Well that's a strange question. Shouldn't a consultant know what to do? Aren't they supposed to come in, take charge, and make things happen?
While this may be the expectation, a consultant can only make progress with a willing partner.
I have an article that is a few years old now called "Ten Steps to a More Effective Consulting Experience" by Kevin J. Hume, ESYNC. I think it is great list for both a consultant and consultee (is that a word?) to work from.
Below is list of those ten items...
- Clarify and agree on objectives before the project begins
- Define assumptions
- Allocate sufficient resources
- Communicate within your organization
- Make the kick-off meeting effective
- Conduct weekly updates
- Schedule a midpoint review session
- Float preliminary conclusions
- Allow sufficient time for development and review of the final presentation
- Conduct the final presentation as an integrated team