Openside has worked with this ‘Big Four’ strategy consulting firm since 2012. In this time, we have delivered Consulting Skills programmes for Senior Partners through to junior consultants in Europe.

To date, Openside has trained 2,218 participants in consulting skills and provided coached application on the consulting process.

Challenge
Our client sponsor described their main objective for the programmes:

“Our strategy consulting division was set up around 2005. While we knew a lot about the industry, we didn’t really have the right methodology and some of our products and services were quite inefficient. We wanted to offer consultancy services more akin to the large existing global strategy consultancy practices and we were particularly keen to start thinking in a more hypothesis-based manner.”

Our solution:
As part of the ‘Openside Approach’ to better understand the context for the programmes, working with the client, we identified critical skills and behaviours based on the firm’s strategic positioning, skill set requirements and core behaviours, to align with the client’s competency framework. We created a bespoke consulting skills curriculum by role/level, with an agreed-upon set of competencies. At first, programmes were delivered to new consultants and new managers using a non-consulting case once a year.  In 2022, a new case study was co-authored with the client to use in future programmes so that participants could practise applying their learning during the programme using a past project example. The new programme and case study was rolled out for three levels in the organisation over a six-month period for juniors, middle management and directors. In a series of events, senior leaders were also coached, on how best to support their teams during the consulting process.

Outcome:
The programmes were rated 4.7 out of 5 for content and facilitator effectiveness by participants and 94% recommended the programme to their colleagues.

Openside’s digital learning impact assessment tool ‘Vienna’ was trialled to review the performance of 6 cohorts – 3 junior and 3 middle management. When the evidence was reviewed from 3 months after the programme, Junior cohorts demonstrated a 27% overall performance improvement, with managers showing an overall improvement of 41%.

The top 3 skills in order of improvement for new entrants, analysts and consultants were: stakeholder analysis, formulating recommendations and context evaluation.

For senior consultants, strategy consultants, team leads and project managers, the top 3 skills in order of improvement were: structuring communications, formulating recommendations & making decisions, and structuring the problem.

Participant feedback:

“Is an excellent way to approach the real typology of project workflow.” – Consultant

“Concise and precise to show us the best path to follow in order to create value for our clients.” – Manager

“Very well-structured, interesting training that encourages participation.” – Manager

“A good experience because puts structure and methodology in practice that we do in a natural way.” – Director

“Clear opportunity to establish approach AND learn tips.” – Senior Manager

“An excellent experience to learn techniques and how to structure the way of dealing with problem.” – Analyst