What competencies are needed to succeed in Management Consulting?
This is Part 2 of the series of articles where we discuss roles, competencies and assessment for management consultants. If you haven’t read the previous article, please read here. At Vernalis, we are frequently asked, What do management consultants need to excel in their role? Many aspire to enter the field, but few fully understand what it takes.
In this series, we aim to shed light on the following questions
1. What is the real Role of a Consultant ?
2. What are the core competencies needed to succeed ?
3. How do we assess for fitment on these competencies ?
In this article, we attempt to answer the second question, what are the competencies of a consultant in a consulting firm?
The competencies required to excel as a consultant go beyond just knowledge and skills. The traits and drive needed to succeed are the imperative differentiators.
Delivering tangible results is what separates a great consultant from a good one. This requires that the consultant demonstrate a blend of theory and practice. With a significant premium on the ability to drive change and transformation at the client workplace.
At Vernalis, we do so by investing in harmony and consensus. Our approach involves engaging key stakeholders in a consensual process, ensuring that change is sustainable without compromising business objectives. To deliver this level of transformation for our clients, it’s crucial that the Vernalis team does not just facilitate good strategy creation, but also operates with a high level of awareness, open-mindedness and equanimity that fosters consensus.
Look forward to your inputs in refining these competencies
We invite insights from students, aspirants, experienced and young consultants, and clients on the the competencies presented above, especially on:
- Are these competencies universal across geographies and roles?
- How do competencies differ for a junior and senior consultant?
About the Author
Bharat Grover is a Partner at Vernalis. He heads the Architecting Hi-Performance Organisation Practice Area.
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