MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY a handbook of best practice by Philips Sadler

Presented By: 1. Meetu Koul 47

A profession or an industry?
Four essential characteristics of a profession: It is concerned with a body of established knowledge It involves the training of recruits in this knowledge It implies a concern with extending this knowledge It demands a sense of responsibility towards the clients.

 These were:

Hyman concluded by suggesting that a number of procedures and institutions were necessary to transform consultancy into a respectable profession.
consultants

A satisfactory registration procedure for both experienced and apprentice The protection by law of the term consultant A system of training and examinations A disciplinary body A professional journal A professional training college

Consultancy in a changing world

The speed with which the business environment is changing carries with it a number of implications for the consultancy industry. To remain effective, consultants need to be fully aware of the major trends and able to assess the impact of these on the strategic positions of their clients. Consultants must develop considerable competence in the field of change management if they are to be of real value to their clients. Successful implementation in todays climate calls for great sensitivity to the various causes of resistance to change, sensitivity of a kind that comes with considerable experience of change management in a range of situations. Finally, the consulting firm itself must adapt to new environmental pressures and opportunities 4

Consultancy marketing strategies and Tactics

An 11-step planning Programme 1 Business mission 2 Business objectives 3 Marketing objectives 4 Marketing strategy 5 Communications objectives 6 Communications strategy 7 Advertising objectives 8 Advertising strategy 9 Creative strategy 10 Media strategy 11 Contact strategy (Adapted courtesy of Drayton Bird, attributed to Rod Wright)
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Managing organizational change

Consultants need to be aware of the issues when they are involved in organizational change programmers. There are broadly two types of organizational change. Can be described as incremental change. and radical change. Organizations are made up of three components: structure, systems and procedures, and culture. Of these, the most difficult area in which to effect real and lasting change is culture. The typical objectives of organizational change in recent years have been to improve quality and service, bringing about radical reductions .To be successful in achieving culture change, many elements are involved, including: a clear, widely shared vision and sense of direction an objective analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the existing organization and the identification of needed changes the creation of a climate receptive to change intense, persistent effort during the implementation process a substantial investment in training the use of symbolism and the anticipation and overcoming of resistance to change, including the choice of management style 6 understanding the politics of change.

Possible roles of a consultant

Consultants can be of immense use to a company formulating strategy, The roles they can play, and the underlying needs that are there are usually a mix of three different types of roles expert facilitator coach Expert There are two broad levels of expertise that a good strategy consultant can draw on: the tools and techniques for the formulation of strategy the expertise in the process of strategy formulation itself.

Facilitator
Many companies have the expertise they need in-house, in terms of tools and techniques, and overall process. However, given the nature of debate, a facilitator well versed in strategy can help the process run along smoothly. . Here, the role is one of assisting the process, spotting obstacles before they create damage and generally overseeing the process going smoothly.

Coach
The strategy consultant, if he is to be able to add real value, will need to deal with these dynamics in a way that ensures any formulation is followed by smooth implementation . As much of the negative attributes associated with corporate policies owe a lot to personal agendas and perceptions, coaching skills can help teams and individuals overcome their attitudes when strategy formulation gives rise to negative behavior

Consultant will need to act all three roles out as a mix and blend them, as required. It is the most demanding of all consultancy roles, and also one of the most Rewarding
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Consultants checklist
Risks of the strategy formulation are. To what extent has the strategy been based on facts rather than merely opinions? To what extent have the opinions of those involved in the ultimate implementation of

the strategy been taken into account?

To what extent does the strategy break new ground in the industry? To what extent does the organization share the vision and overall mission that the

strategy is aimed at achieving?

How far down the line is the strategy translated into effective, measureable action? To what extent has the enablement of leading-edge technology been taken into

account.
To what extent is there a process within the organization to encourage emergent

strategies?
How far have the needs of the key stakeholders been taken into account (both internal and external)? If the organization has used consultants to help in strategy formulation before, to what extent will they need to help again in the future (the lower the need, the higher the score)? If the strategy has been formulated away from those involved, how much time has

been spent on planning the how of implementation,

rather than just the what? 9

Thank you

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