Milan Kubr Management Consulting
Kayla Munl
Widely recognized as a key reference work on the practice of consulting, this guide offers an extensive introduction to professional consulting, its nature, methods, organizational principles, behavioral rules, and training and development practices. Today's information- and knowledge-based economy is constantly creating new opportunities and challenges for consultants. This new edition of Management Consulting actively reflects and confronts these developments and changes. New topics covered in this edition include: e-business consulting consulting in knowledge management total quality management corporate governance social role and responsibility of business company transformation and renewal public administration This book serves as a useful and inspiring tool for individuals and organizations wishing to improve their consulting activities. Praise for the previous edition: A wealth of information about the nature and purpose of management consulting, consulting in various areas and the management of a consulting firm. It should help practitioners, entrants to the profession and business people wishing to use consultants more effectively.--Financial Times
Wickham and Wickham (2008) Management Consulting: delivering an effective project Prentice Hall. As the name indicates, this is focused on the practicalities of delivering a consulting project.
Gilbert Toppin and Fiona Czerniawska (2005) Business Consulting: A Guide to How it Works and How to Make it Work. Economist books. A good overview of the UK industry before the banking crisis.
Sturdy, AJ, Wright, C & Wylie, N (2015), Management as Consultancy: Neo-bureaucracy and the Consultant Manager. Cambridge University Press. Based on research from one of the largest academic studies of consultancy ever the book argues that management consultancy is becoming a victim of its own success, leading to increasing imitation, and ultimately substitution. (This publication was the winner of the Urwick Prize in 2016).
Clayton M. Christensen, Dina Wang, Derek van Bever, Consulting on the Cusp of Disruption. Harvard Business Review October 2013. The article argues that the same forces that disrupted so many businesses are starting to reshape the world of consulting.
Calvert Markham (2014) The Top Consultant: Developing Your Skills for Greater Effectiveness. This covers the activities of more senior and experienced consultants. It is published as an e-book.
I learned about appreciative inquiry several years ago, and have added it to my tool kit to supplement the root cause analysis technique common in consulting, IT and project management. This straightforward approach has significantly benefited my clientele, as well as my approach for engaging with my stakeholders.
Particularly when implementing better practices or transformations, first focus on what organizations are already good at and want more of. Since what organizations focus on becomes reality, it is more effective and efficient to pay attention to this perspective first and foremost. These strengths are often hidden throughout organizations and regions.
When we go in to advise organizations and project teams on sustainability, they frequently are already doing many things well. If we take the time to explain the why and what of the sustainable practices and not just the how, we can uncover many existing practices that can be leveraged elsewhere in the organization. Often making a few minor improvements on existing practices, as well as raising the profile and importance of these practices, can make the world of difference for more empowered, energized, and successful project delivery teams.
Townsin, Jon. (July 12, 2013) Appreciative Inquiry, from =QzW22wwh1J4#action=share
About the Author - Peter Milsom, FCMC, GPM Global
Peter Milsom helps organizations understand what sustainability means to them, in order to maximize their benefits and value while minimizing costs and threats. He does this by helping organizations at all levels from the c-suite to the front lines understand what all of the elements of sustainability are, and helping them prioritize and focus on those areas that make the most sense. His area of focus in the sustainability space is change delivery or projects. Peter has also worked on a number of international standards, and is currently the Convenor of ISO 21502 Guidance on Project Management, and is the Secretary of the ISO 31000 Implementation Guidance Handbook. Peter is currently a Board Member of CMC-Ontario.
He is a contributing author: Sustainable Project Management - The GPM Reference Guide, 2nd Edition; The GPM P5 Standard for Sustainability in Project Management v1.5
A version of the article was first published here.
Management consulting is an independent, professional advisory service assisting managers and organizations to achieve organizational purposes and objectives by solving management and business problems, identifying and seizing new opportunities, enhancing learning, and implementing changes.
Professional management consultants are contracted by organizations to provide objective and independent advice. Advisory services may include identification and analysis of management problems, developing solutions, and the implementation of proposed solutions.
Scope
Professional management consultants may be asked to provide objective advice that will help an organization plan, solve business problems, or manage change, including business start-up, growth or expansion, reorganization, renewal, diversification, downsizing, disposal of assets, planning, review of operations, launching new corporate initiatives or projects, and/or acquiring and implementing technology.
Professional management consultants are hired when an organization lacks sufficient resources or expertise, or requires external objective advice. Most management consultants specialize in helping organizations solve particular types of problems, challenges, or changes.
As with any profession, there is no one perfect model against which every entrant can be measured. While commitment to the profession is critical, there are certain characteristics that increase the consultant's chance of success and personal job satisfaction.
In management consulting, particular importance is attached to: analytical and problem-solving abilities, behavioral competencies, communicating and working with people, and helping others understand the need for change and how to implement it.
As a prerequisite, consulting is based upon a foundation of advanced business or technical education, industry and business management experience, a technical skill relevant to business, and the capacity to work collaboratively in a project environment.
Consultants, like other professionals, hold strong values concerning the conduct of their work. Since a consultant's most valuable asset is his or her reputation, successful consultants have a strong sense of ethics. CMC-Canada has developed a Uniform Code of Professional Conduct for its members. Since consulting is currently unregulated, this Code offers some protection to the public, and outlines the consultant's responsibility to the client. As a general rule, consultants are expected to place their client's interest ahead of their own.
Deloitte is one of the "Big Four" global accounting and consulting firms, with over 220,000 professionals providing audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services in more than 150 countries. It has a long history dating back to 1845 and is the largest private professional services network in the world. Deloitte focuses on creating value for clients through industry-leading services in areas like consulting, audit, tax, and risk management. Its vision is to be the standard of excellence through high quality work, inclusion, collaboration, and opportunity.Read less
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any how to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants for a number of reasons, including gaining external (and presumably objective) advice and accessing consultants' specialized expertise regarding concerns that call for additional oversight.[1]
As a result of their exposure and relationships with numerous organizations, consulting firms are typically aware of industry "best practices".[2] However, the specific nature of situations under consideration may limit the ability or appropriateness of transferring such practices from one organization to another. Management consulting is an additional service to internal management functions and, for various legal and practical reasons, may not be seen as a replacement for internal management. Unlike interim management, management consultants do not become part of the organization to which they provide services.[3][4][5]
Consultancies provide organizational change management assistance, development of coaching skills, process analysis, technology implementation, strategy development, or operational improvement services. Management consultants often bring their own proprietary methodologies or frameworks to guide the identification of problems and to serve as the basis for recommendations with a view to more effective or efficient ways of performing work tasks.[3]
The economic function of management consulting firms is in general to help and facilitate the development, rationalization and optimization of the various markets pertaining to the geographic areas and jurisdictions in which they operate.[6][7] However, the exact nature of the value of such a service model may vary greatly across markets and its description is therefore contingent.[a]
Management consulting grew with the rise of management, as a unique field of study.[1] One of the first management consulting firms was Arthur D. Little Inc., founded in 1886 as a partnership, and later incorporated in 1909.[9] Although Arthur D. Little later became a general management consultancy, it originally specialized in technical research.[10]
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