Tom Spencer(Source: Flickr) In this post we look at the stress interview. If you’re interviewing for consulting positions, then you may be subjected to one. The aim of the stress interview is to put you under pressure in order to see how you will react and whether you can calmly defend yourself. Your interviewers might do this in […]
IN this post we look at the structure of the consulting interview. Firms will normally conduct two or three interview rounds, and each round will consist of two or more interviews back-to-back. The case question is the cornerstone of the consulting interview, and some firms will employ a fixed structure for the case question, asking each […]
Not overnight. Not without hard work and creativity. Not without moments of doubt. Not inevitable. But possible. Possible for you. Success, for you, is possible.
ARE you an aspiring management consultant? If so, then you’re in luck. Over the coming months we will be posting about the consulting interview. In this post we look at the purpose of the consulting interview. The purpose of the consulting interview is twofold. Firstly, it is a test of client readiness. Management consultants are hired by senior executives […]
Using gamelike elements to engage customers can produce real business value We are currently taking an online course on Gamification with Wharton’s Professor Kevin Werbach, which provides a fascinating insight into the world of games and how gamelike elements can be incorporated into the customer experience. The basic concept is that games provide a structure within which […]
All too often partners in professional service firms know how to issue orders, but forget about the need for kindness. Employees develop fear rather than fondness for their managers, and quickly learn how little they can produce to keep people happy. In professions where the quality of the final product hinges on the quality of the thought process used to develop it (e.g. […]
ORGANISATIONS hire management consultants to help them solve their most challenging business problems. Senior management are busy people, and so consultants need to communicate their message clearly and concisely, preferably accompanied by some colourful powerpoint slides. The irony, though, is that consultants have gone on to develop an industry jargon which is often completely incomprehensible to industry outsiders. Below […]
The financier cares about the next 3 months or less. The strategist cares about the next 3 years or more. The financier wants the deal to close as soon as possible so that he can earn his bonus. The strategist is open to taking action if it will strengthen the firm’s position over time, and a better outcome can’t be […]
ARE you an aspiring consultant with an interest in pursuing a career in the management consulting industry? Breaking into the management consulting industry is extremely difficult, and so with this in mind we have produced a number of free consulting resources to improve your chances of success. Where To Apply? The first problem that applicants face is knowing where to […]
We each face obstacles at times that prevent us from achieving our goals as quickly and effortlessly as we would like. In your professional life, difficulties may result from factors outside your control: fierce competition, lack of customer demand, or a new well-heeled company entering your industry. Hurdles can also result from factors a little closer to home: outdated skills, insufficient experience, or a weak reputation. Obstacles may be unavoidable, but we […]
The problem with being a social climber is that you erode your base of support. Your customers or boss may love you, but if you actively disdain your subordinates, employees, suppliers and other members of the community, you will erode over time the foundation upon which future success can be reliably built. All stakeholders have value, not just the ones who can reward you most immediately with money, […]
Happy new year, and best wishes for a prosperous and productive 2015. Cavett Robert, founder of America’s National Speakers Association, once said that “character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.” May you have the character and conviction to persevere with your plans for the year […]
ARE you an aspiring consultant looking to work India? Or perhaps you are just interested to know more about the leading consulting firms in South Asia? What ever the case may be, we have just produced, for your benefit, a guidebook which provides an overview of the most prominent consulting firms in India. The guidebook is free. No member sign […]
For many of us, especially expectant young children, Christmas is a day of high expectations. It can often fall short of the mark. Santa may have brought you an Xbox when you had desperately wanted a Playstation. Or perhaps you got a new Samsung tablet, when you were busting for the new iPad instead. It can be painful when reality falls dismally […]
Where do you place value? (Source: Flickr) ONE of our heroes, New York based consultant Alan Weiss, has a unique perspective on wealth. He regularly shares the view that “wealth is discretionary time”. The reason his approach to wealth is so striking is that most people, at least those of us living in Western market based economies, tend […]
ALL too often, and especially when starting out on a new project, the things we don’t know outnumber the things we do. We may know very little and, in the absence of knowledge, we can become stuck. Paralysis, our inability or unwillingness to make forwards progress, is the surest road to stagnation, difficulty and ultimate demise. What can be done […]
WILLIAM Black, former bank regulator and Professor of Economics and Law at the University of Missouri, witnessed first hand how banks took control of the banking system to commit fraud on a colossal scale. In his TED Talk from last year (watch it below) Black talks about “liar’s loans” and other tactics that the banks used to bring […]
Is Booze Muhkidney hiring?
If you run a company, your customers hold the balance of power. Are you delighting them, or leaving an opening for somebody to cut your grass? IF you want to know which party holds the balance of power in a relationship, you just need to look at the direction in which the gifts are flowing. The gift […]
But what about when nobody is watching? GENEROSITY is the act of giving more than we expect of you. You are probably familiar with the most common form of generosity – public generosity. Giving more when people can see it. The public benefactor to a prestigious university foundation; the celebrity who campaigns to fight poverty; or the wealthy men on a quest to […]
Will set you free THIS expression has been a popular saying among business gurus like the late Jim Rohn, and has its origins in scripture. “The truth will set you free” has a nice ring to it and makes people feel good, but what does it really mean? Here are three practices that follow directly from the pursuit of truth, and which underpin sustainable business. 1. Accepting […]
THE Emperor’s New Clothes, the famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, tells a story of a vain Emperor who enjoys parading his fine clothes around town. One day a pair of swindlers promise to weave a magnificent suit of clothes for him which are so fine, they tell him, that they are invisible to anyone who is unfit for […]
WE are currently in Portugal and recently stayed at Home Hostel Lisbon, which was voted best medium-sized hostel in the world for the last two years running. Think about that for a second. There are thousands of hostels in the world across hundreds of countries, and many of them are excellent. Home Hostel Lisbon was voted “best hostel […]
IF you are like most hard working professionals, then you probably make a habit of reading the news each day. The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Sydney Morning Herald. The Wall Street Journal, the FT or The Economist. There are many titles to choose from. You scan the headlines for an interesting story and then […]
Your time has value Economists are fond of telling us that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Whether it’s fish and chips for lunch, or something else, what they mean by this is that it’s not possible to get something for nothing. But hold on, you might be thinking, surely this isn’t true. Just think about Facebook. […]
Fish and chips at the Golden Union Fish Bar WHEN it comes to project delivery it is said that the customer always wants it “fast, good and cheap”, but they can only have two. A project can be delivered quickly and cheaply, but the quality will suffer. It can be shipped cheaply and to perfection, but it will take a long time. Or it can be supplied quickly and with quality, but […]
“The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but […]
A country famous for its sheep and for being used as the backdrop for the Lord of the Rings movies, New Zealand also has some quality consultants. We have prepared a guidebook which provides an overview of the most prominent management consulting firms in New Zealand. You can download it for free here, no member sign […]
You just have to be interested Interested in other people. Interested in what you can do for them. Interested in improving your approach. Interested in finding a new way forward. Interested in what’s next.
Australian Senator David Leyonhjelm makes an impactful speech about the risks of being cavalier with other people’s money, of valuing everything and understanding nothing about the cost
Changing obstacles into opportunities – be thankful for what you have, if you don’t get a miracle you can be a miracle for someone else
In an infinite channel world, not-for-profit may just be the new normal We were recently invited to attend Professor Donnie Maclurcan’s talk in Islington, London entitled “Not-for-profit enterprise will be at the heart of the global economy by 2050”. We were unfortunately unable to attend Donnie’s talk, and haven’t yet read the book, but on first […]
Learning is a natural process, but management still has a role to play (Source: Flickr) FOLLOWING on from our post on learning from experience, in which we discovered that learning by doing is a natural process, we are finally delivering what we promised – a post which explores some ways that management can help. Learning may […]
America’s friendly neighbor to the north, Britain’s daughter, Australia’s cousin, the United States of Canadia, or perhaps just the place you call home. How ever you think about Canada, this week we are sharing with you a guidebook which profiles the country’s most prominent consulting firms. You can download the guidebook here. This is a […]
The hard part about pursuing a new idea is not the idea itself. There are thousands of good ideas shared every day online for free. Nor is it the risk of financial failure since it is easier than ever to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again. The real risk that the trail blazers face is a […]
“All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.” ~ Niccolò Machiavelli
Another week, another guidebook for you, dear reader. This week’s guidebook profiles the most prominent consulting firms operating in Old Blighty. Where is Old Blighty you ask? Well, if you need to ask, then this week’s guidebook is probably not for you. “Blighty” is a slang term for Britain, popularised during World War I and still used (or […]
Success is what you attract by the person you become (Source: Flickr) THE late Jim Rohn once said, “success is what you attract by the person you become”. A pithy saying, but how do you become a person who attracts success? Here are seven thoughts to get you going: Skill development – It is natural to learn from experience and […]
Are you applying to consulting jobs in the good ol’ U.S. of A? Wanting to pursue prosperity, success and a better life? Do you believe in truth, justice and the American way? Are you faster than a speeding bullet? … But seriously, all jokes aside, we’re not entirely sure whether anyone who reads this blog has an interest […]
Subtitle: Get over yourself. Great business ideas are usually created by others. Are you ready to receive them? (Source: Flickr) IF you counsel a young child (or grown adult) on the merits of humility, we will not raise an eyebrow. Humility is an admirable quality and has an endearing appeal, much like a puppy dog or a baby in a bassinet. We approve, and quickly […]
A natural and unstructured process that results from doing the work LAST week we looked at the value of breaking with experience, which followed on nicely from our initial article on the Experience Curve. This week we focus on learning from experience. What does it mean to learn from experience? And what role does management have to […]
ARE you an aspiring consultant interested in working in Australia? Or perhaps a practicing consultant who wants to better understand the industry? Or maybe a partner/owner who wants to suss out your competition? What ever the case may be, we have produced a new guidebook which provides an overview of the management consulting industry and the most prominent firms in the […]
Independence of thought, acceptance of difference “Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.” ~ John F. Kennedy “In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher.” ~ Dalai Lama “Religion is like a pair of shoes … Find one that fits […]
Innovation involves breaking with the past to create something even more remarkable (Source: Flickr) THE traditional Experience Curve focuses on increasing production experience which leads to predictable cost reductions. This kind of experience is relevant in industries that are relatively stable, competitive, and production-intensive. (Source: Wikipedia) But what about high tech and creative industries where the lifecycle […]
THE wonderful thing about humans is our ability to move through time and space, without going anywhere at all. The ability to think about the past allows us to reflect on experiences, our own or those of others, and to learn from them. Your author used to wonder at length during his high school history classes about the […]
The night is darkest before the dawn. Keep moving. You’re closer than you think. “You will make mistakes. Are you going to be able to get up off the ground when you get smacked down, and keep driving. Persistence and resilience are very important, and there are going to be very difficult trade-offs to make, […]
The Experience Curve captures the relationship between increasing production experience and declining costs (Source: Flickr) Background The Learning Curve, the concept which predates the Experience Curve, was first described by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885 as part of his studies into human memory. In 1936, T.P. Wright described the effect of learning on production […]
The mind is a muscle, and meditation is a form of stretching MOST PEOPLE wouldn’t find it strange if you told them to stretch their muscles before running a race. Stretching limbers up the muscles, increases performance, and reduces the risk of injury. And yet, and yet, every day people around the world turn up for work and run a mental […]
Or just getting paid? IF you continue with your current line of work, will you be more capable, better known and have a stronger network in 12 months time? Or will you just be one year older, one pay grade higher, and one step closer to that “promised” promotion? Financially richer, yet one year poorer at the same time. […]
Making the most of right now ANGER and hatred result from clinging to past experiences. By refusing to accept things you cannot change, you lose your peace of mind, waste mental energy, and remain trapped by events which didn’t kill you yet leave you permanently diminished. Better to let the bad stuff go. Ambition and anxiety result from restlessly anticipating the future. […]