9/4/2019 10 Essential Skills Needed to Make an Excellent Consultant - ROJO

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10 ESSENTIAL SKILLS NE EDED TO MAKE AN EXC EL L ENT

CONSULTANT

10 ESSENTIAL SKILLS NE EDED TO MAKE AN EXC EL L ENT

CONSULTANT
 20/03/2018

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Business consultants help organisations to solve issues, create value, maximise growth and improve
business performance. Whether its in IT, nance, legal, or PR, they use their business skills to provide
objective advice and expertise and help an organisation to develop any specialist skills that it may be
lacking.

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Consultants are primarily be concerned with the strategy, structure, management and operations of a
company, working to identify options for the organisation and suggest recommendations for change, as
well as advising on additional resources to implement solutions. If you are embarking on your career or
taking your rst steps into the world of work, here are the top ten skills needed to be an effective
consultant.

1. Excellent Communicator
From conducting research interviews with the client’s employees, to managing the team and
stakeholders, writing business proposals and delivering presentations, effective communication is
highly important in consulting work. So often projects break down or stagnate because of a lack of
effective communication. Being a strong communicator will set you apart from the rest and will quickly
gain you such a reputation.

2. Team Player
It goes without saying that displaying leadership skills is a highly desirable quality for a good consultant.
But what’s even more important is being able to work well in a team. During large projects you will be
working in teams of tens, sometimes hundreds of people and things can quickly turn into a hotbed of
political chaos if you can’t function effectively within a team. Learn how to support your colleagues and
delegate fairly. You will de nitely be judged by how well you work with others.

3. Problem Solver
You will need to carry out vast amounts of research and data collection to understand the organisation
you are consulting for. This requires an analytical mind that is solution focused, as well as detail
orientated. In order to operate effectively in this domain, you must be highly organised, reliable and
well-structured in your work patterns.

4. Fast Learner
If you are straight out of university or grad school, taking your rst steps into a consulting rm whatever
its size will be an exciting, hectic and information fuelled experience. You will need to prove your
abilities to conduct research and analysis, communicate effectively and work well with others, but a
good employer knows that the best and brightest will be able to learn quickly on the job.

Be prepared to undergo trainings, shadow months long projects and attend lengthy meetings. Taking
responsibility for you own commitment to up-skill, whether that is through online courses, webinars or
text books, shows your initiative and eagerness to learn, and will not fail to go unnoticed by your
employer.

5. Decision Maker
It can be quite daunting having to assert yourself when you are new to the job or organisation. But
showing conviction and commitment to your own ideas, as well as the ability to follow through, is highly
important in consultancy. Of course, con dence comes with experience, so it is vital to be just as an
effective listener. Learn from your peers and offer to support them in realising their ideas if you believe
in them and that it will produce great results for the project. Doing exactly what you say you will do
sounds obvious, but is essential for building trust and credibility in your team.

6. Creative Thinker
Creativity, intuition, resourcefulness, whatever you like to call it… As a consultant you will be challenged
to solve some pretty unique problems that may be completely new to the industry. Having no
experience or data to back up your decision making, you will need to step up creatively to nd a working

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9/4/2019 10 Essential Skills Needed to Make an Excellent Consultant - ROJO

solution. Don’t be afraid to seek advice or support from your colleagues to help you think about new
ways of tackling the problem. A fresh perspective is valuable and may uncover some insights you have
not thought of before.

7. Solution Focused
Almost all consultants have “enough ambition to last a lifetime
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2013/11/05/be-the-best-consultant-ever-6-things-that-will-
make-you-great/#3880166b95d6)“. But what really distinguishes a good consultant from a great one is
the ability to not only focus on the tasks at hand, but also to think critically about the work. For example,
your client may be asking you to nd cost savings in a supply chain, but rst, try to understand why this
is critical to the business.

Knowing how to think this way will help you develop better insights and solutions for your client. Try
spending extra time thinking through your task before jumping in, put things into context, and don’t be
afraid to politely challenge your manager’s requests.

8. Customer Oriented
Make sure to know thoroughly what your client’s requirements are through asking relevant questions,
spending time with them in their working environment and with members of their team. It is often
required for you to integrate yourself within their internal team so you should be exible in your
approach and communicate well.

You will need to liaise with the client to keep them informed of progress and to make relevant decisions,
so maintaining a good rapport with them is essential for progression. Some clients can be more
demanding than others, so be sure to understand them and try to be consistent in how much or little you
communicate with them. You want to avoid overwhelming them with details as well as giving yourself
the room to actually do the job you are assigned to do.

9. Flexible Worker
The life of the consultant is without doubt demanding. Long working days, hours on the road travelling
from one client to the next, and being on-call at any time of the day are typical job attributes. Working
extensively towards the end goal for a large project requires the consultant to dig deep and show true
grit.

On the positive side rms are paying increasing attention to work/life balance by offering pro-wellbeing
and family-friendly bene ts, like exible and remote working opportunities
(https://rojoconsultancy.com/working-on-wellbeing- exible-workdays-at-rojo/), as well as enhanced
maternity and paternity leave. Some encourage career breaks or secondments in another role or
outside the company.

10. Stress Resilient

Consultancy involves a high level of responsibility and pressure. There can be some stress as there will
be tough targets and tight deadlines to meet, as well as the occasional challenging project (or customer).
However, if you are able to keep a cool head and communicate effectively, look after your health both
inside and outside of the of ce (https://rojoconsultancy.com/5-health-hacks-for-the-conscientious-
consultant/) and be sure to enjoy some downtime, you will create the emotional strength to deal with all
sorts of undesirable situations.

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