engagement-scoping
Overview
Based on "Flawless Consulting" by Peter Block. The contracting phase is the most important and most skipped phase of a consulting engagement. Vague contracting creates resentment, scope creep, and failed engagements - not bad execution. A well-contracted engagement defines what success looks like, who does what, what happens when things go wrong, and what is explicitly not in scope. Do it in writing, at the start.
Workflow
Step 1: Clarify the Business Problem
Before scoping anything, confirm you are solving the right problem. Block warns against solving the presenting problem when the real problem is different.
Ask:
- "What is the specific business problem this engagement is solving?" (Not the symptom - the root cause)
- "What would we see differently in 6 months if this engagement succeeds?"
- "Who is most affected by this problem and how?"
- "What has already been tried?"
Document: a 2-3 sentence problem statement in business language. Share it with the client and confirm alignment before proceeding. If they revise it significantly, you were not scoping the right problem.