Management consultants are hired by company owners to help them with problems that the company's management is unable to solve in the best way. Not because the board of directors lacks knowledge or experience, but rather because of the "greenhouse effect" or the view from the inside which is not as clear as the view from the outside.
Employees are very often focused on internal aspects of business, complex interpersonal relationships within the organization as well as on the achievement of set goals. It is very easy to make mistakes in planning or lack of planning in the implementation of the business strategy, if it exists at all.
A good consultant can very easily scan the organization and recognize what problems the organization has, and often in a very short period of time can come to a conclusion about what kind of solution should be offered. Also, in well-organized organizations, that "fine tuning" can often be missing in order to make the organization even more successful and to get a lot more with the implementation of small corrections, for example in the form of increased sales, growth, number of clients, market position and the like. For this "fine tuning" effect, the responsible person of the organization needs to be aware that something is missing and make an action plan, which often includes hiring an external expert.
What makes a good Management Consultant?
In order to be a good advisor to the management, one must have certain predispositions and references. A specialized education is desirable, as well as a broad general education. Also, he must know very well the environment in which the client operates, as well as the industry. You need to have a sharp ability to assess people and situations, as well as that "sixth sense" with which you can sense what is not right in the organization, even if it is not told to you.
In order to successfully perform the task for which he was hired, the consultant should have a burning desire for success, and that of the client, and if he solves his problem, he himself automatically becomes successful. Then, he must be excellent with numbers, because in business everything is measured by numbers and calculations. He must also possess excellent communication skills so that his interaction in interpersonal relations within the organization is as efficient as possible. And finally, he must have a desire for constant learning as well as the capacity for daily acquisition of new knowledge that will help existing and future clients.
Do you have such a person in your organization?