A consultant's MBA

Category: Editorial

Richard Winfield - editor and principal consultant In my early days as a consultant I claimed that every three years as a management consultant was the equivalent of another MBA. I was continually exposed to new ideas and, more important, to new situations. I was continuously learning from my clients and being stretched to understand more.

I am reminded of this recently when my time seems to be more devoted to writing proposals. Not only do I have to understand my clients, their situations and possible solutions as I did as a consultant, I also have to get inside their strategy for learning and development. This means very often that I have to research and read up new management and leadership philosophies – what would I do without the Internet, it truly is a fantastic tool for learning.

This week's coaching notes draw upon just such an exercise. Further, there is more, that perhaps I will write about next week. Leadership is not only an important matter for organisations, it is a hot topic in people's needs. What I like about Aubrey Daniels' approach is that he focuses on processes rather than personality; in which case leadership can be taught and managed into the culture. I am by nature a systems thinker and therefore a process consultant, so his approach fits closely with what Brefi Group teaches.

In recent meetings I have detected a frustration with MBA programs because, although they might teach good management practice, they do not have much impact in the work place. This is not surprising since their origin lies in finance and consultancy. It might be fine for the top directors of multi national companies, but is it, even in its evolved form, really essential for middle managers charged with delivery rather than strategy? There are many ways to skin a cat. There are many ways to develop managers; and the practical, work-based approaches are a lot less expensive.

We have a long history at Brefi Group of discovery management development programmes in which participants learn not only about management processes but, more importantly, about themselves and how they can interact better with others. Increasingly, this approach has evolved into executive coaching of individuals or teaching managers to coach for themselves. The same processes of raising awareness.

Consider Steven Covey's seven habits: -