consulting tolls

8/10/2019 Consulting Tolls

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Consulting: Tools forSuccessFebruary 5, 2001

Boston College Carroll Graduate School of Management


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Deborah Bernstein

Rod Blacklock

Suzie Sergi

Vin OReilly

Diane Weiss / ConsultingBoston College Carroll Graduate School of Management


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Agenda

Consulting: Tools for Success

Objectives

Top 10 Lists

Skills

Lessons Learned

Feedback on Your Questions Conflict Resolution Exercise

Q&AVin OReilly



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Objectives

Provide honest feedback about a career in consulting

Tie current learning to skills needed in consulting

Helpful hints for Dianne Weiss Consulting Project

Vin OReilly



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Reasons TO go into consulting

Exposure to different companies, industries, andpeople

Flexibility of schedule - Autonomy Non-repetitive projects

Training / Learning - formal and informal

Well-defined career path

Multiple responsibilities

Vin OReilly



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Top Reasons NOT TO go into consulting

Work / life balance

Travel

Fix and run Always at the bottom of the learning curve

Metrics

Multiple stakeholders Perception of consultants

Inability to affect changeVin OReilly



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Sills Most Often Used

Vin OReilly

Diane Weiss / Consulting

Communication skills Feedback

Reflective practice Listening skills Interview skills

Thinking on your feet

Managing upward

Presentation skills

Time management skills Multi-tasking

Multiple projects Prioritization

Conflict resolution

Writing skills

Project management skills

Facilitation skills



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Lessons Learned for Diane Weiss

You will rarely implement the optimal solution but you can alwaysimplement an effective solution

Expect to be treated like an outsider; sometimes it will work to

your advantage; sometimes it will be a barrier Your interests, the firms interests, your staffs interests and the

clients interests are not always aligned

Rule of thumb: Give the client what they want, but tell them what

they need to hear

Linkage: Tie the solution to the root cause

Learn to practice conflict resolution versus conflict avoidanceVin OReilly



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Question: What are specific consultingtools that could help with Diane Weiss?

Project management Mobilization

document roles and responsibilities

discuss team expectations Statement of Work / Job Arrangement Letter

scope maintenance Workplan

timeline

milestones / interim deliverables accountability

Establish and document deliverables

Vin OReilly



10/18

Question: What are specific consultingtools that could help with Diane Weiss?

Project management (continued) Status meetings (client and team)

Establish desired outcomes for every meeting

Create an agenda End with action items / next steps

Process Analysis Flowcharting

Data Gathering

Interviews Focus Groups Survey

Vin OReilly



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Question: How do you define the scope?

DONT START WITH THE SOLUTION

List assumptions

Assess the situation before identifying the problem andcreating a statement of work and deliverables

Push back on the client

Write up a problem statement

Use root cause analysis

Vin OReilly



12/18

Question: How do you set expectationsand manage them?

Establish team roles and responsibilities and stick to them!

Open discuss work styles with your team

Appoint a client point of contact / relationship manager

Hold team-mates accountable and have repercussions

Set up regular meetings with the client to avoid surprises andget feedback

Give real-time feedback

Establish and document what you expect from the client

Vin OReilly



13/18

Question: How can we best prepare ourselvesfor the profession or an interview?

Vin OReilly


Industry Financial Services High Tech Higher Education Healthcare Retail / Manufacturing Entertainment

Characteristics

Internal / External Profit/Not-for-Profit Large/Small Public/Private

Types of Consulting Management Consulting

Strategy Risk Management Change Management Crisis Management

Technology Strategy Human Resources Process

Operations Supply Chain

Systems Implementation Marketing Tax and Legal Financial Valuation

Answer: Be focused


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Question: How can we best prepare ourselvesfor the profession or an interview (cont.)?

Be focused about what kind of consulting you want topursue

Talk to people: network Follow up with interviews that did not go well

Get your resume referred from someone within

Check your resume

dont underestimate past work experience

dont forget charity work

Research the company Vin OReilly Diane Weiss / Consulting



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Conflict Resolution Exercise

Break into your new second semester teams

1 person from each team should volunteer to be a facilitator /scribe

Please answer the following question: WHAT IS AN EXISTINGOR POTENTIAL CONFLICT THAT YOUR TEAM MAY FACE AS ACLIENT SERVICE PROVIDER?

Each team member must produce 3 responses

Report your responses to the scribe

As a team, group common responses together

Identify the most frequently occurring response

As a team, identify 3 action items to resolve or minimize theconflict discussed Vin OReilly



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Thank You

Vin OReilly

Diane Weiss / Consulting

Deborah [email protected]

Rod [email protected]

Suzie [email protected]



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Recommended Reading

Managing the Professional Services Firm

by David Maister

First Break All the Rules

by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman

Emotional Intelligence

by Daniel GolemanVin OReilly



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Things to Inquire about when talking toConsulting Firms

Expected Travel Staffing model

National practice

Regional (e.g. Northeast) Training opportunities Simultaneous projects and obligations Focus on Industry vs Service Lines Average duration of projects

Salary, bonus, and benefits structure Independence rules Ethics Calibre of clients

Vin OReilly


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