Not long ago I got the question what do you exactly do as a management consult Glenn?
To be a management consult and interim executive means that you will be involved in organisations in all sectors to improve their performance. So, if you’re interested in how a business works – its strategy, structure (business processes), management in general and operations – maybe a career in management consulting is something for you?
As a management consultant, I contribute businesses to improve their performance and grow by solving problems and finding new and better ways of doing things. It’s not just in the private sector either – many consulting firms work with public sector organisations to help develop their services and, where necessary, reduce costs and make savings through change management, redesign business processes etc.
Management consults offer services across all areas of business – from HR and marketing, to IT and finance. The broad span of consulting work makes it an attractive career, offering a variety of projects, challenges and opportunities for personal development.
Personally I am fascinated by working with different kind of people and clients in different projects. As a management consult I am often hired to lead a project or facilitate some business processes where all the different pieces need to be put together as in a puzzle. As a consult I need to involve the right people from the right department, to facilitate the redesign of new business processes and to get the right technology in place to fix the problem.
This is also why I persuade a PhD in Management after I have got my MBA. My PhD dissertation was on the TIPS model (https://www.dr-glennhole.org/the-tips-model/) that I have developed and used since 2002 with great success. Some of the organizations I have used the TIPS model with success has been in National School fruit, Orkla, Lindorff, Umoe to mention a few. There’s plenty of scope for personal development, expanding your skillset as a management consult.
For me management consult has been giving me:
Intellectual Challenges
The responsibilities assigned to me as a management consult has required critical thinking, analysis, resourceful, leadership and commitment. As a management consult you will be given sufficient autonomy to do things on your own. You will be discussing ideas with your team mates. This kind of intellectual stimulation is attractive for many. It keeps your mind on the go and free from rust and cobwebs.
Exposure
As a management consultant, you get exposed to different sectors, clients and challenges. Because the agreements are based on projects, you don’t get to stick with one company only. You hop from one office to another to observe the best practices across industries and to know the common problems plaguing organizations.
Learning
As a management consultant, you must keep up with everything that’s presented to you. You might be assigned to a variety of projects. When this happens, the learning process certainly demands time and effort in comprehending the business case. However, in the end, you also reap the fruit of your labor – extensive and in depth understanding of management, marketing and entrepreneurship – and this intangible perk will never be taken away from you.
Skills Enhancement
You will learn how to present your ideas effectively, to analyze a complicated problem well or to interact with different personalities smoothly. Moreover, by simply being surrounded with consultants that have been there for years, you will be able to catch winning practices and habits for your improvement.