1. The Global CMC
1ST EDITION 2011
CMCs Management Consultants Business Students
Build Networks Get Business Gain Knowledge
2. Affiliates Contents
1 Affiliates
2 Editors note
Features
3 We improving management
consultancy in Sweden
Publisher
Editorial Production: Mikael Jensen
4 An executive guide to employing
consultants
5
Design: Sitarah Dahya, Felicia Jensen
Business Development: Mikael Jensen,
Sitarah Dahya, Felicia Jensen
Driving CMC Value Through
the New Media & Global CMC
Website: www.globalcmc.com Community
E-mail: office@globalcmc.com
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6 Are you an archetypal consultant?
3. Features
Editor’s Special
Improving Management Consultancy
Editors note
in Sweden
It is a market need to clarify the
definition of Management
Consultant and who demands them.
Mikael Jensen
As CMCs we are always
expected to offer customized
solutions tailored to client
needs, consistent with his An Executive Guide to Employing
organizational culture. To Consultants
attain and retain this status
Incompetent and unprofessional
and reputation we need the
right clients, proliferating consultants would not stand a chance if
access to client segments and executives and managers had the skills
a well replenished knoweldge to identify and avoid them in advance.
resource.
Richard E Zackrisson
Keeping these professional
and industry needs
in perspective we have
developed Global CMC, an
Driving CMC Value through the New
accredited website of ICMCI
where we cater our members, Media & Global CMC Community
the consultants and clients Globalcmc.com can potentially be
by offering them customized a powerful platform in connecting
packages where they can get
CMCs to eachother and selected
their right matches, build
successful networks, gain communities.
knowledge and get access Liew Shin Liat
to a global platform of great
opportunities. To create
future management leaders
and professionals Global Are you an archetypal consultant?
CMC is open to the student Some interesting terms and phrases
community worldwide as well. used frequently by consultants during
their conversation with clients and with
We look forward to your
membership at global CMC each other have been compiled to a
to drive your business and checklist given below. Read and see if
add value to the profession of you use some or most of these phrases
management consulting.
as well?
The Global CMC Team
2
4. We improving management
consultancy in Sweden
It is a market need to clarify the definition of Management Consultant and who demands The definition of a CMC
them. There are alot of people in the market operating more as qualified salesmen for should be clarified to define
business systems or pure specialist but proclaim themselves as Management Consultants. what the profession present
We as a national institute for Management Consultants need to define what the profession both to the industry and to
actually present both to the industry and to the market. As a certifying body of Management the market
Consultants in Sweden we promote excellence and ethics in management consulting through
certification, education, and professional resources. Managers with temporary
development and a flexible response to needs demands for CMCs
Who demands Management Consultants?
Managers with temporary needs and customer and market changes.
CMCs have to understand
demands for CMCs. the level of impact their
Management and key individuals are those The Management Consultancy Competence
services can have on related
who have an overall responsibility of the Framework is the culmination of research and
management areas
management system in the organization with wide consultation throughout the profession.
the aim to define and accomplish desired It builds on the competencies required to
To practice as a Certified
goals and standards. gain the international Certified Management
Management Consultant a
A CMC operates on several functions and Consultant (CMC) Award to capture leading
CMC has at least to calibrate
therefore they have to understand the level of practice and define the standards required by
with three of the managers
consistency of their advice and support that the profession.
core competence areas to
will impact on other functions. guarantee reliability and
Given below is the criteria that contribute to credibility in management
excellence in performance practice
Temporary Function Management • To help improve management consultant
Management specialiced Consult performance practices, capabilities and A CMC must have a quality
Competence consult
results and great performance
• To facilitate communication and develop judged by his/her customers.
an improvement plan
Permanent Employees ”Manager • To serve as a tool for understanding and The management consultancy
Management for
hire”
managing performance competency framework
Competence
builds on the compentencies
Results of Learning & Development
CMC Breadth of Skills & Experience
Business Competence 10 pts
Client Business Insight Consulting Business Insight required to gain CMC Award.
Single function Several functions
Technical Competence 20 pts In conclusion CMCs on
Management Activities Functional Specialization Consulting Skills a global base needs a
To practice as a Certified Management pronounced differentiation
Consultant a CMC has at least to calibrate Values and Behaviour Competence 20 pts so the profession and its
with three of the managers core competence Ethics and Professionalism Analytical Skills competence is clearly defined
areas to guarantee reliability and credibility in Personal Interaction Personal Development
30 pts
to the market.
management practice. 20 pts Reflection / Feedback
Setting
Enviroment, Organization Accounting,
business- and
Objectives,
strategy and
and cultur finance and What you can measure is what you can
Market analysis administration
policy
control and we think it is an important
Human Resource
tool for development. Every area has its
Production own importance leading to the outcome
Marketing and reflection of standard performance. It
Communication helps to focus on the right task in Continues
Development Plan CDP.
Informations technology and system
Project Management
Conclusion is that CMCs on a global base
To do so, a CMC must have a quality and great needs a pronounced differentiation so the
performance judged by his/her customers. profession and its competence is clearly
This requires listening to your customers defined to the market.
and anticipating changes. Customer-driven
excellence demands awareness of skills Mikael Jensen, CMC, Sweden
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5. An executive guide to employing
consultants
Some 85% of consulting efforts are said to fail to produce the intended, and promised, results. While incompetent,
unprofessional consultants are a significant cause of this, they would not stand a chance if executives and managers had the
skills to identify and avoid them in advance. As long as senior managers allow change efforts to be designed, implemented
or managed by people who lack the competence, experience or commitment necessary to ensure success, this situation will
continue.
In order to avoid such situation these Not recruiting Short- run costs are acceptable
checklists can be referred to before you 3. Identify consultant competence Long –run benefits objectively projected
hire a consultant. Technical competence to exceed the long- term investment
Identifying the kind of help you Consulting competence Everyone with primary responsibility for
need Interpersonal competence this project has/had input to the final
1. Do you really need a consultant? Personal characteristics contract.
Are you prepared to identify problems Choosing the best consultant for the
should they arise? job Managing the consultant project
Do you have a problem now? 1. Preparation 1. Ongoing consultant evaluation
Should something be done about the Preparing for selection interviews Level of results
problem? Determining what to tell your consultant Keeping the effort on track
Do you have internal resources to solve Judging the candidate against your Evaluating the likelihood that your
the problem? selection criteria change effort will succeed.
Should your internal resources be Judging the candidate’s responses
utilized? Evaluation of post-interview summaries
2. What type of consultant do you Evaluating the objective contents of Richard E Zackrisson
need? proposals
Do you need Helping Hands? Evaluating the subjective content of
Do you need a Training Consultant? proposals
Some 85% of consulting efforts
Do you need an Expert Consultant or a Evaluating consulting contracts
are said to fail to produce the
Process Consultant? 2. Before you sign the contract intended, and promised, results.
Support consultant to gather data While incompetent, unprofessional
Building consultant selection criteria necessary to design, implement and consultants are a significant cause of
1. Identify professional consultant evaluate the project this, they would not stand a chance if
behavior Assess the acceptability of the project to executives and managers had the skills
Treat the organization as the client other stakeholders to identify and avoid them in advance.
Focus on the root cause of problems Success factors of the project have been
Focus on long- term effects considered and are readily available In order to avoid such unfavorable
Develop and utilize internal resources Contingency plans have been prepared situations check the following criteria
Provide help to self- help to eliminate or reduce risk factors before you hire a consultant
Focus on practical reality Evaluation and acceptance of indirect
effects that full or partial project failure 1. The kind of help you need
2. Identify ethical consultant
may have 2. Consultant selection criteria
behavior Considering legal regulations
Maintain confidentiality 3. The best consultant for the job
Availability of sufficient resources
Presenting realistic expectations Scheduling the project in a way that it
Avoiding conflicting assignments Managing the consultant project
doesn’t affect other scheduled plans
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6. Driving CMC Value Through the New
Media & Global CMC Community
New Media tools have fast
becoming a powerful new
approach to bring across
From the Presidential election campaign of Barrack Obama in 2008 to the recent General messages to the target
Election 2011 in Singapore, from the self-promoting artists on Youtube to the big celebrities audience
or ordinary folks on Facebook pages, the use New Media tools have fast becoming a powerful
new approach to bring across messages to the target audience, much more effective than the Global CMC Community is one
traditional means such as emails, phone calls, newspapers etc. of the Breakthrough Strategy
Projects –Global CMC aims
ICMCI celebrates the International Technology driving social interaction - social to exploit currently-available
Management Consultants’ Day in June each collaboration technologies, online groups, instruments and social media
year. My message is that the Globalcmc. blogs, and other electronic messaging tools (such as Linkedin,
com can potentially be a powerful platform in systems etc enhance networks of personal Facebook, etc)
connecting CMCs to each other and selected relationships. The use of Webex in the ICMCI
communities. Ex-Com monthly conference has enabled Rising of Generation C- CMCs
closer working relationship among the Ex- and consultants are similar to
There are a least 3 things CMCs worldwide Com members (without physical face-to-face) “Generation C”
should be aware of: meeting. At the same time, the enhanced
Global CMC Community is one of the personal relationships in turn make the face- Technology driving social
Breakthrough Strategy Projects – the to-face meetings such as the biennial congress interaction -- social
objective is to create an active global and meeting much more effective. It will collaboration technologies,
community with diversity across geographic, be a waste not to extend such learning and online groups, blogs, and
cultural and industrial boundaries could outcome to the global CMC community. other electronic messaging
motivate CMCs and related stakeholders to systems etc enhance networks
reach their full potential. Among other things, In the months ahead, the Global CMC of personal relationships.
this project aims to exploit currently-available Community project team will work out
instruments and social media tools (such as programmes which will enable CMCs to be The Global CMC Community
Linkedin, Facebook, etc) better connected. If you have any suggestions project team will work out
Rising of the “Generation C” – a term coiled please contact the project lead Liew Shin Liat programmes which will enable
to refer to very frequent users of Internet who at slliew@singnet.com.sg CMCs to be better connected.
are “connected, communicating, content-
centric, computerized, community-oriented, Liew Shin Liat
always clicking or browsing”. Enabled Vice Chairman of ICMCI Follow us on
by Internet, mobile devices, and social Singapore
networking, we can find more and more
younger (and even not so young) CMCs and
consultants are similar to “Generation C”
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7. Are you an archetypal
consultant?
Some interesting terms and phrases used frequently by consultants during their conversation
with clients and with each other have been compiled to a checklist given below. Read and see
if you use some or most of these phrases as well.
Boil the ocean: To embark on an apparently impossible or fruitless task or when the effort
expended to achieve is not worth the potential payoff.
Development opportunity: A shortcoming that should be rectified usually by the subsequent
suggestion.
Directionally correct: You have a long way to go in getting the right answer.
View from 30,000 feet: Often used to suggest that a particular situation needs a preliminary or
cursory look.
At the end of the day: A phrase used to attempt summarization and perhaps close off certain
avenues of discussion.
Bandwidth: Generally used to indicate that the speaker cannot or would not prefer to do
additional work.
Buttoned –up: This phrase is used to indicate that a particular piece of work or analysis is
comprehensive, accurate and capable of withstanding close scrutiny.
Buttoned-down: Means opposite to buttoned – up.
Crisp: An adjective indicating that the referenced work or analysis is thorough and complete.
Granular: A detailed level of abstraction, often used in context of increasing the fitness of an
analysis.
Hands: Often prefaced with clients, indicates the interpersonal skills of an individual in relation
to a particular group of people.
Hard stop: Used to indicate that after the time indicated, the listeners are on their own as the
person stating that they have a hard stop isn’t going to be around to help.
Key: Critical, essential, required, important and central; the key analysis is generally the
linchpin.
Let me play this back: Used when the listener wants to refract and color the conversation
through his or her own perspective.
Low- hanging fruit: The initial opportunities or areas of exploration that are easiest to cover.
Push back: This term is used to indicate resistance and/or disagreement
Sniff test: This term is used when gauging the viability or reasonableness of a particular
analysis.
Take the lead on: A phrase used by more experienced consultants when they wish to delegate a
menial task.
To be transparent: A term that indicates that what follows will be particularly revelatory.
The GlobalCMC Team
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8. GLOBAL CMC ICMCI Secretariat
Executive Management Institute P.O. Box 1058
Svardvagen 23 NL-3860 BB NIJKERK, Netherlands
SE-182 33 DANDERYD, Sweden www.icmci.org
www.globalcmc.com Accredited Website of ICMCI