The story of the consultant and the stopwatch

Long before there were laptops, consultants were known for another tool: the stopwatch. That was back when scientific management was still dominant. The consultants were mainly involved in making production-processes more ‘efficient’, in the sense that every human movement had to fit neatly into every machine movement in order for machines and employees to form one well oiled system. Human beings had to fit the machines and every creative element stemming from those human beings was seen as disturbing the productivity of the machines. Consulting has come a long way since then; or has it?

What does it take to be a successful consultant? First, which are the roles from which a consultant can add value? The expert, the sounding board, the operational manager, the idea generator, the coach.

Then, what does it require to add value? Topics come up such as project management, conflict management, communication, the relationships with the client, organizational resistance, current developments in management, and the nature of business.

The course contains exercises in team discussions, conflict resolution, client communication and project structuring. This offers not jjust knowledge, but also the development of a skill set.