Preparing for the Project

In the previous chapter, we talked about defining a consultant. We also looked at why consultants are valued and what a client expects from a consultant.

This chapter is about the importance of preparing for a project. Before starting, let me put before you some powerful quotes:

A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble at his door.
-Confucius

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.
-Benjamin Franklin

Planning is a process of choosing among those many options. If we do not choose to plan, then we choose to have others plan for us.
-Richard I. Winwood

These quotes may have been made several years ago, but they still hold true. A very critical aspect of the project, often neglected, is the preparatory phase. This is the phase where a consultant should invest a good amount of his/her time.

In our childhood, we heard about the story of...