working style and environment and areas for personal development. This background information is of paramount importance in assisting the Consultant to have an understanding of the Client to help to guide the Client in the right direction.

3. First Working Meeting

The first working meeting will be held between the Client and the Consultant at a mutually convenient location where they can work together, uninterrupted, for up to a day. During this meeting the Consultant will:

a. Discuss the Client’s situation with them. This will cover the Client’s emotional and physical feelings, their financial situation, their hopes and aspirations for the future and any other issues which come up in a wide ranging conversation. This not only helps to set the stage for the rest of the day but hopefully ensures that all the issues are identified at the outset. If there are financial issues with e.g. pensions and insurances Devine Consulting has relationships with accredited Consultants who can give impartial advice;

b. Provide feedback to the Client from the MBTI and the skills summary sheets. The feedback will be open, honest and forthright but will be presented, wherever possible, in a positive light;

c. Ensure that the Client’s CV is updated and provides the relevant information for prospective readers. It is important for the Client to realise that this is a selling document and that it presents them in the best possible light;

d. Using the information gathered from the MBTI and the feedback from the skills summary sheets, work with the Client so that they can come up themselves with a realistic and achievable set of goals. These will depend on the Client’s situation, their aspirations and their experience. It is of paramount importance that the Client comes up with the goals themselves and that the Consultant acts purely as a sounding board and a “devil’s advocate,” so that the Client feels that the goals are his/hers and that they identify with them completely. Equally, the Consultant will try to ensure that the goals set are realistically achievable;

e. Create a strategy to achieve these goals (of which there may be more than one) and set achievable time scales for their completion, setting milestones along the way and realistic targets;

f. Set up a structure for subsequent meetings and a working relationship over the coming months. This may involve further meetings to refine the goals/strategy if they cannot be set at the initial meeting because e.g. consultation needs to take place with the Client’s partner or because they need more time to think things through as new possibilities have come up in the meeting.

4. Subsequent meetings

The Client and Consultant can have as many subsequent face to face meetings as necessary and in between the Consultant is always available for conversations and guidance either telephonically or by e mail. While no office facilities are made available, Devine Consulting will provide a year’s free membership of the Institute of Directors. As well as providing a meeting place in London with full computer access, the IOD also offers members research and library facilities, with access to information technologists who can undertake information retrieval services for members. This is especially useful in researching companies to whom Clients may be applying.

If necessary or appropriate, the Consultant will prepare Clients for interviews, either with headhunters or with prospective employers, undertaking mock interviews and video taped interviews to ensure that the Client is in the best possible shape for the meeting.

5. Time Limits

There are no time limits on the services of Devine Consulting. The Client has access to the Consultant for as long as he considers it useful and has 24/7 access. Most Clients continue to keep in touch with the Consultant on a regularly irregular basis for a considerable period of time, even after they have returned to full time employment.

6. Other Services

Devine Consulting will work with the Client to provide or arrange the provision of, any other services which the Client believes to be necessary to achieve the objectives set out at the beginning of the relationship.