PROFESSIONAL ATTRIBUTES OF

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
 BROAD AREAS OF SKILLS
1. Technical Skills
- Understanding & experience in a technical
discipline (IT, Marketing, etc.)
2. Interpersonal Skills
- Personal attributes that make a person
amiable among people & effective in
accomplishing objectives through people
3. Consulting Process Skills
- Ability to understand and use
analytical approach & process
 TECHNICAL SKILLS
A. Technical Training
1. Length of education
- Bachelor’s degree: a prerequisite
- Many have 1 or 2 graduate degrees
2. Type of education
- Should include a:
a) General degree (e.g, business
program at bachelor’s level)
b) Technical degree (e.g., specialization
in IT after a master’s degree in
computer science & info mgt.)
 TECHNICAL SKILLS
B. Common Core Requirement
- Should include ff. common core
courses in educational program:
1. Communications
2. Mathematics & statistics
3. Computer data processing
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
1. Intelligence or capacity for logical thinking &
reasoning
2. Integrity
3. Objectivity
4. Understanding of people (human relations,
empathy)
5. Judgment
6. Courage
7. Ambition
8. Psychological maturity
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
9. Physiological equilibrium
10. Relationship-building skills
a. Ability to build rapport & trust w/ the client
b. Ability to question effectively
c. Ability to communicate ideas succinctly&
precisely
d. Ability to negotiate objectives & outcomes
e. Ability to convince through verbal, written
& visual mediums
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
10. Relationship-building skills
f. Ability to use info to make a case for a
particular course of action
g. Ability to develop selling strategies
h. Ability to work effectively as a team
member
i. Ability to listen effectively
j. Ability to demonstrate leadership
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
11. Project management skills
a. Ability to define objectives & outcomes
b. Ability to develop formal plans
c. Ability to sequence & prioritize tasks
d. Ability to manage the financial resources
that are to be invested in the consulting
project
e. Ability to recognize the human expertise
necessary to deliver the project
f. Ability to manage personal time
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
12. Analysis skills
a. Ability to identify what info is available in a
particular situation
b. Ability to identify what info is needed in a
particular situation
c. Ability to process that info to identify the important
relationships within it
d. Ability to draw meaning from that info and use it
to support decision-making
e. Ability to recognize the business’ profile of
strengths, weaknesses, & capabilities
 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
12. Analysis skills
f. Ability to recognize the opportunities & challenges
the environment offers the business
g. Ability to assess the business’ financial situation
h. Ability to evaluate the business’ markets & how
they are developing
i. Ability to assess the business’ internal conditions
j. Ability to analyze the way in which decision-
making occurs within the business
CONSULTING PROCESS SKILLS

- Ability to apply analytical approach &

process, w/c include:
1. Problem definition phase
2. Identification of alternative solutions
3. Selection of most desirable alternative
4. Presentation
5. Implementation phase
COMMON BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

- Barriers to effective communication

between client & consultant:
1.Know-it-all attitude and/or prejudice of
some personnel of the client
2. Inability to understand technical language
3. Inadequate background or knowledge
4. Resistance to change
5. Information overload