MBAIntroductoryTrainingTheArtofConsulting(PPT62)(3)

Title,62,Click to edit Master text styles,Second level,Third level,Fourth level,Fifth level,MBA Introductory Training,The Art of Consulting,October 2000,Learning Objectives,a greater understanding of how the firm will evaluate your performance and the implications for what you need to do and how you need to do it,a greater awareness of what you can expect when you arrive on a project and an understanding of how you can contribute,new (or refreshed) skills for data gathering and interviewing,a preliminary personal development plan for the next 6-12 months,At the end of this session, you will walk away with rules of thumb to help you thrive in the PwC consulting environment.,Toward this end, the session will help provide:,Agenda,Welcome and Introduction,Warm-up Activity: “Traits of an effective PwC consultant ”,Roles & Responsibilities of a Consultant,Project Overview,Framework,Table discussions - “Consultant Critical Success Factors/Behaviors ”,Break,Data Gathering & Interviewing,Break,Personal Development Planning,Framework,Individual planning,Summary and Closing Activity,Table Discussions - “What recommendations would you have for next years MBAs?”,Warm-up,Warm-up Activity - Class-wide,What behaviors do you associate with an,effective,PwC consultant?,Roles & Responsibilities of a Consultant,Simply stated, the objective of our consulting practice is to improve the performance our clients, while generating profits and enhancing staff capabilities,Thought Leadership,Repurposed Content,Relevant, Leverageable Experience,Enhanced Staff Capabilities,(skills, knowledge, experiences),Client Shareholder Value,Firm Profits,Engagement,The need to balance the demands of the firm, clients, and staff can at times require making a series of tradeoffs,Developing a broad skill set by working on a broad range of projects and industries,Leveraging prior relevant knowledge of industries/subject matter to deliver project,Holding staff for the “perfect” job,Investing in thought leadership to expand firms product offering,Developing a unique, “blank sheet” of paper approach for a client problem,Continually cycling through different clients to develop a broad experience base,Meeting utilization targets,Selling proven, easily repeatable projects,Leveraging previously developed content,Developing deep client relationships,VS.,For the firm to be successful, it must be able to do three things well - develop staff, market and execute projects,Critical Factors for Success,Develop Staff,Develop,skillsets,via training and on-the-job experiences,Develop and share knowledge,Market the Firm,Maintain an appropriate level of investment and return on investment,Leverage prior experiences,Execute Projects,Achieve an optimal blend of new and,repurposed,content,The roles and responsibilities of a consultant can be grouped into the same three categories - these responsibilities remain constant throughout ones career, although the underlying tasks will shift,Develop Thought Leadership,Manage Products,Promote Capabilities,Build Client Relationships,Generate Projects,Develop Team,Manage Resources,Solve Core Problems,Communicate Results,Develop Staff,Do the Work,Market the Firm,Recruit,Develop Skills and Transfer Knowledge,Network,Motivate and Retain,For each these responsibilities, a consultant should know:,What is my role, and what are my responsibilities?,How will these roles and responsibilities evolve as I progress?,Level 3 Consultants have a range of recruiting, skill development, and knowledge transfer responsibilities,Responsibilities,Examples as to how a Level 3 Consultant can contribute,Energetically participate in recruiting events,Identify high-potential candidates through personal contacts, networking, resumes,Deliver clear, well structured, case-based interviews,Sell PwC to prospective employees,Maintain a “current contact” roster of former classmates,Deliver recruiting presentations,Recruit,Proactively understand performance expectations, requisite industry/process knowledge and needed consulting skills and proactively seek training,identify project-based development needs with minimal supervision and define plan to address,Clearly educate project team members/clients about new methodologies or analytic techniques,Provide ad hoc guidance to assist junior staff and client personnel complete assigned tasks,Proactively seek consulting best practices, industry and process insights and other skill transfer opportunities,Identify replicable tools or analysis and communicate to relevant practice group members,Take an active role in mentoring junior staff in the practice group,Participate in developing “white papers” and thought leadership pieces,Develop Skills and Transfer Knowledge,Do the,Work,Develop,Staff,Market the Firm,Do the Work,Level 3s also network with, train, and retain other staff,Responsibilities,Examples as to how a Level 3 Consultant can contribute,Do the,Work,Develop,Staff,Market the Firm,Tackle personal assignments with enthusiasm, pride and commitment,Proactively seek project assignments and tasks which are personally challenging and engaging,With guidance from coach and/or other senior practitioners, proactively create PwC career plan,Identify and position yourself to attract opportunities consistent with career plan and desired personal growth,Organize and lead internal team building events,Assist project managers to develop highly motivated junior staff and client personnel,Serve as a coach for new undergraduate hires,Work with practice leadership to address practice issues,Motivate and Retain,Develop an informal network of fellow practitioners to leverage project insights and experience,Maintain strong awareness of practice groups current projects and pending projects,Allocate adequate time in PwC office to develop strong relationships with fellow,practitioners,Direct recent hires and others to appropriate people and resources,Network,Level 3s support and engage in a variety of marketing efforts for PwC,Responsibilities,Examples as to how a Level 3 Consultant can contribute,Draft citations to communicate key project insights throughout practice group,Develop and share innovative analytic techniques,Develop and author the proposal, receiving limited input where necessary,Understand PwC product and service offerings methodologies and key citations,Understand PwC, MCS, and SC strategies/goals,Display strong competency in 1-2 tools, including knowledge of detailed steps, strengths/gaps, and citations,Develop Thought Leadership,Manage PwC Products & Tools,Convincingly describe personal roles and contributions to recent engagements,Credibly discuss recent wins for the Firm and results of high-pro,Demonstrate awareness of the Firms major practice groups, competencies, and specialty practices,Promote Capabilities,Maintain positive relationships with client staff with key information or resources,Proactively understand and consistently meet or exceed all client expectations,Establish firms reputation with client personnel,Develop relationships with client managers that yield competitive insights, market intelligence,Build Client Relationships,Author major portions of successful written proposals (e.g., problem structuring, credentials),Identify and preliminarily scope promising follow-on project sales opportunities,Develop competitive insights (e.g., with respect to competitors and key buying influences) for potential follow-on work,Assume “front to back” ownership of proposal materials,Generate Projects,Do the,Work,Develop,Staff,Market the Firm,Level 3s serve critical roles in team development, resource management, problem solving, and results communication,Responsibilities,Develop,Staff,Market the Firm,Do the Work: Level 3 Roles,Do the,Work,Implement team building activities,Seek and respect input from team members,Proactively support teammates,Manage assigned client staff and/or PwC consultants,Identify potential team members with relevant skills & interest,Identify information needed for fact-based analysis, and develop work plans,Ensure each hour of time and out-of-pocket expense charged to a project is an effective, efficient investment,Proactively monitor progress, and provide timely, accurate forecasts of prospective difficulties,Identify team management opportunities,Begin to manage client teams,Manage Resources,Develop Team,Seek out relevant knowledge to apply,Synthesize findings logically, defend a point of view, and define recommendations,Develop interview guides, conduct interviews, lead focus groups, and facilitate working sessions,Demonstrate strong knowledge of analytic techniques, frameworks, and methods,Solve Core Problems,Clearly synthesize results of data collection/analysis,Author sections of written deliverables,Deliver portions of presentations with clarity and confidence to client management,Serve as a key facilitator at client workshops and presentations,Communicate Results,Examples as to how a Level 3 Consultant can contribute,Beyond problem-solving capabilities, each new consultant is expected to possess certain additional critical skills/traits,Defining Question,Independence,Tolerance for Ambiguity,Sense of Ownership,Creativity,Persistence,Can the consultant operate with minimum direction?,Can the consultant survive, and even thrive, when faced with an ill-defined, unfamiliar situation?,Is the consultant willing to take ownership of a problem or task and be held accountable for its resolution?,Can the consultant develop unique, “out of the box” approaches and solutions that leverage existing content?,Is the consultant unwilling “to take no for an answer” when it comes to data collection and analysis?,Key Skill/Trait,Critical skills/traits (continued),Key Skill/Trait,Defining Question,Solution Orientation,End-Product Orientation,Collaboration,Organization,Multi-level Thinking,Is the consultant continually focused on identifying solutions or alternatives rather than emphasizing problems? Is the consultant an “angels advocate”?,Is the consultant continually “working backwards” from a hypothesis?,Does the consultant bring out the best in those around her or him?,Is the consultant able to group together a variety of data into coherent categories?,Can the consultant transition easily from looking at the “big picture” to diving into the analysis?,PwC evaluates all consultants and principal consultants along three dimensions,1. Teamwork & cooperation,2. Living our values,3. Evaluating, developing & coaching,4. People program participation,1. Productivity,2. Financial management,3. Revenue generation,4. Knowledge management,Adding value to,our Clients,Adding value,to our Firm,Adding value to our People,1.,Project results,2. Client relationships,3. Innovation,FY2000 version,Project Overview,Lets look more closely at the set of roles and responsibilities associated with “Do the Work” .,Mobilization,Situation Assessment,Solution Development,Implementation Planning,Learning,PHASES OF TYPICAL PROJECT,Activity - 10-minute table discussions followed by a class-wide debrief,We will assign one phase of the typical project to each table,In your table groups, review the responsibilities associated with your assigned phase,Discuss the things that you believe will make a consultant effective during this specific phase,Record your ideas as “Effectiveness Tips”,Identify one person from your group to report during the debrief,In the first phase, the primary responsibility of theconsultant is to assist the team lead in preparing for the project and preparing the workplan,Responsibilities,Effectiveness Tips,Understand study context and scope,Understand client dynamics,Proactively contribute to issue analysis, hypothesis generation, and,workplan,development,Assume ownership for portions of the,workplan,Discuss development needs/study preferences,Ask structured questions after developing position,Build relationships (with,PwC,and client team members),Read the proposal!,Understand what constitutes success,Understand what can cause failure,Begin forming hypotheses as quickly as possible,Look for opportunities to assume ownership,Ask questions, with a purpose and a point of view,In the second phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to build the “fact base” that will serve as the basis for conclusions,Responsibilities,Effectiveness Tips,Understand purpose and use of appropriate frameworks, analysis tools, and techniques,Conduct data collection and analysis in assigned area (primary and secondary research),Assume ownership for a portion of the deliverable,Provide guidance/coordinate staff consultant work,Preview work with clients,Build good working relationships with,PwC,and client team members,Understand the editing/report production process,In the third phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to develop a strong “pyramid” in support of recommendations,Responsibilities,Effectiveness Tips,Participate in generating and assessing alternatives and recommendations,Assist team lead in developing the story and fleshing out the pyramid,Assume ownership for portions of the work products and deliverables,Test recommendations with clients,Review analyses and deliverables for accuracy and consistency,In the fourth phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to develop the detailed plans that link ideas and actions,Responsibilities,Effectiveness Tips,Assist in preparing an implementation plan,Support selected client managers in translating change,Develop a communications plan,Participate in periodic checkups,Identify emerging roadblocks to implementation of potential solutions,In the final phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to identify opportunities for both learning and knowledge sharing,Responsibilities,Effectiveness Tips,Prepare the analyses and deliverables for client delivery,Identify lessons learned and practice development opportunities,Prepare the,workpapers,(hard and soft copies),Develop a citation for this engagement, and incorporate in your resume,Consultants should know that certain behaviors are key to success, particularly when dealing with clients,Be Honest,When you dont know, say so. When youre not sure, admit it and offer to follow up,Be Prepared,Be prepared for the inevitable questions, both straightforward and leading,Be Discreet,Be careful with what you say assume that the client is listening at all times,Be Sensitive to Client Perceptions,Be aware of clients perceptions, and avoid behaviors that reinforce these perceptions,The key to managing client perceptions is to put yourself in the place of the client, and then to act accordingly,Tips to Manage/Rebut Behaviors that Reinforce a Negative Perception,“,Theyre overcharging us”,Dont perform non-value-add work during working hours and/or in front of the client,Keep references of “conspicuous consumption” to a minimum,Client Perceptions,“,They think theyre better than us”,Adapt to clients business environment (e.g., working hours, dress codes),Treat all levels of client personnel well,Be conscious of the clients time,Dont overestimate your own importance,“,They dont understand our business”,Do your homework,Take an interest,“,They are carpetbaggers”,Form relationships, without jeopardizing your objectivity,Break,Data Gathering & Interviewing,Objectives for this section,Provide an overall context and guide for gathering data during a project,Understand how data will support analyses and other project objectives,Identify where to obtain data,Learn how to organize activities and tasks,Improve your ability to structure and perform client interviews,When to use an interview,Contents of an interview guide,Structure of an interview,Interview tips,Section Agenda,Data Gathering Approach,Interview Process,Define Data Gathering,Requirements,Develop,Data,Gathering,Plan,Gather,Data,A structured approach to gathering data can support projects throughout multiple phases,Strategic Change Framework,Data Gathering Approach,Mobilization,Situation Assessment,Strategy Development,Implementation Planning,Learning,Key,Purpose,Determine data requirements,Identify specific data needs tied to proposed analyses,DEFINE DATA REQUIREMENTS,Determine other project related requirements,Provide context for project,Manage stakeholders,Build relationships,Identify and qualify data sources,Establish credibility for the project and project team within the organization,+,Define Data Gathering,Requirements,Develop,Data,Gathering,Plan,Gather,Data,When defining data requirements, consider that data gathering activities can serve a variety of purposes,Key Activities,DEVELOP DATA GATHERING PLAN,Identify data sources,Primary data sources,Secondary data sources,Determine appropriate data gathering activities,Interviews,Facilitated workshops,Survey,Literature search,On-line research,Archival research,Best practices,Observation,Sequence data gathering activities,Determine dependencies,Consider logistical requirements,Evaluate project deliverable timeline,Determine order between/within activities,Assign data gathering responsibilities,PwC,team members,Client personnel,Data service/ contract assistance,Define Data Gathering,Requirements,Develop,Data,Gathering,Plan,Gather,Data,A comprehensive data gathering plan considers where to obtain the data and how to organize activities and tasks to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of our efforts,Pre-survey activities,Identify participants and location,Enlist appropriate sponsorship,Line up survey processing support,Determine survey time table,Select survey vehicle (e.g., electronic, paper based, telephone),Design and pilot the survey,Key Activities,(Survey Example),GATHER DATA,Execute survey,Distribute survey,Query participants to ensure proper tool use,Follow up prior to survey due date,Post-survey activities,Compile data,Review data for consistency and completeness,Clarify data anomalies with participants,Prepare database for analysis,Define Data Gathering,Requirements,Develop,Data,Gathering,Plan,Gather,Data,Successful data gathering requires significant pre-,and,post-work,Section Agenda,Data Gathering Approach,Interview Process,Define nature and scope of interviews,Develop interview guide,Make arrangements,Conduct interviews,Analyze and summarize,INTERVIEW PROCESS,GUIDED,DIALOGUE,Follow a structured process from definition of the interview program to the analysis and summary of the findings,Hypothesis Generating Interviews,Client objectives,“Real” issues,How things work,Underlying problems,Where “bodies are buried”,Client culture,Data Gathering Interviews,Market trends,Competitive situation,Organizational issues,Industry economics,Technology,Hard data,Sales force,Net price,Market share,Validating,Interviews,“Blind spots”,Feasibility of recommendations,Validity of analysis/estimates,Outside perspective (customers/suppliers),Politics,Credibility,1.,DEFINE NATURE AND SCOPE OF INTERVIEWS,Generally the team uses interviews to gain a perspective or gather data that isnt available from written materials,Category,Client,PwC SMEs,Govt Agencies, Universities,Customers,Distributors,Substitutes,Competitors,Suppliers,Typical Interviewee,a)Senior management,b)Technical staff,c)Sales managers and sales staff,Industry “expert”,Buyer, specifier,Dealer, sales manager,Senior management,Senior management,Supplier sales individual,Purpose,Understand how client sees the problem,Understand products, applications, technology,Understand market data, buying process/factors,Understand general dynamics of industry, political considerations, regulatory trends,