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consulting

The consulting field is critical, and possessing the right qualities is vital for the success of the businesses consultancies support. This prompts the question: what attributes distinguish a great consultant? Of course, there are many answers to this question. Consulting entails not only technical aptitude but also interpersonal skills like effective communication, active listening, strategic thinking, and problem-solving capabilities. In this article, we will explore the various consulting skills that contribute to being a successful consultant.  By understanding these qualities, you will gain insight into what it takes to become a successful professional in this field.

So you want to be a consultant? The keys for success

We have hired, fired, worked with, promoted, and demoted many a consultant while working for small boutique consulting firms, medium progressive consultancies, and the big four. While there are cultural differences that will influence long-term success at a specific company, there are also common traits we see in all consultants. So if you want to be a consultant here are the key consulting skills.

• Flexibility and comfort with ambiguity: A good consultant should be able to adapt to new situations and environments quickly and effectively. You will be thrown into a consulting project sometimes with little context, you will need to be able to quickly get a lay of the land and add value for your client as quickly as possible. 
• Figure it out mentality: Not only should a good consultant be able to identify and resolve complex problems in an effective and efficient manner, but they also need that drive to want to solve problems. Being willing and able to dive into the unknown to help solve problems not before seen is an absolute essential.
• Grit and resilience: Consulting work is not easy, there will be many times the client is being unreasonable or their boss is squeezing them and the entire project team. Unfortunately, many of those times there is not a lot we can do about it. You need to have the staying power to push through those difficult clients and difficult projects. You will need to have the ability to brush off a jerk that feels threatened by you and hunker down to get the job done. 
• Growth mindset and willingness to learn: A growth mindset is essential to a good consultant. even those of us who are now old(er) and think we have seen it all. The one thing that holds true in consulting is you have never seen it all.  Even if it's a similar project to one you have done a dozen times, the people, the company, and the market are all different. You need to have the mindset to listen first, be able to learn from the new team and client you are working with, and adjust. Not only that, the work is rapidly changing and technology is evolving at a pace of an ever speeding up flywheel.  In other words, you are not an expert at everything, therefore to not spin off the plate, you need to always be curious and ever learning. You will need to always have the ability to quickly understand new topics as well as work on refining core consulting skills throughout your consulting career.
• Manage relationships and ability to get along: Sometimes you won't like your team, or maybe your client, and maybe even your manager. You may even be right about the direction to go, but those you are working with are not ready to hear it. You need to figure out how to work with them. When you become a project manager or career manager, you need to figure out how to motivate other consultants. There is a powerful skill here you will need to master to be successful in all these situations, and that is how to get along with almost anyone. This means being able to read a room, leave your ego at the door, and facilitate the best solution between all stakeholders no matter your own personal opinions. This is where remembering and living the Maya Angelou quote will get you further in consulting than almost anything: "people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

What's the difference between a good consultant and a great one?

A good consultant is someone who is able to provide high-quality service to their clients and meet their needs effectively. They have all the essential consulting skills above plus they have gained an area expertise, have commercial awareness of their value, and they continuously go above and beyond in their work. Some additional characteristics that set a great consultant apart from a good one includes:

• A willingness to take on new challenges, take in new perspectives, and think outside the box to propose creative solutions.
• Not only the ability to deal with clients and build and maintain client relationships, but also to act as a trusted advisor to them.
• A commitment to delivering excellent results.  This is not only meeting what is in the statement of work, but you'll also need to go above and beyond.
• A willingness to continuously learn and stay up-to-date on industry developments and best practices. You may have consulting assignments in a variety of industries, so you may need to gain an area of expertise in more than one. 
• Not only the ability to work well under pressure, but thrive in positions that can be high-stakes for you and your client.
• The ability to inspire and motivate others, whether it be clients, stakeholders, or team members.
• A high level of emotional intelligence will set you apart. A high EQ empowers you with valuable skills such as better written and verbal communication, being adept at conflict resolution, and ability effectively collaborate with others.

Overall, a great consultant is someone who consistently delivers high-quality work, goes above and beyond in their efforts to meet the needs of their clients, and is sought-after for their interpersonal abilities.

What we look for in hiring consultants

Usually we only have room to hire about 10%, so what sets those apart from the rest? Now that you know what it takes to be successful, here is a look at what is considered and why candidates drop off as we work through a hiring process. For fast track these interview rounds could be in one day but likely there are a few rounds. The first with the recruiter and maybe a phone screening with a future team member. The second round will be with a leader. This could be the hiring manager or another leader within the practice. The final rounds will be with another leader or two and often a case interview. Since every company does the case differently, we won't get into the tactics, only what we look for as successful candidates coming out of it. 

Round One Dropouts

About 30% of interviewees do well in interviews. So what about the rest. Those that we drop after either the recruiter screening or the first round with the business just aren't prepared with basic interview skills. Bare minimum: research the company and the interviewer, have questions (if you're not curious we think you aren't interested), and be able to talk about how your past experience would make you successful here with specific examples.  Also, make sure you are presentable. Even if the interview is on video, a t-shirt shows you aren't taking this seriously. Interview to get a job as a consultant how you would show up if you were to be presenting to a client executive.

Getting to the final round

Before we get you to final consideration, there will be a few rounds of interviews with leaders, peers, and a partner or executive. In addition to all the consulting skills we mentioned early, there is a straightforward litmus test we use. We ask ourselves: "Is this person humble, hungry, and smart?" If just one of those is missing, we find they either will be challenged at being an effective consultant or they will have challenges building relationships with clients and being a strong team member.

Getting the offer: The top 10%

The last differentiator in the process is the case study interview. The purpose of this is to evaluate how well the candidate quickly understands the fundamentals of the situation, their methodology for breaking down a problem, how they approach decision making and data collection, presentations skills, and the ability to think on their feet.  If you are going for manager and above level, we will be looking at your project management skills such as how to scope effectively, your thoughts on timeline, how to resources the project, the risks, and how to pitch it to a client. 

A consulting job requires skills and experience to meet a variety of clients' challenges.  It will require problem solving and creative thinking skills to solve today's business problems. To join the world of consulting, you will need to demonstrate you are well-rounded with analytical and interpersonal skills. While you may not be able to gain expertise in a field or industry overnight, you can continue to improve your skills to become better at your current job or gain a new position.

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