Time for some theory again. Before I can write about those business reviews I was assigned on I have to explain what they are.
So far I was very lucky within my old company. I was never assigned to one of those reviews but only to projects. Let me tell you so far, they are stressful and can be hell on earth.
Client engagement (for consultants) falls into 3 phases:
Phase 1: Sales (Business Review, also called Analysis), it lasts for about 2 to 3 weeks.
Phase 2: The actual project, which averages around 6 months but can be from 3 to 12 months really, maybe longer.
Phase 3: Follow-up, a phase in which a consultant regularly visits and audits the project outcome.
If it is a new client, an account executive would "sell" a business review. This means, one analyst and a bunch of consultants, ideally including the assigned project manager and director, would analyse the business and detect any area of improvement. Every improvement would be translated into cost savings opportunities, revenue enhancement, etc.
Quite often these business reviews are free of cost for the client. One wants to get easier access to them in the selling phase. But I think this is not a good idea. Clients should pay for any service. By doing so they value it much more. And if someone can sell an analysis, this person can also sell that the client has to pay for it.
Saturday, 28 February 2009
Friday, 27 February 2009
Encore!
I started with IMR in 1999 and got a trainee week in Düsseldorf on a project where the client produced soup. It was a production process project. It looked very straight forward. Interesting was, IMR had a different methodology than my old company. The result was the same, savings, but the way towards those savings was much smoother. There was no consultant with a whip and a trainer to soothe the pain, but the consultant did all by himself. The only problem was, formal training was really missing as the coaching skills of consultants who were evaluated against hard cash savings and not people's behaviour change were rather thin.
Well, I knew why they wanted me. That was clear.
Straight after that week there was a company meeting in Paris. All was very posh, something I was not used to from my American company. The French certainly knew how to live.
A few weeks later I was assigned to a couple of business reviews till I finally ended up on a project in Germany.
Well, I knew why they wanted me. That was clear.
Straight after that week there was a company meeting in Paris. All was very posh, something I was not used to from my American company. The French certainly knew how to live.
A few weeks later I was assigned to a couple of business reviews till I finally ended up on a project in Germany.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Berlin
After that disaster in the US I was a bit fed up with consulting and tried to orientate myself. I moved to Berlin for a few months. I had first thoughts of working as freelancer. And the field I was most comfortable with was management training and coaching.
After I assessed my skills-set I realised that I lacked essential operational experience. I felt I focused too much on training; training had become my comfort zone. I knew I had to tackle the other side, too, the more technical and operational one.
It was in those days that I got a phone call from a headhunter who found my CV somewhere on the internet. My biggest asset, so he said, was my extensive training knowledge which would have been most beneficial for this consultancy he is looking to hire consultants for.
This company was based in Paris but I could live wherever I wanted. To cut the story short, I started with that company, moved back to London, and worked as consultant with training experience. The company does not exist anymore. Its name was IMR.
After I assessed my skills-set I realised that I lacked essential operational experience. I felt I focused too much on training; training had become my comfort zone. I knew I had to tackle the other side, too, the more technical and operational one.
It was in those days that I got a phone call from a headhunter who found my CV somewhere on the internet. My biggest asset, so he said, was my extensive training knowledge which would have been most beneficial for this consultancy he is looking to hire consultants for.
This company was based in Paris but I could live wherever I wanted. To cut the story short, I started with that company, moved back to London, and worked as consultant with training experience. The company does not exist anymore. Its name was IMR.
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
The Wheat
Stories about the good ones probably sound rather dull, but the vast majority of colleagues fall under this category (good, not dull).
One consultant hated his suit so much that every Friday when we drove to Vienna airport he stopped on the motorway, got more or less publically undressed and jumped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Some consultants, the Dutch ones, who were the majority on German speaking projects in those days, tried to teach me Dutch by buying me a Marco Borsato CD. If you are Dutch you know what a torture I had to go through.
Well, the good ones are the ones that help you out in times of need, don't act like sharks in a fish tank, are pleasant to be with on long project nights, and have a great sense of humour. That is one of the the most important features.
One thing I learned when hiring a consultant. After an assessment centre or interview I normally ask myself whether this would be a consultant who I would like to have breakfast with every day on a project.
One consultant hated his suit so much that every Friday when we drove to Vienna airport he stopped on the motorway, got more or less publically undressed and jumped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
Some consultants, the Dutch ones, who were the majority on German speaking projects in those days, tried to teach me Dutch by buying me a Marco Borsato CD. If you are Dutch you know what a torture I had to go through.
Well, the good ones are the ones that help you out in times of need, don't act like sharks in a fish tank, are pleasant to be with on long project nights, and have a great sense of humour. That is one of the the most important features.
One thing I learned when hiring a consultant. After an assessment centre or interview I normally ask myself whether this would be a consultant who I would like to have breakfast with every day on a project.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009
Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff
Let's wash the dirty laundry first.
The best thing is to read my Milwaukee notes which is probably the worst which I have experienced as a junior consultant.
One of my early project managers made us juniors pay for his lunch every day. Don't forget, he was the one who decided whether we had work or not, so we paid for his lunch.
Also on on one of my first projects I got blackmailed. I have forgotten why she did it, but that was quite a shocker for me as brandnew consultant.
One project manager did not pay me for 2 weeks because I gave him some feedback about the way the client perceived him. He thought I was plotting. It took me months of internal rubbish till I got paid.
Talking about team-building, one project manager stayed in a luxury hotel whilst he let his consultants stay in an extremely cheap one far outside the city centre. He wanted to keep his project cost down so that he got a higher bonus.
The more I think about it, the more stories keep on popping up in my mind, but I will leave it with that. It only shows how inexperienced and actually stupied one is as junior consultant.
The best thing is to read my Milwaukee notes which is probably the worst which I have experienced as a junior consultant.
One of my early project managers made us juniors pay for his lunch every day. Don't forget, he was the one who decided whether we had work or not, so we paid for his lunch.
Also on on one of my first projects I got blackmailed. I have forgotten why she did it, but that was quite a shocker for me as brandnew consultant.
One project manager did not pay me for 2 weeks because I gave him some feedback about the way the client perceived him. He thought I was plotting. It took me months of internal rubbish till I got paid.
Talking about team-building, one project manager stayed in a luxury hotel whilst he let his consultants stay in an extremely cheap one far outside the city centre. He wanted to keep his project cost down so that he got a higher bonus.
The more I think about it, the more stories keep on popping up in my mind, but I will leave it with that. It only shows how inexperienced and actually stupied one is as junior consultant.
Monday, 23 February 2009
Consultants, a Special Breed
It is quite interesting to sit here and think about a certain aspect of the job and write down some thoughts. What kind of people did I meet?
First it must be said that us consultants, we are actually a strange bunch of people. We lead our private lives at the weekends solely, fly out every week to the projects where we then spend days together with our colleagues - we have breakfast together in the hotel, go to work, spend all day on the project, and in the evenings we all go for dinner. The only time we are alone is in the hotel room after dinner and before breakfast. One gets used to it though. But it is apparent how important good team-building skills of a project manager are.
Once you are a good team and well fuctioning the project is over and new teams of consultants build up on new projects, and the whole work of building a team, etc, starts all over again.
With 2 of my colleagues I managed to stay in touch over all those years. And funny enough, these are my 2 American colleagues Julie and Chad, who have become great friends. With the Europeans I managed to get in touch with a few again. Websites like LinkedIN, XING and Plaxo triggered this development; without them it would have been impossible. With a few of my old colleagues I am in a more or less regular e-mail contact.
Maybe I should write 2 more entries on here about good and bad examples of colleagues within that first company I worked with...
First it must be said that us consultants, we are actually a strange bunch of people. We lead our private lives at the weekends solely, fly out every week to the projects where we then spend days together with our colleagues - we have breakfast together in the hotel, go to work, spend all day on the project, and in the evenings we all go for dinner. The only time we are alone is in the hotel room after dinner and before breakfast. One gets used to it though. But it is apparent how important good team-building skills of a project manager are.
Once you are a good team and well fuctioning the project is over and new teams of consultants build up on new projects, and the whole work of building a team, etc, starts all over again.
With 2 of my colleagues I managed to stay in touch over all those years. And funny enough, these are my 2 American colleagues Julie and Chad, who have become great friends. With the Europeans I managed to get in touch with a few again. Websites like LinkedIN, XING and Plaxo triggered this development; without them it would have been impossible. With a few of my old colleagues I am in a more or less regular e-mail contact.
Maybe I should write 2 more entries on here about good and bad examples of colleagues within that first company I worked with...
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Post Mortem
Even though it ended all spectacularly dramatically I actually must admit I enjoyed those nearly 3 years with IMPAC. I cannot even tell how much I learned during that time.
I was able to stand in front of people and "perform" and train them on any subject. One learns to be fully flexible and able to anything in front of people.
I learned that the behavioural part when it comes to change management is even more important than the sheer operational implementation. Implementation of management tools is important, but in the end my client's managers and staff have to use them even after the project. And the role of the consultant is to make sure changes are sustainable and stick.
I learned how to coach and train my clients effectively.
I left the company with a big management consultant "toolkit" and am able to analyse and develop any area or department in any industry.
I learned how to deal with people within a team and be a good team-player.
And most importantly I learned how to "read" people's behaviours and take appropriate action. Some would call it manipulation, well, a minor version maybe. A disaster like the last project would never happen again.
Oh yes, most, most importantly I learned how to deliver results for my clients regardless whether I am technically able or not. Just go for it and "swim"!!!
I was able to stand in front of people and "perform" and train them on any subject. One learns to be fully flexible and able to anything in front of people.
I learned that the behavioural part when it comes to change management is even more important than the sheer operational implementation. Implementation of management tools is important, but in the end my client's managers and staff have to use them even after the project. And the role of the consultant is to make sure changes are sustainable and stick.
I learned how to coach and train my clients effectively.
I left the company with a big management consultant "toolkit" and am able to analyse and develop any area or department in any industry.
I learned how to deal with people within a team and be a good team-player.
And most importantly I learned how to "read" people's behaviours and take appropriate action. Some would call it manipulation, well, a minor version maybe. A disaster like the last project would never happen again.
Oh yes, most, most importantly I learned how to deliver results for my clients regardless whether I am technically able or not. Just go for it and "swim"!!!
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