Resources for Support Organisations
Business counselling standards
Business counselling standards for competency in performance:
1. Establish and maintain business counselling relationships
This unit is about the relationships between the business counsellor and a client, in the main not specifically business related. It includes:
- Preparation in advance of the meeting – reviewing client background, making meeting arrangements and ensuring client friendly meeting places
- Communication skills in seeking information, giving information, summarising and testing understanding
- Supportive behaviour, including sharing enthusiasm, building ideas and avoiding threatening behaviour
- Body language in relation to posture, gesture and eye contact
- Control and time planning, including the use of recapping, summarising, action planning, closing, and follow up arrangements
1.1 – Create and maintain optimum business counselling environments
Performance criteria:
- All contact with clients is conducted courteously, efficiently and in a manner which encourages clients to share views and concerns freely
- Preparations for meeting clients are carried out effectively
- Any limitations in the physical location are minimised to ensure that clients do not feel threatened and that the business counsellor’s respect of the clients is clear
- Appropriate communication techniques are used to develop a shared understanding of client needs and expectations
- Pre-meeting assessment of client is revised as required in the light of client presentation
- Meetings with clients are managed so as to minimise interruptions and to make most effective use of time available
- Meetings with clients in groups are managed to ensure that the concerns of all group members are acknowledged and considered within the counselling programme
- The confidentiality of the business counselling process is explained to the client at an appropriate pace and level to ensure their understanding
Range:
- Clients: intended and existing business, individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Contact methods: face to face; by telephone; in writing – formal and informal
- Physical location: at client business premises and on business counsellors premises
- Preparations for meetings: pre-meeting review and analysis of client data; arrangement of times and locations of counselling
- Communication techniques: verbal and non verbal; use and analysis of body language; listening, questioningand summarising; personal presentation
1.2 – Agree with clients the boundaries and nature of the relationship
Performance criteria:
- The nature and boundaries of the service offered are clarified with the clients
- The clients understanding of the process, milestones in the process and potential outcomes is checked at the outset and at the agreed intervals during the business counselling session and programme
- Frequency and scope of review during the lifetime of the business counselling programme, is agreed with the clients
- Their own expectations
- Relevant information suitable for clients is presented to them at a level, pace and point in the discussions which enables them to make effective use of it in decision taking
- A specific contract for business counselling is agreed with the clients
Range:
- Clients: intending and existing business, individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Physical location: at client business premises and on business counsellors premises
- Boundaries and relationships: within constraints of the provisions offered; within the financial constraints of client and service; within professional and ethical boundaries of the business counsellor
- Specific contracts: indicating the extent, duration, review and expected outcomes of the business counselling and indicating roles and responsibilities of the parties: written and verbal; formal and informal
- Communication techniques: verbal and non verbal; use and analysis of body language; listening, questioning and summarising; personal presentation
1.3 – Enable clients to develop the ability to act on own behalf
Performance criteria:
- Dealings with the clients are conducted in a manner which encourages the development of client trust in the business counsellor and the business counselling process
- Clients are encouraged to identify and analyse their own needs and abilities in a business context and to compare them with external standards and expectations
- Where clients operate in groups, they are encouraged to identify and analyse group and team needs and abilities
- Conflicting interests of group members are identified and appropriate actions to accommodate them are explored
- Clients are encouraged to generate new perspectives to evaluate, interpret and use existing information to improve their own and their business performance
- Appropriate new information is presented to clients at a pace and in a format which they are able to assimilate and adapt to their needs
- Availability of other suitable sources of business support is identified to clients and clients are encouraged to evaluate their potential relevance and value
- Clients are encouraged to develop and objective appraisal of themselves an their aspirations within the business context, and to develop managerial and analytical skills appropriate to their situation
- Clients are encouraged to make and implement informed choices which will improve their own and their business capability
Range:
- Clients: intending and existing business: individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Needs and abilities: business planning organisation and management; analysis and evaluation of business performance; analysis and evaluation of personal needs of key people with an interest in the business
1.4 – Manage and conclude business counselling relationships
Performance criteria:
- Clients are reminded during sessions of the agreed boundaries of the business counselling
- Effective communication is used to ensure that the solutions and actions are owned by the clients
- Effective communication is used to ensure that clients develop their abilities without developing dependence upon the business counsellor
- Clients are encouraged to develop analytical and evaluative abilities to improve their management performance
- Where the organisation or the individual cannot meet the identified need, clients are directed towards relevant alternative sources of business support
- Clients are encouraged to make appropriate use of professional advice and support in future need
- The business counselling relationship is maintained effectively within the boundaries of agreed contract, within the ethical framework
- Appropriate records of business counselling activities, which do not compromise client confidentiality, are kept and up-dated by the business counsellor
- The termination of the business counselling relationship is managed effectively and allows for further contact between the clients and the organisation
Range:
- Clients: intending and existing businesses; individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Communication techniques: verbal and non verbal; use and analysis of body language; listening, questioning and summarising; personal presentation
Knowledge and skill base for unit 1.
Interpersonal and communication skills:
Methods for communicating courteously and in a business-like way; listening and questioning techniques-seeking and giving information, summarising and testing understanding, recapping
Creating and presenting environments:
Importance of and methods for establishing physical and emotional environments which are likely to be most conducive to effective business counselling; responding to client feedback/participation; identifying requirements and expectations of clients; techniques for exploring any “hidden agenda” of business counselling need; reasons for and means to ensure client confidentiality; equal opportunities considerations
Information analysis and presentation:
Selecting information suitable for client needs; presenting information in understandable and relevant terms to the client; making information available to client; signposting client to other appropriate sources of advice, help and information
Identifying and delineating boundaries:
The professional need for identifying to clients the boundaries of the business counselling offered; the financial constraints of the service; the professional constraints of the service; the capability constraints of the individual business counsellor; organisational and time constraints; other sources of business support for clients
Enabling skills:
The dynamics of business counselling relationships; techniques and tactics to encourage individual self-appraisal; maximising client ability to absorb information; encouraging clients to develop their own skills
Management of business counselling encounters:
The dynamics of business counselling relationships; techniques and methods to enable clients to develop self-confidence which will continue after the business counselling relationship is concluded; recognition by business counsellor of own and service boundaries in meeting client need; recognition of client need for other sources of business support
2. Business counsel clients
This unit is at the heart of the business counselling qualification. It focuses on direct contact with clients to enable them to improve their business performance, and is underpinned by depth of knowledge and understanding about business issues. It includes all aspects of business operation, from potential start-up through to implementation and growth, covering money markets, products and services, people and administration systematic approaches to problems solving are included, together with:
- identifying and agreeing with the client over-riding problem or opportunity
- identifying the range of potential causes of the problem or barriers to taking the opportunity
- selecting the most likely cause or barriers
- identifying a range of possible solutions
- agreeing actions and priorities
- monitoring and supporting
2.1 Assist clients to identify their needs and expectations
Performance criteria:
- Information about the proposed business is elicited from clients intending to start businesses and assimilated by the business counsellor
- The proposed business idea and implementation requirements are reviewed with the clients to identify their viability
- Information about current business performance is elicited from clients to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
- Clients are encouraged to evaluate their current situation in a business context and to express their expectations for the future
- Clients are encouraged to evaluate their current situation against external measures and criteria
- The data and information gathered are analysed with the client to produce and agreed definition of the current position and an outline statement of required outcomes
Range:
- Clients: intended and existing businesses: individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Meetings with clients: as part of a programmed series; as a single interview/contact; pre-planned and unplanned
- Business and business performance: the business idea, resources needed to achieve it, market research personal capability of client: objectives of the business, factors affecting the business, performance of the business against objectives, potential improvements to the business objectives and performance in respect of business organisation and management, product and service production and delivery, marketing, finance, people
2.2 – Explore ways of meeting their needs and expectations with clients
Performance criteria:
- Client needs and expectation are clearly defined in overall terms, and their key component parts agreed with the clients
- Criteria for determining priorities for action are agreed, and areas for action ranked against them
- A range of solutions which could meet agreed need is identified
- The optional alternative solutions are systematically evaluated with the clients against the agreed need to identify the opportunities and restrictions inherent in each
- The client is made aware of the transferability of the process of identification and evaluation to other situations
- Clients are helped to select solutions which most effectively meet their identify the commitment required to achieve them
- Information given and analysis is appropriate to the type, size and life-cycle of the client business, and the capability of the owner manager
Range:
Clients: indented and existing businesses: individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
Needs and expectations: improved business performance; improved personal performance; improved control of business operations; improved product and service quality and margins; improved human resource performance; innovation and business growth
Evaluation process: identifying the current situation; defining the key issues and prioritising them; defining solutions; identifying opportunities and restrictions to success; comparing solutions against agreed criteria; selecting most effective solutions
2.3 – Agree courses of action with clients
Performance criteria:
- Priorities for action are agreed with the clients
- The commitment of clients to undertake action and gain support from other key people with an interest in the business is established
- Roles and responsibilities for the definition and implementation of the action needed are agreed with the clients
- The driving and restraining forces which will affect the achievement of the planned action are identified with the client
- The client is enabled to develop a plan of action which is viable and compatible with business objectives
- The risks of the proposed action are evaluated against the intended benefits, and appropriate contingencies are built in to the action plan
- Action plans identify the extent of any further contact with the business counsellor
- Additional help for the client to achieve the action plan targets is identified
- Appropriate records of agreed action are made and maintained by the business counsellor
Range:
- Clients: intended and existing businesses: individually and in groups representing ownership,partnership and directorship
- Components of action plans: aims and objectives, resources required, obstacles to success, emerging opportunities, time targets and constraints, monitoring progress, contingencies
- Records: confidential records; records shared with clients; records for the business support organisation
Knowledge and skill base for unit 2
Enabling skills:
The dynamics of the business counselling relationship; techniques and tactics to encourage individual self-appraisal; maximising client ability to absorb information; encouraging clients to develop their own skills
Systematic problem solving:
Evaluating current position; defining problem and opportunity; determining nature of problem and likely value of different forms of solutions-recipe, rule of thumb; creative; evaluating against required outcomes
Reviewing business performance:
Problems and opportunities in: basic organisation and control of revenue generating activities; basic business administration and organisation; business and financial conventions; internal relationship issues; relationships with external agencies (e.g. banks); personal aspirations; abilities and capacities of clients
Likely and obvious causes of problem and difficulty and potential solutions; most generally suitable options and those which are most appropriate to specific instances; need to contain solutions within business financial legal conventions (cash flow forecasting; profit and loss; cash flow analysis; records and book keeping, accounting conventions, VAT and tax; sales forecasting; statutory requirements relating to business operations); redefining problems to identify potential opportunities; barriers to achieving potential solutions; feasibility and viability of solutions
Analysing and recording business performance:
- Produce accurate cash flow forecasts, pricing the product and product mix, sales forecasts and profit and loss accounts and forecasts; carrying out market appraisals
- Carrying out financial appraisal-break even, sales analysis, cash book analysis, sensitivity analysis
- Carrying out business health checks
- Survival planning
- SWOT and STEP analysis
Action planning process and outcomes:
Forms of plan; identifying and formulating goals, targets and keys stages of implementation, involving key people and analysing their involvement; identifying driving and restraining forces; assessing relative advantages to the business; ensuring compatibility with business objectives; resource need; obstacles; challenges; timescales alternative implementation strategies; barriers to achievement and ways of overcoming them; contingency planning; risk assessment; incorporating reviews targets criteria; reviewing targets
3. Establish, maintain and utilise personal networks
This unit is concerned with the use of networks to ensure best benefit for clients.
Networks are internal and external, and this unit includes:
- Setting up own networks
- Communicating effectively with network members to develop more effective relationships
- Using the network for individual clients
- Looking at opportunities to improve networks
3.1 – Establish personal networks
Performance criteria:
- Criteria for means of identifying potential network contacts are established
- Relevant organisations, departments and individuals which offer support services to the business sector are identified
- The nature of the information and support given by other organisations is evaluated to establish the extent to which it is complementary or in conflict with own organisation
- Cost effective contacts with providers of funding and finance to the business sector are established
- Contacts within the business community to promote business counselling activities and to identify potential network contacts for clients are established
- Potential new contacts are identified and evaluated for suitability for inclusion in networks
- Personal networks which enhance and complement organisational networks are established
Range:
Network contacts: governmental and non governmental organisations; local and national, statutory, non statutory and voluntary provision; members of professional organisations, peers and colleagues; banking, accounting, legal services, private practice
Contact methods: verbal and written contact; formal and informal opportunities
Criteria for networks: benefit for clients; complementary to own organisation; cost effective
3.2 – Develop constructive relationships with network members
Performance criteria:
- Appropriate means are adopted to develop effective and constructive relationships with network members
- Relevant emerging information affecting business support services is shared with network members
- Positive feedback from privious contacts is given to emphasise the value of the network and individual help
- Opinions and information are exchanged accurately across the network
- Differences are dealt with by means which avoid conflict and offence
Range:
- Network contacts: governmental and non governmental organisations; local and national, statutory and non statutory and voluntary provision; members of professional organisations, peers and colleagues; banking, accounting, legal services, private practice.
- Networks: personal and organisational; formal and informal
3.3 – Manage networking relationships
Performance criteria:
- Contact with other network members is managed to ensure maximum benefit for clients
- Contact within and between networks maximises client opportunity without compromising client confidentiality
- Contract with network is managed in a manner which is sympathetic to organisational aims and objectives
- Methods of contact with network members is reviewed at agreed intervals to ensure their continuing value to the organisation
- Extensions and expansions to the network are managed with resource availability
Range:
- Network contacts: governmental and non governmental organisations; local and national, statutory and non statutory and voluntary provision; members of professional organisations, peers and colleagues; banking, accounting, legal services, private practice
- Networks: personal and organisational; formal and informalContact methods: verbal and written contact; formal and informal opportunities
3.4 – Access network for information and help for individual clients
Performance criteria:
- Appropriate network contacts for individual client requirements are identified
- The network is accessed for the client a point when it is most beneficial to the client
- Accuracy and relevance of accessed information is verified with the network contact
- Additional, alternative and complementary sources of information, from within and without the network are identified
- Appropriate boundaries to the counsellor’s own activities in networking are established and maintained
- Where appropriate, arrangements for client to have direct access to the appropriate information and help are madeClients are assisted inevaluating the relevance and suitability of help and information
- Contact with networks is conducted in a manner which does not compromise client confidentiality
Range:
- Network contacts: governmental and non governmental organisations; local and national, statutory and non statutory and voluntary provision; members of professional organisations, peers and colleagues; banking, accounting, legal services, private practices
- Clients: intended and existing businesses
3.5 – Identify opportunities for making networks more effective
Performance criteria:
- Means of making current regular contacts with network members more effective are identified
- Networks are assessed to identify the extent to which the range of personal and business expertise provides the most effective client service
- Opportunities to improve the quality of information exchanged between network organisations are identified
- Opportunities for extending the network both locally and nationally are identified
- Resource implications of formal and informal expansion are identified and justified
Range:
- Network contacts: governmental and non governmental organisations; local and national, statutory, non statutory and voluntary provision; members of professional organisations, peers and colleagues; banking, accounting, legal services, private practice
- Networks: personal and organisational; formal and informal
- Contact methods: verbal and written contacts; formal and informal opportunities
Knowledge and skill base for unit 3
Establishing and using networks:
- Recognition of range of personal and business expertise which are complementary and varied to provide the most effective client service from within and without the organisation. Methods and purposes of monitoring personal conduct formally and informally. Importance of providing positive feedback from previous contacts to emphasise the value of network and individual help.
- Importance of providing network contacts with emerging information which will be of value to then in their work.
- Recognising overload in network contacts and effective mechanisms for sharing between network members.
- Methods of minimising conflict and difference.
- Recognition of different organisational goals.
Interpersonal and communication skills:
- Interpersonal skills needed to define client needed for information and help.
- Interpersonal skills in contacting network in presence of client and presenting client need tactfully and clearly.
- Communication and listening skills in assisting client to assimilate and evaluate information.
Evaluating networks:
- Nature and extent or organisational network.
- Nature and frequency of formal contract mechanisms between organisations.
- Means of obtaining and exchanging information on existing and new organisations which should be included within the network.
- Criteria for evaluating resource implications and completing cost: benefit analyses.
4. Maintain and develop own professional practice
This unit is about monitoring performance with clients ensure it is consistent, professional and within ethical boundaries, keeping personal and professional skills up to date, and undertaking continuing professional development.
It includes:
- objectively judging own performance with clients
- ensuring that technical skills are in place
- keeping up to date in your area of specialist expertise
- taking part in continuing professional development
4.1 – Monitor own activity in dealings with clients
Performance criteria:
- A professional and ethical framework appropriate to the primary area of work practice is adopted and explained by the business counsellor
- Initial analysis to establish potential range of client business counselling need is conducted before the first meeting with the client takes place
- Recognised procedures are used for arranging the location and time of the business counselling meeting
- Contact with client during meetings is conducted inaccordance with service offered, and with ethical and professional requirements
- Client confidentiality is maintained thoughout, and is not compromised by monitoring review and supervisory procedures
- Personal reviews of business counselling are conducted at the end of each session and at the end of each series of encounters
- Personal performance is evaluated to ensure consistent, professional and ethical practice, and to identify any areas for improvement
- Supervisory suggestions for change and improvement are evaluated and responded to positively
Range:
- Ethical frameworks which: are non judgmental and prejudice free; include best practice as well as principles; reflect the aims and objectives of the business counsellor’s host organisation are overt to actual and potential clients of the business counsellor and host organisation
- Clients: intending and existing businesses; individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Business counselling locations: at client business premises; at client intended business premises; on business counsellor’s premises; on premises supplied by business support organisation
- Monitoring systems: own; organisation’s; via peer groups and client contact
4.2 – Maintain own capability in analysing and recording business performance and activity
Performance criteria:
- Business plans, cash flow forecasts, product pricing strategies and profit and loss accounts produced for and with client group are accurate and technically correct
- Balance sheets are accurately interpreted
- Current legal and financial matters affecting client group operational and management performance
- Appropriate techniques are employed to assess client group operational and management performance
- Known and anticipated changed which will affect client group are identified and assimilated
Range:
Client group: intended and existing businesses: individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
Business legal and financial matters: Local, national and international legislation governing business operations in respect of client group; Formats and calculating techniques for financial records for client group; Appraisal techniques for marketing, financial and performance viability of client businesses at all stages of the business cycle
4.3 – Maintain capability in own specialist area
Performance criteria:
- Formal mechanisms for recognising and maintaining specialist competence and knowledge are adopted wherever possible
- Changes affecting practice and knowledge within own specialist area which affect client group are identified and relevant information is assimilated
- Opportunities are taken to share appropriate information, opinions and trends with per specialists
- Appropriate input and accreditation mechanisms are accessed to improve and accredit continuing personal competence
Range:
Client group: intended and existing businesses: individually and in groups representing ownership. partnership and directorship
Formal mechanisms and input and accreditation mechanisms will include: membership of, or recognition of acceptability to practice from, the relevant organisation, where this is a requirement to practice within a specialist field; accreditation and CPD programmes endorsed by Chartered Institutions, Awarding Bodies, Lead Bodies and Accrediting Bodies
Opportunities for sharing information will include: participating in conferences, seminars and workshops; responding to information from representative interested parties disseminating views formall
4.4 – Develop professional practice to adopt to technical and environmental change
Performance criteria:
- A personal action plan is produced with identifies appropriate ways to maintain and develop personal professional practice
- The personal action plan identifies needs and options, costs of options, and targets for achievement
- The personal plans is periodically updated to recognise areas of achievement and to introduce revised objectives in the light of personal improvement
- Professional practice is adopted to meet changing technical requirements
- Professional practice is adopted to respond to the changing environment of business operation
- Opportunities to share knowledge and experience with significant others are taken as they arise
- Information regarding technical and environmental change is accessed and evaluated critically to determined its impact on client businesses
Range:
- Client group: intended and existing businesses: individually and in groups representing ownership, partnership and directorship
- Technical changes: statutory requirements affecting client business operations
- Environmental changes: arising from political and funding change; social and economic pressures
- Targets for achievement: time; cost; outcomes; process; impact on performance
Knowledge and skill base for unit 4
Ethical and professional considerations:
- Ethical and professional frameworks which underpin activity in business counselling.
- Customer care and client confidentiality within practice.
- Personal business knowledge, experience and specialisms which underpin business counselling activity.
- Techniques and limitations of self-appraisal
- Codes of practice, and descriptions of best practice
Methods and purposes of monitoring conduct:
- Reasons for and limitations of pre-assessment of client need prior to initial meeting with client; Methods of conducting business counselling encounters to enable monitoring of personal conduct to occur unobtrusively.
- The reasons for monitoring business counselling activity.
- Recognition of what constitutes best practice.
- Recognition of the impact of client type and presentation on counsellor performance.
Professional and specialist expertise:
- Existing and impact of relevant professional bodies, practice requirements; Continuing professional development
- Evaluation to balance CPD opportunities against operational needs
- Effect of political and social perceptions on client business operations
- Effect of political and social and economic realities on ethical and professional activities
- General and specialist knowledge of business operations, rules and methods of analysing and recording business performance
- Methods of maintaining objectivity and ability to evaluate own performance impersonally.
- Impact of business counsellor’s practice on client action and business performance.
- Recognition of need for change to improve practice generally or in specific areas such as: interpersonal skills, business counselling competence, business practices and conventions, organisational and personal ethics.
5. Contribute to the improvement of business support services
This unit is concerned with ongoing evaluation of client needs taken from an overview rather than an individual perspective, identifying trends in client needs which need to be responded to and identifying how the services offered can be improved
It includes:
- Evaluating data from operational activities
- Identifying trends and opportunities for improvements
- Improving quality of business counselling
- Referring information and data on to relevant authorities
5.1 – Gather and evaluate data from operational activities
Performance criteria:
- Information and data on client needs, opportunities and the extent to which current provision meets client needs is gathered from operational activities
- The value of data to individual network organisations and participants is established
- Current and emerging trends affecting the client group are incorporated in to the analysis
- Information on patterns of demand and referrals is systematically collected, and unusual or unexpected data is reviewed with colleagues
- Evidence from informal and opportunistic sources is gathered and incorporated reliably into the data evaluated
- Data is collected and evaluated without compromising client confidentiality
Range:
- Data collection techniques: systematic and opportunistic; formal and informal; specific statistic data and researches; direct and indirect evidence
5.2 – Identify opportunities for improvement and change
Performance criteria:
- Ranges of client need are established and justified
- Obstacles and barriers to client access are adequately identified
- The impact of political, social and operational factors on existing service is recognised within the evaluative framework
- Priorities for information and changes are identified
Range:
Client need for: business support services; business counselling; improved business opportunities; training and learning opportunities; funding and finance opportunities; change in regulations and legislation
5.3 – Contribute to improving the quality of business counselling given to clients
Performance criteria:
- Data regarding business counselling activity is recorded accurately without compromising client confidentiality
- Opportunities are taken to share information and data with colleagues to enhance practice
- Opportunities to improve business counselling activities are brought to the attention of relevant people
Range:
- Colleagues: within own organisation; in external organisations
5.4 – Communicate client needs to appropriate authorities
Performance criteria:
- Data is analysed and the results presented in robust and effective way
- Client group interest represented to policy decision maker and providers can be substantiated
- Potential conflicts of client interest are recognised and brought to the attention of policy makers and providers
- Client needs are communicated in a manner which does not compromise client confidentiality
Range:
- Client need for: business support services; business counselling; improved business opportunities; training and learning opportunities; funding and finance opportunities; changes in regulations and legislation
- Policy decision makers and providers: internally and externally
Knowledge and skills base needed for unit 5
Data collections and evaluation
Sources of information arising from operational activities:
- Techniques for data storage and organisation which enables trends etc. to be identified.
- Mechanisms for ensuring client confidentiality in data collection and evaluation.
- Patterns of demand.
- Evaluation techniques to determine client and client group need in the short, medium and long term.
Factors and Trends:
- Political, social and economic factors affecting the business community.
- Social, economic and environmental trends
- Technological and scientific innovation impacting on the business community.
- Activities of business support organisations.
Communication techniques:
- Oral and written; Formal and informal; Report writing techniques; Presentations and visual aids.
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