It is impossible to box the
personality of all management consultants in one description. After all, they
are endowed with uniquely different characteristics. However, it is undeniable
that many of them behave or react in the same manner in various situations.
According to psychology, personality
is a combination of consistent thought patterns, feelings and behaviors of a
person. In the field of management
consulting, this seems to be highly influenced by the consultant’s
basic duties and responsibilities, the culture of the firm and the responsibility to
maintain a smooth relationship with clients and their employees.
Below are the typical characteristics
that form part of a management consultant’s personality.
How They
Think
All consultants are analytical problem
solvers. On a daily basis, they inspect multiple
angles of different situations to come up with sound decisions. They are not comfortable with focusing on one
factor only. Most of the time, they think outside the box to bring out all the
possibilities. Because these are part of their daily schedule, they have become
logical thinkers in everything they do.
This makes consultants seem pedantic to some people.
Consultants are also good planners.
This characteristic is more evident as they take further studies in their
field. They continuously research on the latest trends of the industry and
formulate their own ideas along the way. They determinedly learn modern
techniques and combine them with old but effective methods for better results.
Since they are aware that business management is continuously evolving, they
keep themselves abreast with the developments.
How They
Feel
Management consultants have a
deep-seated drive to achieve their goals. This is proven from the time they apply for a
consulting position until their last day in the workplace. While they serve as consultants, they feel
motivated to deliver quality output for their clients, on time, and to deliver
the desired results. To achieve this,
they sometimes choose to stay at the office even after regular work
hours.
This drive pushes them to do more than
what’s expected from them.
Consultants get tired with their
hectic schedule, too. That is the reason why attaining work-life balance has
always been an issue for most of them. However,
though they are sick of the idea of missing their family and friends, they see
to it that it doesn’t get in the way. They
maintain focus and keep personal issues away from their job.
How They
Behave
Professional is the word that best
describes a management consultant. This
characteristic can be seen in the way they communicate with clients, fellow
team members and other employees. Sometimes, management consultants find it
difficult to behave any different even in the company of their friends and
relatives. They use tactful expressions
and maintain their emotional intelligence. Their excellent people skills make them good
leaders. They can readily build teams to
work hand in hand in finishing a project.
They are also known to have grace
under pressure. When they enter the management
consulting field, they encounter numerous nerve-racking situations caused by
the project or the people around them. Many times, they have to beat tough deadlines
within a short period of time.
Management consultants have well developed stress management techniques,
which enable them to set priorities, to clear their mind of troubling thoughts
and to control their negative reactions.
If you also have this type of personality, you might
do well in as a corporate consultant.