Consultants

Writen by Mary Anne Winslow

In this article I will provide examples of advisors used by well-known clients and examine the outcome in terms of achievement and breakdown. I will also summarize the model the consultancy firm used to get the results.

An example of success in consulting work was done by Eagle Technology Consultants who were approved by the Coca-Cola Foundation to increase their profit margin in their business. Also, an example where the involvement of a consultant speeding up the process of achieving results will be discussed. This is similar to a slow chemical reaction taking place between two elements, and to speed up the process a catalytic element is introduced to finish the process quickly.

Among the many reasons a firm seeks the services of a consultant, the following are perhaps the most important. The first one is the search for suitable information in order to ensure that the best possible decisions are taken in each case. Another one is to resolve a particular or general problem that the firm may be faced with. Also, the firm may seek an independent opinion concerning a previously undertaken course of action. Others include simply being able to ask for an expert's opinion or confirmation when the cost involved prohibits such an expert's being a permanent member of staff and when the client wishes to maintain or increase his or her position, as well as when some structural adjustments become necessary because of a changing or new political panorama.

When taking on the services of a consultant, clients analyse the cost of the project, the benefits that may result from it and the quality of the work performed, as well as the possibility of integrating the consultant's advice within the firm's activity. Even though dissatisfaction with or rejection of consultants may arise, it does not necessarily mean that their work had no impact on the client's firm nor that no change was derived from it. Rather, this could stem from the fact that all too often consulting is an overlooked part of a businessman's training. All in all, if the consulting process is to produce - or foster - any change in the organisation, the focus should be on the training of its members. Schein states that emphasis should be placed on helping others - managers and employees - to learn to help themselves; to help them to understand what is happening in and around the firm.

The term "consulting" allows for many possible interpretations. Usually it conveys the idea that the consultant contributes with input to a management system which is not always rational. The consultant, however, is not a magician who discovers what the client does not know. Consulting is a planned intervention in a firm whose aim is to identify existing problems and to introduce the most suitable ways of resolving them. The consulting firm must set the emphasis in helping clients to help themselves, and not on solving their problems nor on giving them expert advice. Thus, consulting consists of a group of activities carried out to help clients to detect and understand those events of the consulting process that occur in their environment, and to exert some influence over them. By this, it is meant that consultants help clients to understand what is happening around them and teach them to learn, so that their understanding is improved and adjustments can be made so as to allow them to reach the required objectives.

Wilkinson defines the task of management consultancy as "An independent and objective advisory service provided by qualified persons to clients in order to help them identify and analyze management problems or opportunities. Management consultants also recommend solutions or suggested actions with respect to these issues and help, when requested, in their implementation. In essence, management consultants help to effect constructive change in organisations through the sound application of substantive and process skills."

In my consultancy work, the consultant always uses some ideas based on a model system. An experienced and a professional consultant would choose certain models to meet the requirements of the client and also identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the models. There are four models which are popular in the consulting industry - the doctor model, detective model, salesperson model and the travel agent. I will define the four models and relate it to Eagle Technology Consultants work.

The doctor model is the most popular model used by many consultants, and is based around a medical analogy. The assumption here is that the client is suffering from some sort of an illness that needs to be cured. Consultants who use this model presume that either the client or the organisation is need of some sort of treatment. Therefore the consultant will start by trying to find out what the problem or the illness is, and then look for a medication or a solution. The detective model is based upon the principle that something is wrong, therefore they need to find the person or people that are responsible so that it can be changed or removed. When this model is used it is assumed that there is an implication of a criminal conspiracy, and that is why the problems have occurred. If this does happen, then there is a tendency to have some sort of a cultural surrounding the consultancy work which is associated with the blame. An example could be where an accident has happened within the workforce and the client wants to know why it has happened, and how to resolve it. This model looks at the clues that are associated with the breaking of the law.

The salesperson model brings upon the assumption that the consultant has a product or service which will be appropriate to the client, and will be of benefit to the organisation. With this model comes a problem of where the client gets the assumption that the consultant has a bag full of tricks ready to produce the right product to solve the issues. Therefore you will not see many consultants using this model.

Mary Anne Winslow is a member of Essay Writing Servicecounselling department team and a dissertation writing consultant. Contact her to get free counselling on custom essay writing.

5 Questions Great Managers Ask And They Arent Hard

Writen by Martin Haworth

However hard we try, we seem to make life more difficult for ourselves; more challenging; more complex. Yet it needn't be so. try out these five questions with a regularity; a discipline and you will reap rewards. You will certainly reap rewards.

1. What do my customers want?
   Getting inside the head of your customers is a recipe for success. Taking the role on of one of your customers or clients and seeing from their perspective helps structure a sound and growing business. Better still, ask them what they want, need, what irritates them and thank them for their insights. Take complaints as a real positive - for knowing what went wrong, gives you information you can correct and grow stronger on.

2. How do I get the best from my people?
   Enjoying the benefits of truly 'turned on' people in your business, makes a huge difference. Finding out what they need to be successful for you can be more challenging. But wait! Have you asked them what they need to do their best for you? Be sensitive and responsive to their needs. This simple step will provide you with all the people strategies that work. Many solutions will be very easy to do and can build belief and trust in you as a manager. The bigger challenges can be solved by using your people to have a positive and constructive input. It will be worthwhile - for everyone.

3. How can we make best use of our resources?
   What resources? People, goodwill, reputation, location. USP, and more... Well, make sure first of all that you understand what they are. Ask your customers and people what you represent to them - and then do more, much more of it. Then review those things that you can do less of, save resource costs on. Focusing on what you are best at and dropping things that don't create value for you can be very value-creating.

4. What wastes our time?
   It's a simple question, but with an easy answer. What value is created when I spend time on this activity? If your challenge is to make £100 an hour profit for your organisation, is what you are spending your time on doing just that? What things do you and your people do, which does not? Try stopping doing things, some of which you may have done for months and years, when little or no value is created and switch to more things that do. Stop some things and start others - simple as that.

5. What do we need to change?
   Constantly reviewing where you are in your business and making small course adjustments, like the autopilot of a jumbo jet, will maximise your performance. But whilst leading the cultural shift can develop autopilot-mode, the first steps are for managers to spot-check all they do manually. Doing this will encourage your people to start to do it themselves. Remember, the best time to review, review, review, is when you are successful. And then be very challenging and honest about yourselves. Build it in, make small but significant changes regularly, once you have evidence of drifting off course. That makes for a consistently healthy & growing organisation and reduces the need for cataclysmic change.

Are you up for this refreshing challenge? What better way to start your new focus on your business, organisation or team?

Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, managers and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.

...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...

Cpa Review Classes

Writen by Max Bellamy

Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are accountants who have passed the Uniform CPA exam under the supervision of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and possess state requirements for licensure as a CPA. Only CPAs are professionally qualified to provide the public, attestation along with auditing opinions on publicly distributed financial statements. Many states forbid those without a CPA license to label themselves "public accountants."

While CPAs are recognized by the common public typically for their tax know-how and for "doing the paperwork" for minor companies, they are exclusively educated for the attestation task mentioned above, and also for all-purpose business information that enables them to function competitively in the private sector.

CPAs have to go through rigorous education and training and educate themselves with the economics and tax structure of their country, and this needs special coaching classes. These classes are called 'CPA review classes.' They equip a CPA to understand all the nitty-gritty details of tax and accounting and business. They train them to understand the complexities and clauses involved in specific business conditions, as well as the business law and tax structure laid down by the government's budget. They are taught on advisory skills and inter personal relations, as well as in how to increase the client's profits and minimize their losses. They are taught all the particulars of tax documentation and the paperwork that they are so famous for.

CPA review classes are in almost all states in the US, and they are affiliated to all the prestigious universities. There are many independent review classes that are conducted by individuals or organizations that deal with finance and accounts. The study and reference material for these classes are available at different sources, and the most famous are the Internet sources. These days the Internet has made CPA review classes available online.

CPA provides detailed information on CPA, CPA Exam, CPA Review, CPA Firms and more. CPA is affiliated with Expense Report Software.

How To Understand Russian Business Mindsets

Writen by Rana Sinha

There are some fundamental mindsets of the Russian business people. Any person doing business in modern Russia or with Russians would benefit from knowing these as much of business behaviour is guided by mindsets.

These five mindsets are

1. How things happen or don't

2. Decision making – Hierarchy

3. Concept of time

4. Connections – "Blat"

5. Faith in own system

6. Conspicuous consumption

How things happen or don't

In Russia how things happen or don't is a mystery very difficult for outsiders to understand. For example, in neighbouring Finland things (excluding matters to do with politics) usually happen rather systematically in a bureaucratic fashion and the process is usually rather transparent. In Russia nothing important happens without a crisis or big drama which forces people to act and the forces behind such crises could remain hidden from view. When you are caught up in this "period of inaction" don't tell the Russians that they are lazy or inefficient. This is a big mistake. They are immensely proud of their culture, their status as a superpower and achievements like space exploration.

Decision-making – Hierarchy

Russia is a very hierarchic society and decision-making processes are very different from western (especially Finnish and Swedish) models. The hierarchical nature of Russian society with very large power distance is very important to remember in business dealings. Who approaches whom in business dealings is crucial to the success. Nowadays, Russian businesspeople pay a lot of attention to how they are dressed. Russian people in general probably spend more money from their family budget on clothing then any other nation in the world. Those who can't afford to buy top fashion brand clothing (such as Versace, Armani or Hugo Boss) prefer to be dressed in cheaper but still well made clothing. There is an old Russian proverb--"They want to meet you depending on how you're dressed and they say good bye depending on how wise you seem."

Concept of time

Many business people in neighbouring Finland have started adopting the American concept of time - time is money. This is rather strange to the Russian concept of time. Though he may not appear to be very academic, the Russian businessman is very conscious of how Russia rose from Novgorod days to become a superpower. Russian time does not go in a straight line; it is more like a process of quantum leaps and small circles with no clear line joining the circles. So this concept of long time permeates every action of the Russian businessman. If you lose your nerves when things are not moving fast, you show signs of immaturity.

Connections – "Blat"

In Russia nothing significant moves without "Blat" or connections. People remember and count favours like currency. There is a great emphasis on building and maintaining personal cordial relationships through respect, presents, favours and counter favours.

Faith in own system

The neighbouring Finns and Swedes believe that the Finnish or Swedish version of the democratic welfare state is the greatest achievement of the human mind and they are very proud of it. The Russians have a messianic approach to being Russian. For them it is the embodiment of the dream about perfection: nature, the world, man, man's life, the dream about the Golden Age, about the heavenly city – Modern Rome. They believe that Mankind always goes onward only if the divine light lit the way. Until the fall of communism they seldom doubted this messianic mission. The current state of Russia, with the high prices, insecurity, terrorist attacks and failure of post-communist capitalism to bring heaven on earth has seen the Russian mindset moving towards, "Let's learn and adopt everything Western!" while never forgetting "Mother Russia knows best." The fact that people complain about current state of affairs doesn't erode this basic messianic faith. The following joke highlights this faith.

"A Russian and an American die and they both go to hell. Satan, the manager in charge of hell, asks them, "Which hell do you prefer, the Russian one or the American one?" "What's the difference?" the Russian asks. "In the American hell, you will be forced to eat one bucket of waste every day; in the Russian, two," Satan explains. The American decides to go to the American hell. The Russian, being a patriot, chooses the Russian hell. One year later the two men run into one another. "How's life?" the Russian asks. "Can't complain," the American answers. "I eat one bucket of waste every morning, and then I'm free for the rest of the day. What about you?" "It couldn't be better!" the Russian explains. "Just like back on earth! They're either late with waste deliveries, or they're having bucket shortages."

Conspicuous consumption

The American economist Torstein Veblen first coined the term in his "The Theory of the Leisure Class" back in 1899. Veblen argued that economic life is not driven by notions of utility, but by social vestiges from pre-historic times and much of today's society is just a variation on early tribal life. This tribal character of Russian life is very central to understanding the stratification of Russian society. Brands and visible symbols of success are priority number one. Here is a nice joke, which is very descriptive about the NRs or Nouveau Riches.

After a car crash a NR is lying on the side of the road, weeping aloud. Oh, my BMW! - He wails, - Oh, my BMW!!! A passer by is shocked to hear it and asks "How can you cry about your car, when you've just lost your entire hand?" The NR evaluates the situation and resumes his cries: Oh, my Rolex! "

Rana Sinha was born in India, studied and lived in many places and travelled in 80 countries, acquiring cross-cultural knowledge and building an extensive network of professionals. He has spent many years developing and delivering Cross-cultural Training, Professional Communications skills, Personal Development and Management solutions to all types of organizations and businesses. He now lives in Helsinki, Finland and runs http://www.dot-connect.com, which specializes in human resource development as well as communication and management skills training with cross-cultural emphasis.

Aligning The Trifocal Valuedriven Viewpoints Inside Every Organization

Writen by Jidé Odubiyi

The three cultures inside every organization are analogous to the story of the three blind mice and the elephant. The perspective of each mouse is framed by the part of the elephant it touches. It was almost a decade ago when Schein (1996) wrote about the three cultures of management. He asserts that there are three communities in organizational setting— executives, engineers, and operators—and they do not fully understand each other. In Shein's view, when the three communities are not aligned, their actions limit organizational learning.

Schein defines the management culture as a set of basic tacit assumptions shared by a group of people. These assumptions color the way they perceive, think, feel, and behave. His tripartite conception of this culture is similar to Stephen Covey's (1991) discussion of how individuals' value judgments affect interpersonal relationships. The first way is when people interact at the deep value-based level that forms the core of the group. The second is when the group tries to convey a public image. The third involves the way the group actually operates on a day-to-day basis, which consists of making compromises about their values to achieve immediate goals.

We Can't Judge a Book by its Cover

Shein states that observing a group or an individual's overt behavior does not always help one understand a group's culture. Underlying values and assumptions drive an individual's behavior and the way the person perceives and thinks about the world. These values can be viewed as ideologies, which remind this author of the observation that a theory is driven by value, space, and time. Books on theories advise that a researcher can understand and replicate theories with the space and time assumptions, but it is very difficult or impossible to manipulate the value variable.

It is these values or ideologies that lead to the three groups within an organization. The executives' values can be viewed as primarily political (i.e., focused on the bottom line or the return on investment to please the share holders). The executive culture consists of the chief executive officer and his/her subordinates, who use the global occupational community as their point of reference (Schein, 1996). Most of their decisions are colored by political objectives. The engineer culture consists of designers and technocrats who use their professional association as their point of reference. Their decisions are motivated primarily, by bureaucratic ideologies. They carry out the mandates of the executives, for example: improve the bottom line. This may involve the design and automation of the processes without any concern for the number of employees that may be displaced. The operator culture is driven by their rational ideologies and past successes. They collaborate to meet production schedules, yet in many instances, they cannot understand the actions of the engineers and the executives. It is imperative to understand the contributions of each of the three factors to decision making.

Those who lead organizations should reflect on Schein's observation--whether society is missing the point by primarily focusing on how engineers and executives learn. He claims that such a view is counterintuitive, given that the most appropriate way for the three cultures to understand one another is by understanding each other's values. These values determine their behaviors. Fulmer and Wagner (1999) support this view in their discussion on leadership lessons—learning from the best.

Where to go from here?

Organizational leaders in the US should realize that it is counterproductive to espouse teamwork and cooperation but reward only best-performing individuals. In this author's view, this is a fundamental difference between the Japanese and American systems. The Japanese promote teamwork and reward the team.

Schein describes other paradoxes in organizations. For example, while information technology specialists see networking as a way of removing hierarchy, executives view hierarchy as a tool for enforcing control and coordination. Schein's final suggestion is that organizational participants need to understand the inherent values upon which assumptions are based, understand one another, and address organizational problems from the same point of view for the sake of the organization's survival. Recognizing that three cultural mind maps, mindsets, values, cultures and/or viewpoints exist within every organization is critical to resolving organizational issues and providing satisficing solutions. The ability of the three cultures to recognize and work with each other's value-laden viewpoints can improve interpersonal communications, lift employee morale; improve productivity, and increase retention rate.

Covey, S. R. (1991). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Simon & Schuster, New York, NY. Fulmer, R. M., & Wagner, S. (1999). Leadership: Lessons from the best. Training and Development, 53(3), 28-34 Schein, E. H. (1996). Three cultures of management: The key to organizational learning. Sloan Management Review, 38(1), 9-20.

Dr. Odubiyi is the author of Blueprint for a Crooked House—a book that reflects on the factors that caused the collapse of a $10 billion global joint venture between AT&T and British Telecom. He is an associate professor of computer science at Bowie State University in Maryland. He was a Principal AI Researcher and R&D Manager at British Telecom North America/Concert Global Communications (USA). http://www.blueprintforacrookedhouse.com