Managerial Consulting Skills

The advisory role in organizations is more important today than it has ever been. To perform effectively, managers and professionals need the skills of the consultant. This manual is designed to provide practical help for all advisers, whether working within or outside the organization. It covers every aspect of the process, from interpersonal skills to organizational context, from planning to follow-up. This second edition reflects developments which have taken place since the publication of the first edition and now includes ten chapters on the impact that action learning has on change processes and the way that the Web is likely to influence consulting. Each chapter concludes with guidelines summarizing the content, and questions designed to help the reader to apply the material to his or her own activities. Real-life cases from Dr Margerison's own experience are included, as well as examples drawn from the work of many well-known consultants.

This title was first published in 2001. The advisory role in organizations is more important today than it has ever been. To perform effectively, managers and professionals need the skills of the consultant. This manual is designed to provide practical help for all advisers, whether working within or outside the organization. It covers every aspect of the process, from interpersonal skills to organizational context, from planning to follow-up. This second edition reflects developments which have taken place since the publication of the first edition and now includes ten chapters on the impact that action learning has on change processes and the way that the Web is likely to influence consulting. Each chapter concludes with guidelines summarizing the content, and questions designed to help the reader to apply the material to his or her own activities. Real-life cases from Dr Margerison's own experience are included, as well as examples drawn from the work of many well-known consultants.

"If more business books were as useful, concise, and just plain fun to read as THE MCKINSEY WAY, the business world would be a better place." --Julie Bick, best-selling author of ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW IN BUSINESS I LEARNED AT MICROSOFT. "Enlivened by witty anecdotes, THE MCKINSEY WAY contains valuable lessons on widely diverse topics such as marketing, interviewing, team-building, and brainstorming." --Paul H. Zipkin, Vice-Dean, The Fuqua School of Business It's been called "a breeding ground for gurus." McKinsey & Company is the gold-standard consulting firm whose alumni include titans such as "In Search of Excellence" author Tom Peters, Harvey Golub of American Express, and Japan's Kenichi Ohmae. When Fortune 100 corporations are stymied, it's the "McKinsey-ites" whom they call for help. In THE MCKINSEY WAY, former McKinsey associate Ethan Rasiel lifts the veil to show you how the secretive McKinsey works its magic, and helps you emulate the firm's well-honed practices in problem solving, communication, and management. He shows you how McKinsey-ites think about business problems and how they work at solving them, explaining the way McKinsey approaches every aspect of a task: How McKinsey recruits and molds its elite consultants; How to "sell without selling"; How to use facts, not fear them; Techniques to jump-start research and make brainstorming more productive; How to build and keep a team at the top its game; Powerful presentation methods, including the famous waterfall chart, rarely seen outside McKinsey; How to get ultimate "buy-in" to your findings; Survival tips for working in high-pressure organizations. Both a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most admired and secretive companies in the business world and a toolkit of problem-solving techniques without peer, THE MCKINSEY WAY is fascinating reading that empowers every business decision maker to become a better strategic player in any organization.

The second volume in the Research in Management Consulting series focuses on developing knowledge and value in management consulting. While there has been an exponential explosion in both the presence and role played by management consultants, the exact nature of their contribution —to client organizations, to our understanding of management and organization, to our comprehension of the increasingly complex dynamics associated with business in a global marketplace, and to the development of their own firms—remains ambiguous. Just as the business world is experiencing rapid and, at times, volatile change, the consulting industry itself is also facing unprecedented change and challenge. Over the next decade, forecasts suggest a world of difference for management consulting, from different competitors and different types of projects and assignments, to different skill sets and different fee structures, to different client expectations.

The concept of the ‘internal consultant’ is now gaining considerable ground as managers in support functions seek to redefine their role and effectiveness. The emphasis that it places on moving from a ‘colleague’ to a ‘client’ perspective within the business can bring major benefits to both adviser and organisation. This book provides... ... a practical understanding of the skills required to become a high-performance internal consultant, whatever your own area of expertise. It will help you: Develop stronger, more productive working relationships with internal clients Secure greater internal client commitment to initiatives and change projects Work effectively in a less formal and hierarchical way on projects and initiatives Market your services and build powerful internal networks Enhance your own worth and value to the organisation Who should read this book? All managers working in support functions, such as HR, audit, training, personnel and IT, as well as areas such as finance and marketing.

Inside Nudging is written for management professionals and scientists to feed their thinking and discussions about implementing behavioral science initiatives (which includes behavioral economics and finance) in business settings. Situations include the incubation of innovation centers, behavioral science overlay capabilities, and advancement of existing organizations. Companies need to develop grit - the ability and fortitude to succeed. The book introduces the Behavioral GRITTM framework and covers key takeaways in leading an organization that implements behavioral science. Behavioral GRITTM stands for the business functions related to Goals, Research, Innovation, and Testing. The chapters are complemented by an appendix which covers ideas to introduce behavioral science initiatives. I argue that first a company needs to identify its goals and identify what type of predominant organization model it wants to pursue. There are five predominant organizational models I've seen. I also offer that a company should consider a number of implementation elements that may play a role during execution. Example elements include an advisory board and a behavioral science officer. Note that the purpose of this book is not to teach people about behavioral science; there are many other books out there for those purposes. That said, Inside Nudging introduces some behavioral science concepts to provide context and help develop a common language between management professionals and scientists. I see the application of behavioral science as still being in the early adoption phase. Many companies will benefit if they take time to develop the right approach. I hope Inside Nudging helps you with your journey. Stephen Shu Praise for Inside Nudging - More at www.InsideNudging.com "Steve Shu's thoughtful and very readable book Inside Nudging provides a unique opportunity to understand how the research from behavioral science can be best exploited by business. While many popular books on behavioral science make a strong case for the value of the research, none have addressed how to exploit it in such a helpful and practical manner. A rarely mentioned secret brought into full view here is the fact that using behavioral science effectively is not so straightforward. Written specifically for business people and consultants Steve Shu shares his wide experience of consulting to explain the challenges and pitfalls of translating the ideas and findings of academic research into actionable solutions for real business problems. This book shows you how by giving examples of how real consultancy projects were shaped to deliver valuable results for working businesses. Inside Nudging acts as an intelligent interface between the ideas of the nerds in academia and the needs of real business people and offers tremendous potential for any business that needs to understand how people respond to their actions." - Peter Ayton, Professor, Associate Dean of Research and Deputy Dean, Social Sciences, City University London "Steve Shu has written an excellent book for companies looking to get started with behavioral economics. Through his use of case studies and actionable takeaways, he does a great job showing how decades of research can be combined with other business elements to accomplish amazing results. Inside Nudging is like an executive guidebook for practitioners." - Dilip Soman, Professor and Corus Chair in Communications Strategy, Co-Director, Behavioural Economics in Action at Rotman (BEAR), Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto; Author of The Last Mile "This may be a CEO or manager's first glimpse into how they can utilize behavioral science initiatives within their own company or life." - Jenna Gould, San Francisco Book Review

"This is the practical approach I wish I had come across much earlier in my career." Cynthia Pexton-Shaw Whether you are just starting out, considering or already working as a consultant this book is essential reading, enabling you to understand the needs of your client and to get the result they want.

Consulting skills help researchers frame and define research projects, manage the social research process, engage with stakeholders and influence change. This practitioner-oriented text is the first to help social researchers and those active in the social research sector develop these skills. Drawing from the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes’ consulting competence framework, it will aid understanding of effective consulting skills in the UK and international social research community and will be invaluable for all those commissioning, managing and conducting social research.