Management Consulting Skills Training
Providing skills training to management consultants doesn’t have a direct effect on the firm’s revenue. In fact, it may seem costly at first because of the expensive trainer’s fee and logistic expenses. So in what way is skills training essential to consulting?
Competence of staff is a priority of management consulting firms. This is the main reason why the process of getting a slot in a firm, especially in big ones like Booz and Bain, takes much time and effort. Applicants have to prove they have the potentials to perform the actual duties and responsibilities of a consultant. When they are hired, firms are somewhat responsible for converting potentials to abilities.
Staff Induction
The purpose of staff induction is to welcome new consultants into the firm formally and to prepare them for their job accordingly. It usually includes sessions on the company history, policies, procedures and your role in the organization. Apart from these, it tackles management consulting work hours, payroll details, dress code and lifestyle. It also enumerates the do’s and don’ts during client visits and techniques for better performance.
Close Supervision
After the induction program, new management consultants aren’t left on their own. For the first few weeks or months, they will be closely supervised by seniors who can share their expertise, transfer their skills and encourage them on a daily basis. Regardless of their length of stay in the company, their performance will be appraised to figure out their strengths and work on their points for improvement.
Skills Development Programs
Training teams of management consulting firms also facilitate or organize skills development programs from time to time. They are usually categorized according to your position in the firm, your training needs and the nature of your job. Some of the typical skills development programs focus on the following:
Client Interaction Skills
Maintaining smooth relationships with clients is a critical aspect of the project. Consultants must know how to communicate with them during meetings, how to handle resistance, how to be assertive and how to handle both positive and negative feedback. The clients are the ultimate customer of the firms, so it’s a mortal sin to behave unprofessionally in their presence.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Communication at the workplace is important in every aspect of management consulting. Training programs specific to this area helps consultants deal with the client’s employees. To be able to dig more information, they need to engage them in gathering, interpreting and analyzing data. Poor communication skills can lead to poor discovery of factors related to the business dilemma.
Leadership Skills
As consultants climb the ladder, they will be given heavier responsibilities, such as leading projects. A supervisory role is quite challenging because it already includes building strong partnerships among associates or analysts. The focus is more on managing client interactions and consolidating effort to add more value to the team.
Try your best to land a job in consulting to experience the aforementioned training programs. To get an idea of most firms’ recruitment process, download this management consulting guide. It will help you prepare for all the challenges you will encounter.