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      Samir Parikh

      The Consultant's Handbook

      This edition first published 2015

      © 2015 Samir Parikh

      Registered office

      John Wiley and Sons Ltd, The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, United Kingdom

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      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Parikh, Samir, 1970-

      The consultant's handbook: a practical guide to delivering high-value and differentiated services in a competitive marketplace / Samir Parikh.

      pages cm

      Includes index.

      ISBN 978-1-119-10620-3 (cloth)

      1. Business consultants. 2. Consulting firms–Management. I. Title.

      HD69.C6P276 2015

      001–dc23

      2015009041

      A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

      ISBN 978-1-119-10620-3 (hardback)

      ISBN 978-1-119-10621-0 (ePub) ISBN 978-1-119-10619-7 (ePDF)

      Cover design: Wiley

      Cover Image: © Andreas Rodriguez/iStockphoto

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      With great thanks to Peter Stinner for his instrumental contributions to the development of this work.

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Samir Parikh is a British-born consultant with over 20 years of industry experience. He began his career in the UK consulting towards the aerospace industry and then later joined a large international consulting firm where he participated in pan-European projects in the information technology, financial services and pharmaceuticals industries.

      In early 2000 Samir founded SPConsulting, a global management consulting firm based in Stockholm, Sweden, specializing in organizational strategy and change management. With many of its clients being multi-national corporations, SPConsulting has conducted assignments in more than 50 countries.

      The firm works closely with companies that are transforming into consulting-based organizations delivering solutions and professional services in their own areas of specialization and in highly competitive environments. Samir and his team have been responsible for helping clients to define strategies to succeed in their markets, creating new capabilities at various organizational levels and implementing maturity programmes to ensure continuous development and the maintenance of competitive advantage.

      In addition to his active role as a practitioner, Samir has often been a speaker on the topic of consulting, addressing senior audiences in different industry segments as well as appearing as a guest speaker to undergraduates at leading universities and business schools.

      INTRODUCTION

      The objective of this book is to provide a practical context as well as tips and actionable guidelines to those working with or interested in consulting.

      Suitable audiences include soon-to-be graduates interested in the consulting profession, consultants aiming to accelerate their careers through the acquisition of new ideas, and experienced practitioners wishing to complement their own experience with that of others.

      Beyond the realm of consulting, the topics presented in this book could also be applied by a wide range of professionals whose roles involve frequent interactions with internal or external stakeholders, in order to improve their effectiveness and to navigate around common obstacles.

      This book is designed to be easy to read, as too many consulting-related books are not. The content presented should be easy to absorb and to connect with one's own experience. The very practical approach adopted as well as a rich variety of examples are intended to make the concepts discussed easy to implement with immediate benefit in a wide range of daily situations, irrespective of the reader's experience level. The content has been organized to take the reader on a logical journey through some of the most important considerations in the practical world of consulting. Each chapter will provide a foundation for the ideas presented in the next. It is therefore recommended that the chapters are read in sequence.

      Part I, Consulting Fundamentals, introduces some of the underlying principles that apply to any consulting-based approach. Those beginning a career in consulting should give these topics particular consideration. Mastering them with high proficiency can immediately improve the outcomes of your consulting engagements. Experienced practitioners may consider these topics as something of a review but may wish to reflect on the examples that illustrate approaches that have worked well and not so well in the past.

      Part II, Case Studies, demonstrates how these principles can be applied successfully in consulting engagements. Three different case studies based on real industry situations are presented, providing the reader with an insight into typical daily life in consulting. The case studies are illustrated with additional content that is better presented in context than in isolation.

      Part III, Additional Topics, explores a range of other topics that should be understood in order to gain a solid foundation of consulting knowledge. These topics include the delivery of consulting projects, the management of client-related obstacles and the skill of advising.

PART I

      CONSULTING FUNDAMENTALS

      CHAPTER ONE

      WHAT

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