What to Avoid as a Management Consultant

Introduction

Over the course of my professional career, I have been part of various esteemed organisations. I have enjoyed my journey with each and every one of them. A sizeable chunk of this journey has been spent (and still is) as a Management Consultant. Here, I would like to share with a learning that preceded my Management Consulting days. No, it is not about an important or indispensable toolkit, but indispensable nevertheless – it is about What to Avoid as a Management Consultant.

Most organisations I have been part of, are excellent at what they do. Their ultimate objective, is to provide a valuable service to their clients. They invest significantly in on-boarding employees as well as in Learning & Development initiatives to ensure that they are always sufficiently updated and upskilled. However, one of the most critical elements that I have personally found missing in every instance is that there is scant emphasis on the intrinsic qualities that help make a better Management Consultant. This, I feel, is the key behind successfully serving our clients. The simple truth is that without our clients’ needs, Management Consultants would cease to exist. So it makes simple sense to focus on their needs and how we can fulfill those needs.

I was lucky enough to come across this ‘secret’ early on in my career. This came to me as a forwarded chain e-mail while I was a young Associate with GE Capital – quite an unexpected setting and circumstance. After all, GE Capital is anything but a Management Consultancy! But the valuable lesson that I learnt has stuck to me throughout. I have shared it as much as I could to help my peers, my team members, functional partners, etc. . . . whenever I had the opportunity.

Today I am sharing the crux of the story and my own specific conclusions from it. I hope that you enjoy it and keep on spreading the good word. Let us continue to provide value to our clients. I hope that this helps us to rise above the traditional starched collars and dapper suits view of Management Consultants and graduate to a more intimate confidant or sounding-board for our valued clients. Happy viewing.

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