Consulting Approach

In today’s world most of the work that we do in IT sector can be categorized into consulting.      Even though the organizations have many roles but each role requires learning how to work as a consultant. Below tables shows the transition that can be expected from a normal role to a consultant

Consulting is about helping a project get from A to B

Consultants = change

Shift in:

From	Towards
Understanding  : Reporting / Compliance checks	Understanding  : Value add/ Problem solving
Approach : Reactive only	Approach : Proactive and Reactive
Skills : Need based and generic	Skills : Subject Matter Experts (SME)
Organization : Individual and customer pressured	Organization : Flexible/ Customer Centric/ Operational Focused
Model : Inbuilt/ learned	Model : Best Practices/ Industry Best Practices
Communication/ Interaction : Routine metrics or processes	Communication/ Interaction : Opportunities/ New areas / Workshops
Focus : Align with the situation	Focus : Align with delivery/ customer goals
Results : Invisible / Not measurable	Results : Measurable and visible

Action plan:

1	Set the Expectations
2	Develop the SME Skills
3	Plan for communication/ Interaction
4	Research more on Problem Identification/ Solving
5	Set targets / Align with customer
6	Understand problems, Support with analytics
7	Develop programs that can be sustained
8	Shift from reactive to proactive
9	Quick workarounds/ Long term solutions
10	Highlight the patterns/ opportunities with advanced analytics/ Lean
11	Synchronizing with all the stakeholders
12	Enhance the skills (i.e., Problem solving, Lean/Six Sigma, Analytics etc.,)
13	Assessing/selecting/adopting Best practices outside or within organization
14	Focus on operational effectiveness/ efficiency in addition to customer expectations