What Is Management Consulting? It's Your Ticket to a Fulfilling Future

John Wooden, who was the most successful college basketball coach of all time, had a saying that I often like to share: “It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.” I love this quote because it applies directly to the field of management consulting. What is management consulting? It has a lot to do with the ability of skilled professionals who “know it all” to continue learning while applying their mastery and skill to the issues that face business leaders today.

The people who are cut out for management consulting have risen to levels in their careers where they feel they have maximized their knowledge and skill. However, they have a desire to learn more, and they have the confidence to know that they have what it takes to help others. That's where the Wooden quote comes in. Truly successful consultants understand that they might “know it all,” but they're always looking for ways to build on their knowledge and add to their skill sets. This makes them incredibly valuable.

Understanding the Basics of Management Consulting

Are you curious about becoming a management consultant? Do you feel like taking your knowledge and skills to a new level? Do you have a desire to use what you know to help business leaders find success? Here are a few things you should know about management consulting:

• It's About You – Not About Your Tools
  We live in a world where amazing technology exists. We also benefit from time-tested tools and techniques for business success. However, it's important to understand that consultants don't become successful because they have access to the latest toys and tools; they become successful because they apply their accumulated knowledge and skills properly. That's why it's so important to take your current skills and mastery and continue to grow. It's your understanding and your mastery that are in demand; not your ability to work with new-fangled tools.

• The Next Generation
  By the year 2025, Generation Y will compose 75% of the entire global workforce. Some businesses are prepared to handle this change, but others are woefully underprepared. As a management consultant, you will be needed to help business leaders understand the needs and desires of the Millennial generation. This will require you to keep learning and growing your skills because Gen Y will form the cutting edge of business for decades to come. Learning as much as you can about this generation will position you for greater success as a consultant.

• Open Communications and Real-Time Feedback
  As a confident consultant with a continuously growing knowledge base, you'll be very valuable for businesses, but you'll need to know how to communicate. What's more, you'll need to be able to convince leaders and managers of methods to improve the ways in which they communicate. Thanks largely to Gen Y, we are now living in a society that values open communication and real-time feedback more than ever before. By showing leaders how to provide meaningful feedback on a real-time basis, you can transform organizations in meaningful, measurable ways.

Are You Prepared to Take Your Career to the Next Level?

Do you feel like you know it all? Are you feeling stuck in a career that doesn't allow you to apply your accumulated knowledge, mastery and skill? Are you an unemployed professional who's wondering how to leverage a valuable skill set? Although it might feel like you've hit a roadblock, you're actually positioned perfectly for a new career. What is management consulting? It's the best way for you to keep learning, grow your career and help others with your knowledge, mastery and skill.

Are you interested in learning more about a career in consulting? We have numerous resources available here on Ex3Matters.com. Take a look at Buddy Hobart's free eBook, “Experience Matters,” for some fantastic insights, and download the Ex3 Matters consulting guides for great information about what it takes to join the field of independent management consulting.