Category: Consulting skills

Conflict Resolution Skills

Conflict resolution skills can turn a good consultant into a great one. You might think the keys to becoming a successful consultant are analytical horsepower, project management capabilities, or strong business acumen. Those skills are essential. You want and need those. But you may be surprised to realize that conflict resolution skills are also very…

2×2 Matrix: Opposing Characteristics Framework

Consultants use visual tools to effectively structure their thoughts during brainstorming sessions and also to convey findings to clients. One such common tool is the 2x2 Matrix, also known as the 2x2 Decision Matrix. The matrix can be used in a variety of situations, making it extremely flexible and useful. Consulting firms like BCG use…

The 3 Levels of Communication Skills Training

All strategic, operational, and financial success hinges on clear, effective communication. Can I get an amen, anyone who’s ever worked on a team? Even the most cutting-edge business strategy is meaningless if you can’t communicate it in a way that will generate buy-in and action. Hence, the need for communication skills training. Filtering through “noise”…

Top Business Skills In Demand

Whether you’re at the beginning of your career or have already made your way to the C-Suite, developing new skills is a must. As the old adage goes: if you're not growing, you're dying. The question of course then becomes – which business skills should you be learning? And which are the top business skills…

Answer First Communication

It's no secret that the news media begins broadcasts with the most attention-grabbing headlines possible and jumps straight into the meat of the content. The same style of communication is also highly effective in business - especially consulting - and is known as answer first communication. What Is Answer First Communication? Answer first communication, also…

6 Productivity Hacks & 2 Productivity Killers

Productivity Hacks To Help You Crush It It might be a trite phrase, but to maximize your success in life, you want to learn how to work smart, not just hard. In reality, you're going to have to do both. However, “working smart” will enable you to not have to work as hard, and who…

Emotional Intelligence in Business

Emotional… intelligence? Doesn’t that seem like a contradiction in terms? Wasn’t Mr. Spock's cold emotional detachment what made the famous Vulcan so effective? Still, most people's favorite boss is not the one with the most technical aptitude. It was the manager who made them feel most appreciated in the workplace. In other words, they remember…

Top 6 Leadership Skills for Managers

We’ve all heard the cliché that leaders are made not born, but is that really true? As is the case with most well-worn sayings, there is both accuracy and exaggeration involved. What are the top leadership skills to develop - for consulting and the 21st century economy more broadly? Today, we look at the top…

Amazon Leadership Principles

Amazon has a market cap of almost $2 trillion (let that sink in for a minute!), making it one of the most valuable companies in the world by that metric. The meteoric rise of Amazon is due, at least in part, to the Amazon Leadership Principles that have become central to the company’s culture. Thought…

What Are Soft Skills?

Soft skills are often overlooked by candidates vying to enter the consulting industry. It makes sense as so much emphasis is placed on the case interview during the consulting recruiting process. In any field, despite the importance of basic data analysis ability, soft skills are increasingly more significant to success. You may be asking -…