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Mauro Piazzolla
Consultant, Italy
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What are the Skills a Management Consultant Should Have?
Hi everyone! I'm a student and I would like to become a management consultant in the future. What are the hard and the soft skills you think a management consultant must have? Why? Thanks!
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claudio pizzi
Business Consultant, Argentina
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Skills you Need as a Management Consultant
Hello Mauro. I have detected three essential skills that a consultant should have to do a good job in a company.
First. Be clear about the differences between "causes and effects" and be able to make a good diagnosis.
Second, be a very good communicator.
Third. Develop skills to anticipate problems.
I hope the answer will serve you. Best regards.
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Bernhard Keim
Business Consultant, Germany
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The Problem and its Solution are Always Owned by the Client
Don't push a solution to the client. Just offer him insights. He, not you is in charge to accept or reject them.
Read a good introduction into philosophy and learn proper reasoning.
Strongly recommended: Peter Block: "Flawless Consulting" and consultation books by Edgar Schein. Why are these books on process consulting so important? They teach you proper understanding of complex social systems and how to intervene to make change happen. Your future clients don't need a cook who cooks for them, but someone who teaches them cooking.
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David Wilson
Manager, Canada
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Skills Required for Management Consulting
Hi Mauro: I agree with Bernhard. His reference to Peter Block's book is a very good starting point.
In addition, I suggest you need to listen to your clients and understand their "real" needs.
You a...
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Chris Blackman
Business Consultant, Australia
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Essential Consulting Skills
Above all, you need an impeccable command of the language, both written and oral.
For a beginners "how to" primer, personally, I would sidestep the Peter Block book and start with Alan Weiss "Getting...
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David Hume
United Kingdom
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Consultancy Skills
My first piece of advice would be to gain meaningful working management experience in an organisation. If you are thoughtful and reflective as you gain that experience, you can develop firstly the und...
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David Gachoki
Entrepreneur, Kenya
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Skills for Management Consultants
Having practized Management Consultancy over the years I find the following skills coming in handy.
1. Getting clarity on what the client wants and expects and discuss what your intended solution cou...
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David Leaney
Director, Australia
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Hard and Soft Skills for Management Consulting
Hi Mauro, you've already demonstrated an important skill, which is asking questions. I'd recommend David Maister's books, particularly "The Trusted Advisor". David was a Harvard Business School profes...
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Alberto Privitera
Professor, Italy
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Be a Manager for Some Time
@Bernhard Keim: I agree with you. As a consultant, you are the manager I dream. You are the vision. So the best tip is perhaps try to be a manager for some time so you could understand what a manager ...
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David Stehlik
Professor, United States
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What Management Consulting is - and How it Proceeds
Mauro posits a dichotomy of hard/soft, into which most of the recommendations can separated. Here, I'll focus on the perceived "softer" communication side, but use the "harder" technique side to examp...
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Akintunde Olusegun
Consultant, Nigeria
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What are the Skills a Management Consultant Should Have?
In addition to the view expressed by others, management consultants must have unalloyed honesty and uncompromised integrity to their deliverables to the clients. They must also avoid unnecessary famil...
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David Stehlik
Professor, United States
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Yes, and There's More Light to Shed on the Challenge of that Advice
@Akintunde Olusegun: This is a general challenge within consulting - selling the truth you're saying. It requires courage and a commitment to truth over emotions, but it cannot disregard the very real...
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