Adapted from:
Type
Dr.
Joe
author
O’Mahoney
names and
hereCalvert Markham
O’Mahoney and Markham:
Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Chapter 7:
Consultancy Skills
© Oxford University Press, 2013. All rights reserved.
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will :
• Know the skills needed by a consultant that are different from any
other managerial occupation.
• Understand the challenges of working in a consulting role.
• Recognise the three key processes in consulting: selling the work,
delivering the work, and managing a consulting business.
• Understand how consultants should manage their time and set
priorities for what they do in selling and management.
• Recognise some of the key communication skills that consultants find
useful in performing this work well.
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
A question of identity
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
The components of consulting skills
There are three components:
1. The consultant’s specialist knowledge, which may be functional, such
as in marketing, finance or some other function, or perhaps strategy,
technology or process.
2. Capability in applying this knowledge to the benefit of the client
organisation.
3. Understanding organisations: the skills needed to engage with the
structure and processes of an organisation effectively.
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Consultancy interview – part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--qrJl2Gb8M
Consulting interview – part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi5gSGK6ZvA
A consultant is outside the client system
The challenges in being an outsider arise from:
•Issues of power: without a position within the hierarchical organisation,
consultants have to work through the existing management structure.
•Issues of communication: every organisation has its own
communication methods and channels; they will have habits, styles and
protocols that may be different from other organisations.
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Figure 8.1
Consultant–client interaction
From Wickham, P (2004)
Figure 7.1
Consultants’ responsibility for growth and results model
Source: After Champion, D.P., Kiel, D.H. and McLendon, J.A. (1990) ‘Choosing a consulting role’, Training and Development Journal, 1 February.
From Wickham, P (2004)
Figure 7.2
Push–Pull model
From Wickham, P (2004)
Figure 7.4
16PF Plot Example
From Wickham, P (2004)
Organising your work and
working with others
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Time management
• Recognise you are not the master of all your time.
• You cannot manage your work load and hence your
time unless you can say “no” to tasks.
• Work flow is rarely smooth
– You will be kept waiting
– Essential extra tasks often arise when you are at your busiest
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Figure 11.2
An example of a page from a project log
Decision tool – Pareto analysis
In 1906 Vilfredo Pareto observed that 80% of the land in Italy was
owned by 20% of the population and that 20% of the pea pods in his
garden contained 80% of the peas.
80% of a company's profits come from 20% of its customers
80% of a company's complaints come from 20% of its customers
80% of a company's profits come from 20% of the time its staff
spend
80% of a company's sales come from 20% of its products
80% of a company's sales are made by 20% of its sales staff
Living Life the 80/20 Way by Richard Koch (2004)
Therefore, many businesses have an easy access to dramatic
improvements in profitability by focusing on the most effective areas
and eliminating, ignoring, automating, delegating or retraining the
15 | Presentation Topic | Russian Railways Corporate University
rest, as appropriate.
Pareto Principle
80% of information comes from 20% of research cost
The remaining 20% of information would come from 80% of research
cost
Information
Cost
16 | Presentation Topic | Russian Railways Corporate University
Time
Pareto Principle – cost of perfect
information
80% of information comes from 20% of research cost and time
The remaining 20% of information would come from 80% of research
cost
80% information
20% information
Information
Cost
17 | Presentation Topic | Russian Railways Corporate University
Interviewing with McKinsey: Case study interview (advice and
reflections)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGzYzq3Wsos
Working with others
• Keep your identity as a consultant
• Respect your team mates
• Be honest
• Be prepared to compromise
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Consulting 101
(!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cyvmF7GD8o
Seven Cs of Consulting
Client
Close
Clarify
Create
Continue
Confirm
Change
Managing a consulting practice
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Situational leadership styles
Guidance is about how much direction is given about the task and how to do it.
Support is about the emotional support that the boss gives.
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Check - EVR Congruence
Effective decision making balances resources, environment and values
Environment
Resources
Organization
Operations
Assets
Competences
Values
Expectations of
Stakeholder groups
Management style
Leadership
Culture
R
E
V
Externalities
Political
Economic
Socio-cultural
Technological
Environmental
Market
Customers
Competitors
Adapted from Thompson 1999
© Robert Jones 2014
Effective outcome is in the overlap – the congruence of E-V-R
and
Environment
Resources
Organization
Operations
Feasibility
Assets
Competences
Efficiency
Goals
Objectives
R
Values
Expectations of
Stakeholder groups
Management style
Leadership
Culture
E
Suitability
V
Acceptability
Externalities
Political
Economic
Socio-cultural
Technological
Environmental
Market
Customers
Competitors
© Robert Jones 2014
Effective decision making –
Matching resources with
the environment to satisfy
Values and expectations
of stakeholders
The underpinning skills in
Management Consultancy
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
The underpinning skills in Management
Consultancy
• Personal impact and presence
– Appearance
– Body language
•
•
•
•
Making presentations
Writing reports
Running and participating in meetings
Skills in persuasion, negotiation and
facilitation
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition
Client handling skills
• Honour the client
• Never disparage anyone
• Remember that consulting projects belong to the
client
• When things go wrong then try to fix them
• Carefully manage client expectations
O’Mahoney and Markham: Management Consultancy, 2nd edition