Part 8 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

This is it. You’ve made it to the implementation phase of your client engagement. All the analysis is done and the countless hours of debating over which steps to take are well behind you. It’s all smooth sailing from this point on right? Sorry pal. In fact, quite possibly, some of the hardest times are still to come. (Did I mention I was sorry?) Oh and did I mention that most of your budget will be spent during the upcoming implementation phase while executing your deliverables? To make matters worse, even if you’ve been clever enough to bring your client over to your side along the way, during this critical phase, he may yet turn against you – and worst yet – may not even realize he’s in fact resisting you. Read more…

Management Consulting, Project Management 8 of 13, Mana 695E, Resistance

Part 7 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

Reviewing the history of  the management consulting industry is a lot like playing with mercury (for those of you who remember when mercury could be found in thermometers). As you push and swirl mercury, it often splits into smaller globules over and over again – only to reform into larger globules later on just to split again later.  Management consulting companies behave similarly. It is not uncommon for an office to break free from its parent company,  a former VP to start his own practice or for a small firm to get assimilated into a larger one. This should not come as a surprise as the management consulting industry is one based on client services and as such must cater to market tastes and demands.

While we don’t have the luxury of having the buying power or force of, say, a consulting firm like Bain, even a single-person operation can consider growth as an option to better meet customer needs. Ways one can grow one’s  business  will be the focus of the remainder of this post. Read more…

Management Consulting 7 of 13, Growth, Mana 695E

Part 6 of 13 of my series on the profession of management consulting

So you’ve survived the entry phase, have a contract and have diagnosed your client’s underlying problem. You have successfully defined a SMART objective and are ready to roll. What’s next? Now you have to map out a course of action. But which path do you go down? How do you come up a good plan or select between so many viable alternatives? While in many cases the answers may appear clear, it’s very possible that by going with your gut you are not selecting the best option.

So, how do you come up with the “best” plan or option? Read more…

Management Consulting 6 of 13, Mana 695E