Professional Certificate in Consulting

Participants in this program acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, tools and models needed to develop and facilitate executive, creative, technical and organizational solutions in the ever-changing business environment. Upon completion of the Professional Certificate in Consulting, participants will be able to help clients achieve business objectives by:

• providing expert guidance for implementing new structures
• improving processes
• facilitating learning
• aligning organizational assets to drive high-performance results.

Participants gain a thorough understanding of the theories, concepts and skills needed to consult successfully within any organizational setting.

The educational component of the program consists of a series of learning modules organized into four main content areas (see below). A learning module is a class that meets once a week for four, six or eight weeks. Each session is 90 minutes long. Course requirements include additional readings, written assignments and field practice.

Consulting Curriculum at a Glance

Section 1: Introduction to Organizational Consulting

• Defines consulting and describes how it differs from other ways of working
• Describes the difference between internal and external consultants and provides guidelines on when it is most appropriate to use each
• Deals with how to go about organizing for consulting and lays out the different roles a consultant may play
• Teaches the consultative selling process

Section 2: Essential Skills and Perspectives

• Lays out theoretical perspectives and four basic skills that every effective consultant should have
• Explores theoretical frameworks for consulting with special consideration given to open systems theory and the importance of structure in organizations
• Discusses the hard skills essential to consulting:
• Problem solving
• Working with groups
• Communications
• Managing change

Section 3: Consulting Engagement Life Cycle

• Explores the typical and predictable stages of forming a client-consultant relationship
• Outlines the five stages of a consulting life cycle
• Entry and contracting
• Needs assessment
• Program conception and design
• Implementation
• Ending

Section 4: Success, Failure and Professional Growth

• Addresses a number of situations in which every consultant will find him – or herself
• Describes potential problems and reviews strategies for dealing with them
• Discusses how to continually improve effectiveness as a consultant
• Explores consulting as a style of working and how this style can be effective in a wide variety of professional roles