Management Consulting: Delivering an Effective Project (3rd Edition)

Cover......Page 1
Management Consulting......Page 2
Brief contents......Page 8
Contents......Page 10
Preface......Page 17
A note on the layout of this book......Page 20
Acknowledgements......Page 22
Part one: Management consulting in context and how it adds value......Page 24
What a management consultant does......Page 26
Consulting and management roles......Page 28
The client–consultant interaction......Page 33
The responsibilities of the management consultant......Page 39
Types of client......Page 41
Modes of consulting......Page 42
The decision to use a consultant......Page 44
Provision of specialist expertise......Page 45
Provision of a new perspective......Page 46
Provision of support for internal arguments......Page 47
Provision of support for gaining a critical resource......Page 49
Team discussion points......Page 50
Summary of key ideas......Page 51
Further reading......Page 52
Case exercise Natural Beauty Ltd......Page 53
Management consulting: core processes of a business......Page 54
‘Hard’ side consulting: operational processes of a business......Page 60
‘Soft’ side consulting: human processes of a business......Page 63
Overview of the consulting process......Page 66
Initial contact and initiating the project......Page 68
Preliminary analysis of the issues and defining objectives......Page 70
Pitching the project: the formal proposal and project charter......Page 71
Project progression and follow-up......Page 72
Team discussion points......Page 74
Further reading......Page 75
Case exercise Southern Food Services......Page 76
The effective consultant’s skill profile......Page 77
Project management skills......Page 79
Analysis skills......Page 81
Relationship-building skills......Page 84
The consulting selling process......Page 87
The function of the project proposal......Page 92
What to include in the proposal and an example......Page 93
Team discussion points......Page 97
Summary of key ideas......Page 98
Further reading......Page 99
Case exercise Golden Star......Page 100
The great wide world......Page 101
Factors encouraging international operation......Page 102
Researching and selecting overseas markets......Page 104
Market entry options......Page 106
Export management issues......Page 108
Culture......Page 110
International marketing......Page 112
Global marketing planning process......Page 114
Managing the client/consultant relationship......Page 116
Further reading......Page 117
Case exercise: Bill Chieftain......Page 118
Robinson Mason case study: Part 1......Page 119
Part two: Project evaluation and analysis......Page 122
Identification of opportunities and issues with the client organisation......Page 124
Problem analysis, specification and quantification......Page 128
Objective setting: defining the desired end-state......Page 131
Developing a strategy for the destination......Page 143
Developing the strategy for the journey......Page 144
The need for change in the client organisation......Page 146
Team discussion points......Page 147
Further reading......Page 172
Case exercise Exconom......Page 150
Preliminary analysis techniques......Page 151
Strategic capabilities of businesses......Page 153
Financial and business performance......Page 156
Identification and evaluation of strategic options......Page 162
Planning for the future......Page 165
Opportunity, innovation and information......Page 167
Qualitative methods for evaluating opportunities......Page 169
Quantitative methods for evaluating opportunities......Page 170
Team discussion points......Page 171
Case exercise DQS......Page 173
Contracting......Page 174
Influencing......Page 178
Fundamentals of rapport and key skills......Page 179
Change-limiting assumptions......Page 181
Outcome thinking, outcome-frame thinking and improving advocacy......Page 183
Listening, powerful questions and push and pull of influencing......Page 186
Team leadership and climate......Page 190
Accelerating team performance and dealing with conflict......Page 194
Summary of key ideas......Page 196
Further reading......Page 197
Case exercise O’Reilly Design......Page 198
Robinson Mason case study: Part 2......Page 200
Part three: Undertaking the project......Page 202
Consultant–client engagement for project implementation......Page 204
Benchmarking project progression......Page 205
Relationship with the client during the project......Page 207
The desire for change by the client organisation......Page 209
Change-enhancing interactions......Page 212
Types of project shock......Page 213
Responding to project shocks......Page 214
Summary of key ideas......Page 216
Further reading......Page 217
Case exercise Argyll Chemistry......Page 218
The importance of creativity and innovation......Page 219
Analysis strategies......Page 220
Visualising information......Page 224
Supporting analysis with ad hoc visuals......Page 225
Cognitive style and strategy......Page 226
Mind mapping......Page 229
Features analysis......Page 231
Delphi auditing......Page 233
Team discussion points......Page 234
Further reading......Page 235
Case exercise: Businesses in the chemicals sector......Page 236
Approaches to understanding decision-making......Page 237
Decision-making in organisations......Page 238
Types of management decision-making roles......Page 240
The decision-making unit......Page 241
Decision-making style and influence......Page 243
The dimensions of a decision......Page 242
Organisational orientation......Page 244
Organisational culture......Page 245
Strategy processes......Page 247
External influences on organisational decision-making......Page 250
The naturalistic decision-making approach......Page 251
Summary of key ideas......Page 253
Case exercise: Inflight entertainment......Page 255
Individual roles for team members......Page 257
Setting a timetable and critical path analysis......Page 259
Project budgeting......Page 260
Organising meetings and reviews......Page 261
The importance of time management and effective time management......Page 264
Time management systems......Page 266
The function of the project log......Page 267
What to include in the project log and suggested formats......Page 270
Team discussion points......Page 272
Further reading......Page 273
Case exercise Manor House restaurant......Page 274
Case Study Robinson Mason case study: Part 3......Page 275
Part four: Delivering the product to the client......Page 278
The nature of business communication......Page 280
Communication as a business tool......Page 282
Verbal and non-verbal communication......Page 283
Written and visual communication......Page 286
Planning the communication......Page 288
The consulting report......Page 291
Formal presentations......Page 293
Answering questions and meeting objections in presentations......Page 295
Team discussion points......Page 296
Further reading......Page 297
Case exercise Holroyd Engineering......Page 298
Handing over ownership of the project......Page 299
Post-project summary and review......Page 300
Follow-up projects and key client management......Page 301
Using consulting projects as case studies......Page 302
Success and transferable skills......Page 303
Recording successes on your CV and relating them in job interviews......Page 305
Summary of key ideas......Page 306
Further reading......Page 307
Case exercise Beta Venture Capital......Page 308
Robinson Mason case study: Part 4......Page 309
The consulting industry today......Page 311
Key players in the consulting world......Page 313
Career structure in consulting firms......Page 316
Becoming a consultant......Page 317
The internal consultant......Page 319
The value of the consulting experience in non-consulting careers......Page 320
Further reading......Page 321
Case exercise AB Consulting......Page 322
Appendix: Example of a consulting report: Supergelato Ice Cream Ltd......Page 323
Index......Page 326