PREPARED BY ZAHRAA YOUSIF
SUPERVISED BY DR. MARY KAY VONA
CONSULTING WITH AN OUTBREAK IN MIND STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES OF THE CONSULTING INDUSTRY IN THE FACE OF COVID-19
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HOW CAN THE CONSULTING INDUSTRY IMPACT CLIENTS AMIDST RECENT WORLDLY DEVELOPMENTS?
Accelerated change has been the most talked about topic as the consulting industry envisions its future. While VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) environments have been long spoken about, the globe is finally and undoubtedly facing one. In a few weeks, the world’s economy has flipped on its head with massive cancellations, business shutdowns, and work-fromhome mandates. As an industry driven by changes in the economic environment, how can the consulting industry impact clients amidst these recent worldly developments? What strengths do consultants bring to VUCA environments and what might challenge consulting firms during this chaotic time?
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THE CHALLENGES AHEAD What awaits consultants as they support their clients during the outbreak? This paper looks at 3 challenges: clients' adaptation to change, long distance consulting, and changes in consultancy archetypes.
CHALLENGE #1
CLIENTS' ADAPTATION TO CHANGE
As clients adapt to the change of communication platforms and turn to Zoom, Skype, Hangouts and Slack, consultants can be slowed down by the time clients need for transition. Consultants are used to being adaptable and resilient whereas their clients might need more time to adapt. This change requires consultants to provide services from afar and build capabilities in novel ways to engage with clients.
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CHALLENGE #2
CHALLENGE #3
LONG DISTANCE CONSULTING
CHANGES IN CONSULTANCY ARCHETYPES
Large-scale quarantines, travel restrictions, and social-distancing measures are imposing challenges to consultants’ usual Monday through Thursday work schedule. Most consulting firms stopped all travel or enacted strict travel procedures. This period will challenge the notion that the consulting industry has a need for frequent travel to client locations. However, as the effectiveness of long distance consulting is being asserted, this begs the question about the possibility of building successful consultant-client relationships from a distance.
Even when we disregard the pandemic, today’s Future of Work is being reshaped by changing demographics, technologies and economies. Keeping up with these changes, new consulting archetypes will emerge while others will become obsolete. For instance, the rapid adoption of cloud computing technologies is transforming the way businesses are managing IT resources. As a result, Cloud Consulting emerged as an archetype to address this new demand.
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STRENGTHS OF THE INDUSTRY Despite these challenges, the consulting industry has accumulated strengths needed for such trying times: leading through ambiguity, giving trusted advice, and communicating effectively.
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STRENGTH #1
STRENGTH #2
LEADING THROUGH AMBIGUITY
STANDING AHEAD OF THE CURVE
Pace of change has been a top concern
Consulting firms realize the need for
for organizations across geographies. A
beating the Change Curve and
Gartner survey in 2019 showed that senior
continually embracing transitions,
executives concurred that “pace of
adapting to them and even leveraging
change” was a top emerging risk. In
them. While organizations worldwide
Deloitte’s “2019 Global Human Capital
rapidly respond to the global spread of
Trends” survey, 81% of the respondents
COVID-19, leading consulting companies
agreed that business leadership in the
are already ahead of the curve. For
21st century necessitates the ability to
example, EY’s People Advisory Services
lead through more complexity and
team has already published
ambiguity. Embarking in the uncertain is
recommendations for engaging
business as usual for consultants. Under
employees in response to the virus, and
the umbrella of dealing with ambiguity
the company’s International Financial
there are a number of aptitudes that give
Reporting team has detailed accounting
consultants an advantage in volatile
considerations for the outbreak. McKinsey
situations including adaptability, thinking
& Co has also published a report on
positively, working collaboratively, and
COVID-19’s implications for business
being goal-oriented. As the world
sharing insights on how organizations can
mobilizes to manage the coronavirus
respond to the outbreak. BCG set up a
today, one thing is clear: the pandemic
rapid response team to mobilize and
underlines the need to for resiliency in
mitigate the impact of the virus. While
navigating uncertainty. Consultants make
giant corporates and campuses turned
exceptional navigators because of the
into ghost towns, the consulting industry
robust skills and diverse experiences they
is ready to take a front seat in leading
have under their belts.
change.
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STRENGTH #3
STRENGTH #4
GIVING TRUSTED ADVICE
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
The consulting industry is built on trust
Knowing the right answer is only half of
because consultants are involved in
the consulting job; the other half is the
intimate aspects of their clients’ business.
ability to share the solution competently.
Being trusted in the eyes of clients allows
Consultants acquire excellent
consultants to exert influence and lead
communication skills that enable them to
change. Consultants, therefore, grow a
break down complex, technical ideas to
muscle for nurturing sustained
their audiences and bring light to the
relationships with their clients. For
most meaningful advice. Proficiency in
example, Block (2011) highlights how trust
communication allows consultants to feel
is earned by engaging the client
confident and comfortable when faced
throughout the consultancy process and
with situations of high importance such
lists examples for client engagement
as delivering bad news, negotiating a
within the contracting, discovery, and
contract or sailing through a conflict.
sustaining phases of any given project. For
Biggs (2010) affirms that self-knowledge is
Block (2011), engagement has power
fundamental to communicating
independent of the content of the
effectively. Consultants’ awareness of their
consulting recommendations; the value
own social styles as well as that of their
in engagement lies in fortifying the client-
clients’ paves the path for more effective
consultant relationship and reinforcing
communication. During rough times,
trust. As “trusted advisors”, consultants
consultants are capable of proposing
have the opportunity to be the reliable
solutions to replace chaos with order and
captains in sailing through times of
are competent in translating complex
turbulence.
proposals to straightforward ideas.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
The global coronavirus pandemic has triggered a severe economic volatility which demand rapid change adoption. In spite of these changing dynamics, skills in navigating ambiguity, foresight in staying ahead of the change curve, trust building, and effective communication will always be indispensable, giving the $490 billion industry a strong ground on which to thrive.
As I look forward to the time ahead after graduation, I am more reassured that consulting is the path for me even during this unconventional time. As the world rapidly changes, I aspire to be on the frontline of unthinkable change where I foresee economical/ societal shifts. The idea of being amongst those who challenge the status quo and explore alternatives thrills me. I am excited for the opportunity to work side by side with brilliant minds in supporting business and world leaders to bring their visions to life.
IMAGINE IF SOLVING THE WORLD’S MOST CHALLENGING PROBLEMS WAS YOUR NINE-TOFIVE. THAT IS CONSULTING.
REFERENCES Biggs, D. (2010). Management consulting: A guide for students: Cengage Learning: UK (ISBN 9781408007914) Block, P. (2011). Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used. 3rd Ed. San Francisco:Jossey- Bass. (ISBN: 978-0-470-62074-8) Maister, D. (2001). The Trusted Advisor. Secaucus: Free Press. (ISBN 13: 978-0-743-21234-2) Verzuh, E. (2016). The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management, 5th Ed. Hoboken: Wiley & Sons. (ISBN:978-1-119-08658-1)