A consultant (from Latin: consultare "to discuss") is a professional who provides professional or expert advice[1] in a particular area such

as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law (tax law, in particular), human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, immigration, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public affairs, communication, engineering, sound system design, graphic design, or waste management. Consulting guru, Peter Block, defines a consultant as "someone who has influence over an individual, group, or organization, but who has no direct authority to implement changes." He contrasts this with a surrogate manager who is a person who "acts on behalf of, or in place of, a manager." The key difference is that a consultant never makes decisions for the individual or group, whereas a surrogate manager does make decisions. A consultant is usually an expert or a professional in a specific field and has a wide knowledge of the subject matter.[2] The role of consultant outside the medical sphere (where the term is used specifically for a grade of doctor) can fall under one of two general categories:

Internal Consultant - someone who operates within an organisation but is available to be consulted on areas of specialism by other departments or individuals (acting as clients); or External Consultant - someone who is employed externally (either by a firm or some other agency) whose expertise is provided on a temporary basis, usually for a fee. As such this type of consultant generally engages with multiple and changing clients.

Overall the impact of a consultant is that clients have access to deeper levels of expertise than would be feasible for them to retain in-house, and may purchase only as much service from the outside consultant as desired. 'Consultant' is also the term used to denote the most senior medical position in the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland (e.g., a consultant surgeon). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consultant#Ways_in_which_consultants_work

The range of areas of expertise covered by the term consultant is extremely wide. One of the more general attributions is as a Management Consultant but this is not an exclusive term. The process of consulting and the means by which the (external) consultant is engaged vary according to industry and local practice. However the principal difference between a consultant and a temp is generally one of direction. A consultant is engaged to fulfill a brief in terms of helping to find solutions to specific issues but the ways in which that is to be done generally falls to the consultant to decide, within constraints such as budget and resources agreed with the client. (A temp on the other hand is normally fulfilling a role that usually exists within the organisation and is helping to bridge a gap caused by staffing shortages for whatever reason. They fall under the direction of the normal management structure of the organization.)

There is however a hybrid form where a consultant may be hired as an Interim Manager or Executive, bringing a combination of specialist expertise to bear on a role that is temporarily vacant (usually at a senior level). Some consultants are employed indirectly by the client via a consultancy staffing company, a company that provides consultants on an agency basis. (The staffing company itself does not usually have consulting expertise but works rather like an employment agency.) This form of working is particularly common in the ICT sector. Such consultants are often called contractors since they are usually providing technical services (such as programming or systems analysis) that could be performed in-house were it not easier for the employer to operate a flexible system of only hiring such technologists at times of peak workload rather than permanently.

What or Who is a Consultant and What Makes Them Good?

Posted by Jacob Morgan on October 8, 2010 0 comments | 1546 reads
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A consultant is a person in a position to have some influence over an individual, a group, or an organization, but who has no direct power to make changes or implement programs. A manager is someone who has direct responsibility over the action. The moment you take direct responsibility, you are acting as a manager. ~ Peter Block Ive been consulting on various things for around 5 years now anything from SEO, to social media, to customer strategy, to employee engagement strategy (and probably a few other random things as well) and Ive definitely tried quite a mix of approaches and techniques and some were far less successful than others. I have definitely played the role of the manager and the consultant (even though I should have always been the consultant) and have learned quite a bit from my successes and failures along the way. Peter Block laid out what I consider to be the best set of skills required for a consultant, I only wish I would have read them 5 years agoactually no I dont, because I learned some valuable lessons by coming up with my own way of doing thingson to Peter Blocks consulting skills: Technical skills

This refers to your area of expertise, you dont need to be a master per say but you need to have some knowledge or expertise in a particular area. For example, marketing, sales, I.T, etc. You must have some level of expertise in a particular area in order for people to ask for your advice. Interpersonal skills Consulting is all about dealing with people either as individuals or in groups whether they be entry level employees or C-suite executives. Regardless of who you are talking to you need to be able to put your ideas into a coherent string of words and sentences that other people can understand. You also need to be able to give support when and where needed and be able to disagree in a reasonable and rational way. Oddly enough I believe that many people lack this set of interpersonal skills, they may be smart and they may have great ideas but they simply lack people skills. Consulting skills According to Block, consulting projects go through a series of five phases and the skills required here are to be able to take clients through each of the steps successfully. The phases are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Entry and contracting Discovery and dialogue Feedback and the decision to act Engagement and implementation Extension, recycle, or termination

What do you think makes a good consultant? What have you learned during the course of your consulting practice or working with other consultants? Do you agree with Peter Block?

Republished with author's permission from original post by Jacob Morgan. http://www.customerthink.com/blog/what_or_who_is_a_consultant_and_what_makes_them_goo d

Should We Hire a Consultant?

Should we hire a consultant to assist in the development of the RFP and selection of the new system?

Originally presented to UCSB Telephone Advisory Committee on 10/20/95. Revised version presented at meeting of 1/12/96.

Reasons for Hiring a Consultant

To obtain the benefits of specialized expertise for system selection. Communications Services' staff has had presentations from the manufacturers or distributors of switching systems from AT&T, Intecom, Ericsson, Fujitsu, Northern Telecom, and NEC. The presentations, of course, are biased, and do not represent a highly technical and objective comparative analysis among the represented systems. It has been eleven years since Communications Services' staff has had to compare systems of different vendors, and there could be benefits in working with a consultant who has evaluated and selected dozens of systems for other customers in the past few years. To get the benefit of an objective viewpoint. An objective viewpoint given by a recognized expert from outside the campus can help resolve the internal and external politics that frequently cloud campus issues. To obtain manpower which cannot be spared from day-to-day operations. Hiring additional, temporary expertise is less expensive than adding permanent staff, particularly once every 7 to 10 years. To obtain a fresh view of an institution's operations. A fresh view may make it possible to find solutions to technical or operational problems that have resisted the best efforts of campus staff. Cost avoidance. A good consultant should be able to minimize the possibility of selecting a system which will have a high life cycle cost due to inherent deficiencies which are not clearly identified by the manufacturer.
Reasons for Not Hiring a Consultant

Consultants cost a lot of money. Based upon current rates, it can be expected that a consultant for a job of this magnitude will cost UCSB between fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) and one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). Assuming the total installed cost for a new system is five million dollars, the consultant's fee at one hundred thousand dollars represents two percent (2%) of the purchase price. This expense would be reflected in the telephone line rates on campus. Hiring a consultant takes a long time. Based upon a recent experience in Communications Services, retaining a consultant through due process required about six months. This means that a decision to hire a consultant needs to be made very soon.
What Services Could a Consultant Provide?

Revised, based on discussions at meeting of 10/20/95. Results of discussions follow each topic.

Long range strategic planning: May be useful to have the consultant provide a presentation on their opinion of the future of telephone systems and open competition in California. Communications Services' current consultant is willing to provide this presentation at no charge.

Compiling an equipment inventory: Can be done by Communications Services' staff. Consultant not needed for this task. Current system evaluation: Consultant not needed for this task. Needs assessment: Could have the consultant review the needs assessment prepared by GTE, but it isn't necessary to re-interview people on campus. RFP preparation: It would be helpful to have a consultant review the draft RFP, but not develop the draft. Vendor proposal evaluation: The consultant could be asked to assist in the review of proposals (e.g., provide comments on the vendors' statements in their proposals), but their point-by-point evaluation would not have to be included in the quality point assignments so that selection of the system is made solely by U.C. employees. Vendor contract negotiation: Consultant not needed for this task. Installation project management: Consultant not needed for this task. System acceptance testing: Consultant not needed for this task. Development of internal management systems: Consultant not needed for this task. Provide assistance on understanding the current technology and knowing which vendors offer which equipment and services: Could be done at the same time as task 1, above, at no charge. Network design: Consultant not needed for this task. Education and training: Consultant not needed for this task. Organizational structure development: Consultant not needed for this task. Selection and implementation of management software systems: Consultant not needed for this task.

http://www.commserv.ucsb.edu/reference/background/consult.asp

About Hospitality Formula Consulting

Hospitality Formula Consulting was founded on the principle that hospitality is the vital component in the success of great restaurants. By utilizing a network of hospitality industry professionals, Hospitality Formula Consulting is uniquely positioned to help your restaurant grow. By staying abreast of new trends, best practices, and time-tested systems, Hospitality Formula Consulting can help address the challenges your restaurant faces. We utilize the latest technologies as well as on-site consulting to find the most cost-effective solutions to the issues preventing your restaurant from being as profitable as it should be. Our restaurant industry experience allows us to root out inefficiencies, recapture lost profits, and motivate your staff to help your restaurant succeed. Hospitality Formula Consulting is far more than just an accounting or training company. We offer a wide variety of services to address any barriers that prevent your restaurant from achieving rapid growth. All of these services are offered with an understanding of budgetary limitations and designed to provide a return on your investment quickly. We continue to grow because our past clients are our best form of marketing. We offer solutions in a number of different areas. Here are a few ways that Hospitality Formula Consulting can help make your restaurant more successful:

Training Materials Training Seminars Leadership Training Marketing Strategies Concept Creation Menu Design Third Party Whistleblower Hotlines Loss Prevention Cost Analysis Profit Maximization Market Comparisons Accounting Systems Professional Development These services are all available for less than you might think. We make our money by helping you make far more. To schedule a conversation about how we can help you, please contact us at consulting http://www.themanagersoffice.com/5-about/about-hospitality-formulaconsulting/@hospitalityformula.com.