Summary
The consulting world is a wide area where specialists with high knowledge and skills are valued. The consultant’s competency framework includes many qualifications from ethical to professional standards. As for me, the main motivation for taking the module was the desire to study the topic in more depth. Theory is a vital asset when working as a consultant in any corporation. It allows one to structure the available information and be more confident in the knowledge. Thus, I see the module as a repository of valuable data on how I can improve my skills, competency and qualifications in the profession.
Management Consultancy Competence Framework
Management consulting aims to attract professionals who can use and share skills and experience. As a result, various kinds of corporations increase their value in the field of professional standards and ethics. The task of a management consultant is to provide the management of the organization with a separate vision of the company’s management methodology. Client tasks may dictate the most appropriate skills for consultants in their situation, but the worker must have certain universal qualities. Thus, the competence structure of management consulting includes many standards from ethical and behavioral to leadership and management.
The structure of competencies is divided into levels within which the experience of a specialist is assessed. The foundation is the basis upon which the consultant begins to learn their role and considers the requirements within their profession (Ruben, 2019). Next comes the applied level, at which the specialist can already make a functional contribution as a separate consultant and member of the management team (da Costa et al., 2020). The chartered level means that the consultant has a long working experience and can effectively complete tasks, manage a team and assigned resources.
Each qualified specialist in the field of managerial management must possess a number of qualities in ethics necessary for work. First of all, the employee must adhere to the culture and code of ethics that are established in a particular organization. This allows the manager to establish trust within the team without singling out any member (da Costa et al., 2020). An important quality is maintaining the ethical position of clients and their objections to certain situations. Such behavior strengthens the interaction with the client and brings the organization more profit and positive feedback (Ruben, 2019). In matters of ethics, a serious factor in the structure of competencies is the bearing of corporate and social responsibility within the framework of work in the organization. When leading a team as a complex social structure, it is vital to maintain its integrity and commitment to the company’s culture.
Other things that organizations value highly in a management consultant are standards of behavior. One of the main qualities that is considered in the framework of competencies is prioritization. Thus, the employee serves clients at the highest level, offering them sustainable business relationships based on trust (Williams, 2019) Moreover, to create a working atmosphere, it is important to respect the people with whom the consultant works, as this contributes to a more coordinated and efficient process (MCA, 2020). In addition, the consultant must be able to create a positive impact on the environment, social and management factors. As a result, the needs of all stakeholders come to a common balance and provide a possible positive impact of various kinds of situations.
Besides the ethical skills competences in the field of leadership and management are of great value. Each highly qualified management consultant conducts his work considering the interests of the company, clients and partners (Williams, 2019). Moreover, the competency framework includes performance self-monitoring, in which the worker constantly critically evaluates the areas in which they can develop. In addition, the defining quality is the attitude and responsibility for one’s own career and assistance in the growth of others (MCA, 2020). With a strict opinion on the development of their own skills, the consultant proves that they are focused on achieving the best result for the team and the company. Self-development and self-knowledge can be considered as leading competencies by presenting an attitude to work that is evaluated by management. Constant improvement of knowledge, commitment to the organization of culture and assistance to team members distinguish a high-quality specialist capable of effective work.
A good management consultant is distinguished by competencies that are associated with leadership and command. Influencing employees through setting transparent goals, concise communication, and inspiring them to maintain an atmosphere of trust and values will help achieve tasks faster through coordinated work (Newton, 2019). Moreover, the support of employees and the ability to safely resolve conflicts allows the consultant to establish himself as a valuable specialist with a wealth of knowledge (Newton, 2019). One of the main tasks in terms of the scope of competence is to establish a working atmosphere in which employees feel free to express their own opinions and ideas. A friendly attitude allows one to better reveal the skills of each person, which can be more effectively applied in the implementation of the project.
In conclusion, it should be said that the structure of management consulting competencies is extensive and diverse. The competency framework includes ethical qualities that come into play when communicating with management and clients. They help the consultant to fully understand the corporate culture. Moreover, leadership qualities are needed to establish an effective working atmosphere in a team. This allows employees to feel their importance in the team.
Personal Development
The framework is a vital system in assessing and considering personal development within a profession. It helps a novice specialist in revealing their skills and abilities. A highly qualified specialist can draw on competencies for continuous development in the field of management and team leading. When hiring, the management of the organization evaluates the knowledge and skills of the consultant, so the competent development and assistance of the framework is necessary for every employee. The growth and improvement of competencies through the framework is based on constant learning and progress in work through the use of specified standards.
My personal development as a professional in the field of management consulting involves constant progress within the framework of ethical qualities. With constant learning new, it is important to have eminence as a desire for recognized excellence in the field of activity. The framework considers what standards need to be improved and why it helps the profession. A constant evaluation of your performance allows one to highlight the path that needs more work (Bernadino et al., 2018). Individual work and team work are built on different bases and involve different ways of improving them. The individual path is aimed at pumping perseverance and attentiveness, while the team performance considers more self-control and the ability to smooth out conflict. From a professional practice point of view, the consequences of applying these standards are that the professional will be able to demonstrate complete integrity in his or her career. Moreover, with these skills, the consultant is better placed to help team members develop and work more effectively.
Development in the field of professional activity involves the constant improvement of leadership skills to create a successful and effective interaction. The highest qualities of a management consultant are the ability to create trust between employees and inspire them to the best performance. Moreover, simple and understandable communication is the standard that is achieved with the constant improvement of one’s own oratory skills (Mazurchenko & Maršíková, 2019). Long-winded communication and too lengthy explanation of tasks can confuse employees, thereby making it difficult to complete a job or project (Mazurchenko & Maršíková, 2019). Thus, the gradual pumping of the skills of presenting concise information speeds up communication and increases work efficiency. As a professional practice, the ability to succinctly convey information can be achieved through continuous training at work and at home. As a result, the consultant will be able to spend less time and resources on conveying important information to subordinates.
In matters of team management, the framework affects not only ethical standards and the establishment of trusting relationships, but also includes leadership in matters of improving the skills of subordinates. First of all, these postulates describe the commitment to the development of the organizational culture of the company and individuals and their talents (Bernadino et al., 2018). The support that a manager gives to their team in the event of unforeseen circumstances or during the implementation of a complex project is critical to the effectiveness of the work (Tokár-Szadai, 2018). In this case, in professional practice, it is important to remove, if possible, any obstacles that team members may encounter when learning something new (Geraldes et al., 2018). The consultant should be a mentor that opens up access to more skilled skills that would be harder for people to acquire without help.
Additionally, the consultant constantly adapts and refines leadership strategies to approach different situations. For this, a framework has been created that indicates in what ways the most accurate result can be achieved. Each company is eager to get the desired results and this directly depends on the cohesion of human resources (El Dine & Taher, 2020). Thus, at one time the consultant should be stricter and demanding, and at others benevolent and relaxed (Tokár-Szadai, 2018). The purpose of the framework is to help the employee understand which path is best by providing a complete description of the competencies and the situations in which they should be applied.
In the future, the framework may help in applying strategies to resolve conflicts in the most positive way. With the help of the vision of standards, the specialist will be able to see conflicts even at their initial occurrence (El Dine & Taher, 2020). Thus, it is possible to go for cooperation or compromise, listening to the proposals of workers and putting forward counter conditions (Geraldes et al., 2018). In addition, the framework allows you to take into account how satisfied employees are with the consultant and whether changes are required in the established system.
However, the framework concerns not only the standards of work with employees, but with stakeholders and customers. The framework allows one to look more specifically at the tension that can be created between the company and shareholders. Conflicts can arise due to changes in the organization’s policy or approach to work, so it is an important strategic point for the consultant to prepare stakeholders for this. The framework shows that depending on the situation, a different level of response and conflict mitigation is required, which a consultant can offer. From the point of view of professional practice, the ability to communicate with clients and stakeholder groups can have a long opportunistic character. This is due to the fact that the consultant must gain experience both in understanding the causes of conflicts, and ways to resolve them.
Another undeniable advantage of the framework in personal development is the consideration of possible organizational risks and strategies to prevent or mitigate them. Personal improvement is a continuous work on oneself in the context of finding the best solutions that depend on risk management. Within the framework, one can see how the development of a management consultant takes place and how it is possible to provide advice to the management of the organization in assessing the problems associated with the new obligations of the company. Thus, in the future, the framework can help build more successful dialogues with superiors, where the consultant represents the problems facing the organization. Moreover, it helps to increase skills by identifying and socializing risks that are easier to consider in the context of certain areas of activity.
Thus, the framework is a high-quality assistant in the subsequent development of professional skills. First of all, it helps to compare the progress in the ethical maturation of the consultant. Constant return to the described standards allows one to trace the stages of improvement and those moments that need more attention. It provides a high level of knowledge on how to communicate with customers and stakeholders. All these data are the most important support for the development of a career as a management consultant, which the employee must be equal to in order to achieve a more successful performance.
References
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MCA. (2020). Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC). Chartered Management Institute.
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Tokár-Szadai, Á. (2018). Changes in the selection criteria of a management consultant in north-eastern hungary 2001-2016. Journal of Contemporary Economic and Business Issues, 5(2), 19-31.
Williams, C. (2019). Management consultancy for innovation. Routledge.