MBA入門的咨詢(ppt)
MBA Introductory Training The Art of Consulting

October 2000
Learning Objectives
a greater understanding of how the firm will evaluate your performance and the implications for what you need to do and how you need to do it
a greater awareness of what you can expect when you arrive on a project and an understanding of how you can contribute
new (or refreshed) skills for data gathering and interviewing
a preliminary personal development plan for the next 6-12 months
Agenda
Welcome and Introduction
Warm-up Activity: “Traits of an effective PwC consultant …”
Roles & Responsibilities of a Consultant
Project Overview
Framework
Table discussions -- “Consultant Critical Success Factors/Behaviors …”
Break
Data Gathering & Interviewing
Break
Personal Development Planning
Framework
Individual planning
Summary and Closing Activity
Table Discussions -- “What recommendations would you have for next year’s MBAs?”
Warm-up
Warm-up Activity -- Class-wide
What behaviors do you associate with an effective PwC consultant?
Roles & Responsibilities of a Consultant
Simply stated, the objective of our consulting practice is to improve the performance our clients, while generating profits and enhancing staff capabilities
The need to balance the demands of the firm, clients, and staff can at times require making a series of tradeoffs
For the firm to be successful, it must be able to do three things well -- develop staff, market and execute projects
The roles and responsibilities of a consultant can be grouped into the same three categories -- these responsibilities remain constant throughout one’s career, although the underlying tasks will shift
Level 3 Consultants have a range of recruiting, skill development, and knowledge transfer responsibilities
Energetically participate in recruiting events
Identify high-potential candidates through personal contacts, networking, resumes
Deliver clear, well structured, case-based interviews
Sell PwC to prospective employees
Maintain a “current contact” roster of former classmates
Deliver recruiting presentations
Level 3s also network with, train, and retain other staff
Level 3s support and engage in a variety of marketing efforts for PwC
Draft citations to communicate key project insights throughout practice group
Develop and share innovative analytic techniques
Develop and author the proposal, receiving limited input where necessary
Level 3s serve critical roles in team development, resource management, problem solving, and results communication
Beyond problem-solving capabilities, each new consultant is expected to possess certain additional critical skills/traits
Critical skills/traits (continued)
PwC evaluates all consultants and principal consultants along three dimensions
Project Overview
Let’s look more closely at the set of roles and responsibilities associated with “Do the Work” ...
Activity -- 10-minute table discussions followed by a class-wide debrief
We will assign one phase of the typical project to each table
In your table groups, review the responsibilities associated with your assigned phase
Discuss the things that you believe will make a consultant effective during this specific phase
Record your ideas as “Effectiveness Tips”
Identify one person from your group to report during the debrief
In the first phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to assist the team lead in preparing for the project and preparing the workplan
In the second phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to build the “fact base” that will serve as the basis for conclusions
In the third phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to develop a strong “pyramid” in support of recommendations
In the fourth phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to develop the detailed plans that link ideas and actions
In the final phase, the primary responsibility of the consultant is to identify opportunities for both learning and knowledge sharing
Consultants should know that certain behaviors are key to success, particularly when dealing with clients
The key to managing client perceptions is to put yourself in the place of the client, and then to act accordingly
Break
Data Gathering & Interviewing
Objectives for this section
Provide an overall context and guide for gathering data during a project
Understand how data will support analyses and other project objectives
Identify where to obtain data
Learn how to organize activities and tasks
Improve your ability to structure and perform client interviews
When to use an interview
Contents of an interview guide
Structure of an interview
Interview tips
Section Agenda
Data Gathering Approach

Interview Process
A structured approach to gathering data can support projects throughout multiple phases
When defining data requirements, consider that data gathering activities can serve a variety of purposes
A comprehensive data gathering plan considers where to obtain the data and how to organize activities and tasks to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of our efforts
Successful data gathering requires significant pre- and post-work
Section Agenda
Data Gathering Approach

Interview Process
Follow a structured process from definition of the interview program to the analysis and summary of the findings
Generally the team uses interviews to gain a perspective or gather data that isn’t available from written materials
During a typical engagement, talk to a range of people in a sequence that allows the team to build on its knowledge
The decision as to how and where to conduct interviews depends on the nature of the interview ...
… and on the type of interviewees
An Interview Guide flows from the issue analysis and serves as a tool for organizing the interview
The interview guide should include an introduction, the questions, and templates for recording comments/answers
Structure the questions carefully -- pay close attention to the specific wording and sequence
BEFORE making any arrangements, confirm with the project manager (or partner) to understand how to handle potential issues
Arranging interviews takes time
Schedule several interviews to occur per day, and sequence these interviews to take advantage of the learning curve
An interview is a guided dialogue that you introduce, conduct, and close
Use the introduction to establish rapport, create a context, and focus attention on the relevant subject matter
Introduce yourself, PwC, the project team, and the study/project
Build credibility; only the truth
Don’t be pompous
Describe any factors associated with confidentiality
Confirm/state the nature of the confidentiality the interviewee can expect
Establish if a competitive situation exists
Confirm the length of the interview
Respond to questions or concerns
Monitor the progress of the interview against your schedule -- always leave enough time to properly close the interview
Plan in advance how to close each interview:
Summarize any agreed upon actions or next steps
Obtain names of other key individuals to contact
Arrange to obtain any unfamiliar documents referenced
Express gratitude
Schedule follow-up interview if required; otherwise, leave the door open for a return call
Before beginning the next interview, complete your notes and reflect on the implications of what you heard
Complete the notes immediately
Write down everything you can remember
Highlight incomplete areas
Provide background to put the interview in perspective
Create a header with the date/time and participants
Describe the participants’ titles, responsibilities, histories with the company, attitude during interview

Reflect on the relevance of what was said
Edit the notes, highlighting critical responses and information
Think about what else you need to know
Create an initial analysis and summary of the interviews and accompanying data
Develop preliminary conclusions -- ask “so what” as you write each conclusion
Tie conclusions to initial hypotheses
Use the issue analysis plan and interview guide as starting points
Look beyond the facts
Ask “Why?” and “So what?”
Link supporting data to the conclusions
Identify potential problems with regard to
Feasibility of recommendations
Confidentiality
Implementation concerns
Qualify opinions as appropriate, e.g., due to insufficient or uncertain data
Provide a list of next steps as part of the summary
Other interviews to be scheduled
Other analyses to be performed
Other data sources to be reviewed
Other issues to be explored
Planning and executing a solid interviewing program can be difficult
Talking to the wrong people
Missing key issues
Breaching confidentiality
Never getting to specifics
Mishandling sensitive client topics
Asking questions that have already been answered
Setting false expectations
Failing to bring insights back to the team
Preparation and practice are key
Listen carefully
Probe for details
Use the interview guide as a tool -- be flexible
Balance “covering your priorities so you get what you came for” with “remaining flexible so you can pick up unplanned gems”
Get quotes and anecdotes to document qualitative issues
Take accurate, complete notes -- templates help; having a second person take notes also helps
Return to earlier questions at the end of the interview to clarify, fill in gaps, and/or verify responses
Respect your time commitments (e.g., arrive on time, leave on time)
Learn how to recognize and respond to interviewee’s disposition
Break
Personal Development Planning
Personal Development Planning Pyramid
Personal Development Planning Pyramid -- Sample
Personal Development Planning Pyramid -- Template
Summary and Closing Activity
Closing Activity -- 10 minute table discussions followed by a class-wide debrief
Look ahead to one year from now -- what advice will you give the new MBAs?
MBA入門的咨詢(ppt)