Management, Books and Learning

  The biggest advantages are know how, previous experience, ability to deal with ambiguity and the ability to create value in a very short period of time.  Too often clients hire people and call them 'consultants' just because they are on a contract.    There's a huge difference between contractors and consultants IMO. Contractors are usually brought in to fill staff augmentation roles for a period of time.  Think - I need a Project Manager to manage project 'xyz' for 3 months.  They need only have generic PM skills in many cases and the ability to execute.    True consultants are brought in because of their expertise in a specific functional area or areas.  They bring knowledge to the table which isn't available in house and can both execute the tasks at hand as well as guide the client and provide advice towards decisions which need to be made now and in the future.  By bringing in additional subject matter expertise there's a ty...

  The core of business consulting is to solve problems. Client problems statements can vary in terms of what is known and how well-articulated they are.   For example, some problem statements consultant may face are: a) How much should I bid for wireless spectrum in the top 25 metro areas in the United States in X, Y, and Z auctions? b) How can I leverage the data I am collecting already and launch a business in this adjacent market? c) How should I link my customer relationship management system more closely with my web presence and accounting system? d) I need to reduce my customer response times and cost structure for services. What options do I have, what should I do, and can you help me make the changes?   For the problem statements above, each problem statement focuses a little bit different in terms of weight on analysis, strategy development, incubation, and execution required.   You will find consultants that tend to focus more on analysis and strategy...