Consulting Fundamentals

2 Days + 5 hours (out-of-class) – Course No. CO10

 

Target audience:

This course is designed for project managers, business analysts, IT professionals, engineers and others in technical roles who are new to the consulting role and who either are seeking to become practitioner technical consultants, or who wish to become more consultative in their work with their internal or external clients.

 

Prerequisites:

None

 

course synopsis:

Many professionals who are transitioning to consulting roles have little or no client relationship experience, and approach the consulting role as a “blank slate”. This course begins at the beginning, and covers the role of the consultant, key consulting processes, and the consulting life cycle. It forms a useful and effective foundation for further study in the certificate program.

 

Course topics:

Pre-Work:  “Preparation Phase”

◦     Pre-course self-assessment, personal benchmark

◦     Pre-course reading and discussion with manager/coach

◦     Selection of current engagement or project, and discussion with manager/coach

 

In-Class:  “Participation Phase”

 

The Value of Technical Consulting

◦     Three aspects of value

◦     The three relationships with every client

◦     Distinctions between technician and consultant

◦     Synchronization with the project life cycle

 

The consulting Engagement Life Cycle

◦     Engaging the client

◦     Data gathering and analysis

◦     Presenting findings and recommendation

◦     Planning and implementing

◦     Ending the engagement and evaluating results

 

Review of Key Consultant Activities

◦     Identifying clients and stakeholders

◦     Data gathering and analysis

◦     Prioritization and problem solving

◦     Communications with the client verbally and in writing

◦     Managing and enhancing their relationship with the client

 

Key Consulting Competencies:

◦     The Nexient competency model for Technical Consultants

◦     Competencies associated with the engagement life cycle

◦     General competencies:

•      Building and leveraging business acumen

•      Communicating effectively

•      Advancing the client relationship

 

Post-Class:  “Performance Phase”

◦     Online challenge quiz

◦     Connecting learning to the workplace

◦     Review of key models and tools

◦     Review with manager/mentor:

•      Key learnings

•      Key models and tools

•      Application to specific job responsibilities