The Centre for Management Consulting Excellence (CMCE) aims to share academic research and practitioner experience to the benefit of the consulting community.
“We tend to judge people’s honesty based on their demeanour. Well-spoken, confident people with a firm handshake who are friendly and engaging are…
Key questions management consultants should ask to build successful client relationships
Undertaking a project involving…
We preview the launch of the CMCE report 'Future of Management Consultancy' and reflect on the value of consulting skills to a trauma patient.
Running a consultancy is hard! Leaders face a dual challenge: driving growth while building a business that’s resilient, scalable and commercially…
The death of pianist Howard Riley earlier this year was far from headline news (the more recent passing of Blondie drummer Clem Burke got…
We announce the CMCE Lecture 'Judgement at Work' and ask how consultants can persuade clients to adopt their ideas.
We ask "Does your client trust you?" and reflect on our inability to understand strangers.
It is never a bad idea to learn to lead.
Organisation leadership is the alignment of a social value chain, where interconnected…
This article on LinkedIn by David Knott, CTO for UK Government, draws attention to the gaps in understanding between business, technology and…
A recent online event organised by our colleagues at Harvard Business Review focused on the ‘HBR Guide to Generative AI for Managers’, a book that…
We reflect on how we create space for our clients to learn and announce an event on 'Navigating Uncertainty'.
In view of the interest in how dress codes for office work have changed post Covid, we are republishing our 2023 blog on how consultants…
Dr Marc Duffy's article on LinkedIn summarises the key themes that emerged during a British Academy of Management (BAM) Management Consulting…
We preview an event on 'Accelerating Corporate Performance' and revisit our archives for advice on starting a consultancy business.
In the search for knowledge and wisdom, I regularly consult the CMCE Excellence Hub, as a source for current management consultant thinking and…
The CMCE Creative Edge Workshop was hosted by Bayes Business School and looked at how generative AI can help management consultants to be more…
We discuss workplace dress codes in the post-COVID era and explore the uncertainty associated with major technology transformation programmes.
Key insights from a recent discussion organised by Harvard Business Review about ‘Mindmasters’, a book by Sandra Matz, Associate Professor of…
In Part 1 we looked at introducing SOSTAC® Planning methodology.
In Part 2 we looked at Situation Analysis (where are you now?) which…
We announce a joint event with BAM on 'Operationalising the Strategy Process: Doing Strategy Properly', to be held in person at Plaisterer's…
INSIGHTS is a powerful new tool with which to innovate for clients - a secure white box solution to unlock more value from existing information…
Strategic governance is one of the essential elements for organisations to manage artificial intelligence effectively and management consultants…
We investigate how AI can support creative thinking about business models and share insights from a discussion about ‘Mindmasters’ by Sandra Matz…
In Part 2 we looked at Situation Analysis (where are you now?)…
CMCE is unique in providing information to the management consulting community from the perspective of both academics and management consultants…
We announce our workshop 'The Creative Edge' on using AI tools to enhance consulting work at Bayes Business School on 5 February 2025.
In Part 1 we looked at Introducing SOSTAC® Planning methodology in 3 mins.
Now let’s actually explore SOSTAC® Stage 1:…
In September 2024 we had the pleasure of hosting a CMCE webinar focused on what is undoubtedly one of the most critical skills for any management…
We present a successful approach to strategic planning and announce our next Showcase on effective client engagement.
This is the first of a series of four pieces that PR Smith is writing for CMCE in conjunction with a CMCE 40-minute webinar that he will lead on…
University courses on management consultancy are available at the following universities in the UK:
Masters level courses with Consultancy…
Gather around, esteemed colleagues, as we embark on a whimsical journey through the annals of history. Yes, my fellow consultants, it's time to…
We announce the publication of our latest report, on the fundamental research issues in management consulting from a practitioner’s perspective.…
Back in June I joined a Harvard Business Review webinar focusing on the launch of ‘The AI-Savvy Leader: Nine Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI…
The United Nations has defined a number of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are an urgent call for action to end poverty, improve health…
The Centre for Management Consulting Excellence (CMCE) has just completed its latest study into factors that impact how management consultants…
We introduce a simple but effective approach to business planning and announce the presentation of our 2024 Research Awards.
On June 13th we hosted the final in our four-part series exploring the basic concepts of behavioural economics and how behaviour, emotions and…
What skills will consultants need to thrive in an environment where artificial intelligence (AI) is ubiquitous? Will AI make the consulting…
We report on our latest study exploring the factors that affect how management consultants provide value and announce two events in September.
CMCE has just completed its latest study into factors that impact how management consultants provide value to their clients.
At the end of May we hosted the third in our series of workshops exploring a few of the key concepts of behavioural economics. In particular, this…
We report on two events, ‘AI In Management Consulting’ and 'Why do we fear the unknown?', the fourth of our workshops on behavioural economics.
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to join an event organised by our colleagues at Harvard Business Review and focusing on ‘Higher Ground.…
In May 2024 we held the second in our series of interactive workshops focusing on the fundamentals of behavioural economics and hosted in…
I once had a client who took exception to the fact that I had disagreed with him on a conference call: he was the boss and therefore I should have…
In June 2024 the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI) published a White Paper 'Navigating the Future - A Guide to AI…
We announce dates for our autumn events and report on 'Can You Be Rational?', our third Risky Business workshop.
Earlier this month we were pleased to host the first in our series of four interactive workshops with leading academics and practitioners aimed at…
I love it when you sign up for something and it turns out to be slightly different from what you expected but also so much better than you thought…
We publicise our event on AI in Management Consulting, organised with the BAM Management Consulting Network, and ask why we fear the unknown.
On 6 February, CMCE was delighted to welcome Professor Alex Hill to lead a workshop in which he shared the insights of research conducted into…
On 1 February, CMCE was pleased to host a forum on the Chartered Management Consultant accreditation. A four-person panel gave their…
In May 2023, the Center for AI Safety (CAIS), a non-profit organisation whose mission is to reduce societal-scale risks from artificial…
We reflect on how people make decisions and announce the CMCE Research Awards 2024.
We are calling for nominations for the CMCE Research Awards 2024.
We all want to do work we are proud of. The popularity in the UK of TV shows like the Repair Shop demonstrates the nation’s pleasure of seeing…
In conjunction with CebAI at Bayes Business School, we offer an opportunity to try out an AI-enabled tool called Business Sparks.
As part of its programme to review the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on management consultancy, CMCE was pleased to host a Showcase led…
We ask whether we should need a licence to use AI and announce a series of workshops to explore the fundamentals of behavioural economics.
Nick Bush, CMCE outgoing Director
As a management consultant, I’ve always been concerned with looking ahead, helping clients plan for…
Having being involved in several implementations aimed at creating more efficient processes, recovering productivity, and increasing marginality,…
The Doughnut Economics Action Lab has designed a tool that sets out how businesses can engage with Doughnut Economics and apply the principles in…
The Centre for Management Consulting Excellence (CMCE) held an event on 2 November to launch its latest report, on Management Consultant Value.…
We announce an online forum on becoming a Chartered Management Consultant and celebrate the craft of management consulting.
In an increasingly challenging commercial and regulatory environment there is a far greater expectation that businesses will become more proactive…
Harvard Business School has published an informative working paper of a study into the impact of generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) on…
Nick Bush looks back on his time as CMCE Director and Jim Foster gives some insights on his plans for the future of the Centre.
“With the right mindset, we can’t lose, we either practice what we’ve learned or we learn what we need to practice.” Noura
A few months…
The article “The End of Management Consulting as We Know it?” published in the Management Consulting journal, highlighted the increased client…
The Centre for Management Consulting Excellence is delighted to announce the appointment of Jim Foster as its new director starting from January…
We announce our latest report, 'Management Consultant Value', which discusses how buyers should maximise value from management consultants.
What are the specific social and emotional skills, the ‘soft’ behavioural skills that consultants need that differ from those required in…
The lockdown-induced hybrid working model changed the labour landscape significantly. However, as restrictions were relaxed, there was little sign…
We report a study on whether generative AI affects the productivity of consultants and discuss how a homeostatic approach could benefit businesses…
Earlier this month, we announced the publication of the latest CMCE report ‘Measuring Management Consultancy Performance’ . It summarises the key…
Hope, hype or hearsay...
There is a lot of speculation about the ways in which AI will change how management consulting services are…
We announce our report on 'Measuring Management Consultancy Performance' and ask whether there is a management consultants' dress code.
Although it has been around since 1956, artificial intelligence is enjoying* an unprecedented level of attention. At CMCE we make no apologies for…
What motivates people to do what they do? For Daniel Beunza, Professor of Social Studies of Finance at Bayes Business School, it is curiosity. As…
Bruce Garvey and Adam Svendsen tested two commercial Generative AI products to see if they could be used to create Red Team scenarios. 'Red…
As a proud management consultant that has over a decade of experience in the profession and two decades working in financial services, I have…
Why does management consulting have such a bad reputation? (And what we can do about it.)
Compared with healthcare workers, train drivers…
We identify the social and emotional skills that consultants need and announce our programme of events for Autumn 2023.
Responses to two Golden Questions that clients and management consultants should ask themselves and each other. How does generative AI…
How well can we understand a client’s culture to help them deliver change? How do new technologies impact the underlying moral decisions firms are…
We ask whether generative AI poses an existential threat to management consulting firms and discuss the importance of developing the right mindset…
A review of the CMCE Showcase 'Systems Thinking in Consulting - Why and How', given by Patrick Hoverstadt.
A couple of hours…
A review of The Big Con, by Professor Mariana Mazzucato and Rosie Collington
There has recently been a lot of interest and discussion…
In this podcast from Source, Paul Alexander, a senior procurement professional, discusses the pitfalls in procurement that sometimes trap…
‘In the sixties we put people on the moon with computers less powerful than a calculator. Today everybody has a supercomputer in their pocket and…
We reflect on whether maximising profit leads consulting firms to behave unethically and review 'Magic Consultants', the recent series on Radio 4…
Things Can Only Get Better was a catchy 1993 song by pop band D:Ream that is famous for two things: being the theme song of the 1997 Labour party…
Strategy – or more accurately, how organisations approach strategy - is changing.
Long, long ago, back in the 1990's and early 2000's,…
We ask how can you successfully change the culture of an organisation and explore the key questions that clients and consultants should ask…
Two panel discussions with the title ‘Management consultancy in 2032 – Time travel into the future’ were organised by the International Council of…
It is always good to reflect on the past, and how we can improve the future. With this in mind I’d like to tell you the story of two little…
We report on an HBR book event discussing how AI is shaping us and how we should shape it, and review a controversial new book on the consulting…
At first glance this may seem a matter of semantics but, as is often the case, terminology matters. And for the inquisitive mind, the question…
Harvard Business Review is organising a series of book-related events online and in London this spring.
A PhD thesis presenting a comprehensive history of management consulting to the UK Government. The abstract reads as follows:
"…
Last year marked the 100th anniversary since the foundation of the Harvard Business Review by Harvard Business School in 1922, an important…
How can a company like KFC maintain consistency and high standards across all its franchises? How are micro to small businesses able to…
We report on two ICMCI panel discussions on what management consultancy will look like in 2032 and discuss how strategy consulting is changing.
At last month’s virtual Showcase, we were delighted to welcome an international expert, Dr Mark Wolf, from Quantinuum, the world's largest…
Watch a video introduction to our next Showcase '99%: How we've been screwed, and how consultants can help', and read 'A tale of two boys', an…
Now a regular fixture in the CMCE calendar, the CMCE Research Awards ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate research into management consultancy…
A great deal of consulting work focuses on improving the formal, by-the-book definitions of roles, structures, processes, or procedures. And yet,…
“O that a man might know The end of this day's business ere it come!”
So said Brutus towards the end of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar…
We celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Harvard Business Review and ask 'Do customers exist, or are we humans who buy things?'
What consultants should know about quantum computing, why business process documentation is important, and what happened at our Research Awards.…
As a result of a recent experience supporting two medium-sized companies with the implementation of back-office automation, I thought it would be…
The 2022 CMCE Research Awards provided an opportunity to celebrate some excellent research into management consultancy. The panel of judges felt…
In February 2022, I welcomed the opportunity to share the stage with working professionals having 30+ years of experience as a panel speaker in…
My last guest editorial, in May 2021, mentioned some of the many sources of knowledge and wisdom that I utilise when working with clients. On this…
We invite you to our online Research Awards, discuss how consultants can help clients with automation and reflect on difficult conversations.
Even before COVID-19, uncertainty was part of our daily lives. Climate change, migration and automation, just to mention a few of the factors…
We invite you to a Showcase on quantum computing, comment on what 'Gen Z' can bring to consulting, and reflect on the sources of knowledge and…
We recently asked members of our community for their views on the capabilities required by consultants for a number of different roles.
…
‘If you’re going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased.’ Maya Angelou
Over the last couple of weeks, the…
For anyone involved in planning and decision-making, combatting risk and uncertainty is a major part of their job. Politicians, corporates,…
The Centre for Management Consulting (CMCE) hosted a roundtable discussion on 10th June to explore the topics which influence Excellence in…
We question the nature of uncertainty, present our findings on the capabilities required by consultants for different roles and ask what skills…
We learn by practice and the best practice is to follow a model of the virtuous person.’ Aristotle
Who plays a key role in the continuous…
Covid-19 has changed business forever. Technology innovation and implementation shifted from taking years to months as good business strategies…
Blue-chip client - these three words are catnip to any professional whether sole trader or major firm and play a significant role in many…
We argue for a radical acceleration in technology skills training for consultants and share takeaways from our roundtable discussion on Excellence…
Business transformation, in particular digital transformation, is fashionable. Advocates of business transformation emphasise the need to be…
CMCE Virtual Showcase 10 May 2022, write up by Past Master Denise Fellows
We are coming out of two years of pandemic lockdowns into a ‘New…
In June 2022, CMCE conducted a roundtable discussion on the subject of Excellence in Consulting
The discussion focused on four topics…
Reflecting on many years in and around management consultancy, I thought it might be useful to draw upon my personal experience of professional…
We discuss how to avoid business transformation failure and the lessons to take from difficult client relationships.
“‘In a wicked world, relying upon experience from a single domain is not only limiting, it can be disastrous.’” David Epstein
‘Equipped…
The latest CMCE research report shares insights on the role of academic research in the management consulting practice.
In 2021 CMCE…
A couple of years ago a friend of mine had an idea for a board game and wondered what I thought about it. Not knowing much about game development…
We are calling for nominations for the CMCE Research Awards 2022.
We describe how socialising at work can help your career and announce the fourth edition of our CMCE Research Awards programme.
“Success has to do with deliberate practice. Practice must be focused, determined, and in an environment where there's feedback” M. Gladwell…
The recent CMCE Next Gen series of discussions on the post-pandemic world of work addressed very important questions that will certainly define…
We ask how management consultancy can be saved from itself, announce a Showcase on The Future of Work, and advocate a bottom-up approach to…
There is a second tradition of consulting to organisations that has developed in parallel to management consulting. Organisational…
As the impact of the global pandemic and the acceleration of digital technologies continue to disrupt the business landscape, many organizations…
CMCE has launched its new report 'What management consultants want from academics', about how consultants use the outputs of academic research.
Report of the CMCE Virtual Showcase 8 February 2022
Any lecture that begins with a question “Are you familiar with Heraclitus and…
We focus on the importance of consulting excellence, ask what psychoanalysts can teach management consultants and discuss whether every employee…
Many consultants seem to be attracted to personality tests. I have taken part in many professional gatherings where participants have…
The CMCE Next Gen series of discussions on the post-pandemic world of work consisted of 7 consecutive conversations on Clubhouse, every Thursday…
We are often reminded that to see different results we must do different things. Yet as management consultants we know that change isn’t…
Virtual working is something that we have all had to get to grips with over the last two years and, in some ways, we’ve stumbled into it without…
We explore why consultants love personality tests and ask if failure is the best way to success.
“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.” J. Joyce
Have you ever heard of the term atychiphobia? Put simply, it is what we commonly…
Just before Christmas we launched our CMCE Next Gen initiative, a series of discussions on the post-pandemic world of work that will consist of 7…
All sectors and industries face a non-return path due to Digital Transformation (DX): the development of AI, machine learning, mobile, IoT (…
CMCE has launched a survey on the critical questions the Management Consulting profession needs to address if it is to survive in the 21st Century…
If, like me, you have children who are well into adulthood you may have had the realisation that at some point they became “proper” grown-ups with…
Have your say on the critical questions the Management Consulting profession needs to address if it is to survive in the 21st century.
Intellectual Capital is an intangible asset comprising human capital, relationship (social) capital, organisational (structural) capital and…
Missing items on the shelf of your supermarket fuelled by the driver shortage is a topic which has been covered thoroughly by our industry experts…
How multiple intelligences can help you in your career, information about the CMCE Next Gen initiative, and assessing the quality of human capital…
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.” A. Einstein
Before you wonder whether there is a mistake in the way the title is…
In the last of this series of articles Calvert Markham, former Director of the Centre, focuses how to manage your consultancy business…
Join CMCE Next Gen (on Clubhouse) for the next generation of management consultants.
The papers shortlisted for the CMCE Consulting Research Awards 2021 in each of the three award categories are listed below. In each case…
A crucial part of undertaking a consultancy assignment, especially with a new client, is the interpersonal dynamics.
Importantly, can I…
This research study investigated how clients and consultants approach embedding standard practices in specific organisations.
The paper…
We announce the winners of the CMCE Consulting Research Awards 2021.
Two programmes I’ve watched recently mentioned ‘sunk cost fallacy’, a tendency to continue to do something because we’ve already invested a…
The benefits of being irritated, and how to make virtual consulting work for your consulting practice.
In this series Calvert Markham, former Director of the Centre, is providing basic guidance in developing your consultancy business.
“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” Lao Tzu
Leadership is a much-debated concept that is surrounded by many…
When carrying out an assignment, consultants may only be with a client for a limited period of time, be it a number of days per week or a fixed…
This month we feature gorillas, pirates and DIY, and announce details of the 2021 CMCE Research Awards event.
In future management consultants will need to have a combination of technical and what we could define as soft skills, e.g. cultural adaptation…
One of the best examples of industrial self-sufficiency was the Ford motor company. Their Rouge web site tells us that:
“Henry Ford’s…
Thus far in this series, Calvert Markham, former Director of the Centre, has provided basic guidance on deciding your consulting service and…
How consultants can help organisations transform successfully, and the importance of high standards and authenticity in leadership.
In this series, Calvert Markham, former Director of the Centre, provides basic guidance on starting and running a consultancy business.
I am a Terry Pratchett fan. I love the Discworld novels, which are latter-day comedies of manners. His fiction is of the same ilk as Douglas Adams…
Taking leadership to the next level, cybersecurity after the pandemic, and digital marketing 101 for growing consultancies.
Last month we left Antonia, our fictional consultant, deciding on whether to accept a job offer that was made to her by one of her current…
In this series, Calvert Markham, former Director of the Centre, provides basic guidance on starting and running a consultancy business. Previous…
Apart from an abiding passion for rugby, I’m not a massive sports fan but I do like to take a good dip into big sporting occasions when they…
Dr. Peter Fargus outlines a new approach to assessing the quality of human capital.
We celebrate critics, announce a Showcase on digital marketing for growing consultancies and discuss how to create sales opportunities.
In this webinar, Calvert Markham and Aneeta Madhok discuss the opportunities and challenges of being a consultant and Calvert shares some advice…
Nick Bush reports on the CMCE June Showcase, and you can watch the highlights.
Early in my consulting career I was assigned to the south of Sudan to train senior members of the local ministry of agriculture in the mysteries…
In this series we confront readers with ethical dilemmas and ask: what would you have done?
In the mid-1990s Paul Lynch, who was later to…
…. We are all crew.” says the Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan. Bigger than the threat of COVID, climate change is challenging us…
We encourage consultants to combat climate change, remind readers of our Showcase on consultant-client relationships and advocate design thinking…
In this series we confront readers with ethical dilemmas and ask what you would have done
These dilemmas are based on a series written in…
I had to write a thank you letter the other day. By which I mean, I had to get a piece of paper and compose and write the letter using a pen…
We are calling for nominations for the CMCE Consulting Research Awards 2021.
As I write this, it is a little over a year since we first went into lockdown and pretty much all forms of contact and communication turned…
We discuss the procurement of knowledge-based services and advise consultants starting a consulting business on setting their fee rate.
A…
Dr Simon Davey reports on the CMCE April Showcase, and you can watch the highlights.
Have you ever thrown away a book? I don’t mean disposing of a book as a form of critical comment such as the Nazis did in burning books of Jewish…
When we set consultant Jim Foster off on a quest to determine the value of consulting firms, he unearthed some interesting findings that pointed…
In this series, Calvert Markham, former Director of the Centre, provides basic guidance on starting and running a consultancy business. First you…
We ask whether you are a digital immigrant or a digital native and invite you to attend the CMCE Showcase on 22 April on mindfulness and mental…
Business has much to learn from the Christian church. It has been around for much longer than any single commercial organisation and so has…
In this dilemma our ubiquitous consultant Antonia was undertaking an attitude survey for medium-sized family-owned service business which employed…
Mass Observation is the name of a social research writing project about everyday life in Britain, capturing the experiences, thoughts and opinions…
Organisations of all sizes change over time, necessitating considerations regarding organisational structure and people’s roles within it. …
CMCE's latest report “Consultant Value Add: Maximising Value from your Management Consultant” will be launched at the CMCE Showcase on March…
We invite you to attend the CMCE Showcase on 23 March 'How to be an excellent client' and announce our new report 'Consultant Value Add:…
While devastating to the Service Sector, the pandemic is allowing Management Consultants the chance to catch up on trends relevant to their…
Many years ago, our ubiquitous consultant Antonia had a project to conduct an appraisal of a medium-sized, family-owned service business which…
We invite consultants to consider whether their client's organisation needs a makeover and report on the CMCE Showcase 'Living in the land of the…
My name is Simon. I’m a change management consultant and I have a mental health issue.
We live in a volatile, uncertain, complex and…
This case described how the mythical and multi-talented consultant Antonia had been recruited by Alpha Associates, a professional services firm,…
Ron Cruickshank reports on a CMCE Virtual Showcase.
A fear of newbie consultants (well, at least of this consultant when young) is being asked a question which you can’…
We look ahead to 2021 and announce some Showcase events for the early part of the year.
Ahhh, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. A chance for Jethro to put his feet up and relax. No invitations to tender with a…
An introduction to online resources for consulting to charities
The Worshipful Company of Management Consultants (WCoMC),…
This article summarises the history of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) as described in a paper by Nick Butler and David Collins of…
Members of the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants give their time to provide pro bono consultancy and mentoring support to charities.…
Understanding the difference between outputs and outcomes is essential for effective charity management. Outputs are the products or…
Impact is meaningful, lasting change for beneficiaries of a charity that can be attributed to a specific intervention. It is notoriously…
In addition to outputs and outcomes, charities often monitor impacts of their activities. Impacts are long term high-level effects,…
No one expects all of their predictions for the year ahead to be correct, but that was especially true for 2020.
In looking ahead to 2021…
Organisations, including charities, have a natural lifecycle. Eventually they may lose their relevance or run out of resources. Sadly…
This newsletter’s main article (Selling Consultancy into Large Organisations) reminded me of my time in a ‘big4’ consultancy (PwC) selling into…
We feature Mick James's account of the CMCE Research Conference 2020 and introduce our new Director, Nick Bush.
On November 3 CMCE hosted a showcase where we shared the results of Prof Joe O'Mahoney's ongoing research that has examined how some consulting…
In this series we confront readers with ethical dilemmas and ask what would you have done?
These are based on a series written in the mid…
Mick James describes the CMCE Research Conference 2020, which took place online on 24 November 2020.
Nick Bush has been appointed to succeed Calvert Markham as Director of the Centre for Management Consulting Excellence (CMCE).
A useful summary of the disadvantages of working from home, reporting the findings of a survey in the US. The biggest challenges to working…
The Concise Consultant, a series of videos providing an introduction to management consulting and basic consulting skills, has been produced by…
The Consultancy.uk website recently published the results of a survey of over 900 independent consultants worldwide, including in the UK. …
The opening sentence of L. P.Hartley’s The Go-Between “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there” is well known. But is the…
The Centre for Management Consulting Excellence announced the Finalists and Winners of the Consulting Research Awards at its Conference on 24…
The prestigious Urwick Cup was awarded this week to Accenture for their assignment COVID-19: Coordinating production of medical ventilators for…
The banking sector is one of the major adopters of AI, and predictive analytics is a key application. H.P. Bunaes, industry veteran and…
A report on the skills that management consultants will need to sell and deliver assignments in the future.
In 2018 the Centre for…
In an article published in the Harvard Business Review, Nada R. Sanders and John D. Wood argue that the most important factor in successful…
A study of how remote working affected managers’ and employees’ work, well-being, and productivity during the Covid-19 epidemic was reported in…
An interesting case study of a hospitality sector business that has flourished during the COVID-19 pandemic: https://go.cmce.org.uk/qdp .
Our main feature is ‘Selling consulting services into large organisations’ by Paul Vincent, Global Head of Services Procurement at Hays Talent…
In an earlier article (‘Do you understand the mind of your buyer’, April 2020) I explained why consulting firms need to ready themselves to deal…
This month our case study places Antonia as…
It is said that a consultant needs three kinds of expertise: a general understanding of management and organisations, knowledge of a specialist…
One of my colleagues says that if you rearrange the letters of the word ‘consultant’ it spells ‘scapegoat’.
In Biblical times the…
We feature advice from Professor Joe O'Mahoney on how to grow consulting firms.
These cases are based on a series written in the mid-1990s by Paul Lynch for Management Consultancy magazine in which he posed ethical dilemmas…
Slides from a seminar on 'Making a success of Home Working' can be found here. They include some excellent points and useful tips as well as…
CMCE was pleased to host its September 2020 Showcase: Building the AI Highway: Opportunities and challenges in data and analytics. The guest…
Hamlet never had to deal with pandemic restrictions. Thank goodness. He had other issues to tend to. And yet the return to the…
Our main feature is ‘The value and challenges of external expertise (on management consulting)’ by Professor Andrew Sturdy, of Bristol…
Our ubiquitous management consultant Antonia…
So as we workers get ready to emerge from lockdown and go back to our offices (realising some are already back, some have a while to wait, and…
In 'Management consulting and the academic problem' Dr Bob Harris replies to the article by Professor Daniel Muzio and Professor Ian Kirkpatrick…
Every crisis is an opportunity, including a pandemic. While we are seeing many positive adaptations to our ways of working – plus a number of…
In last month’s dilemma, our versatile…
Valentina Lorenzon reports on CMCE's first Virtual Showcase.
CMCE held its first virtual Showcase on July 28th on the very popular topic of cyber-resilience, with two expert speakers on our panel: Mr Kevin…
Consultants must embrace professionalisation to survive Whenever I tell people that I’m a member of the Worshipful Company of…
This month’s main feature is ‘More professional consultants’, by Professor Daniel Muzio and Professor Ian Kirkpatrick from the University of York…
Background
A medium sized company had…
The use of technology during the Covid-19 pandemic has led to significant speculation about its role in the Post Covid-19 “New Normal”. Will we…
We announce a new project to capture the personal experience of management consultants of the impact of the COVID-19 virus and draw your attention…
The City Values Forum worked to embed the principles of trust and integrity in the financial and business services sector and to improve business…
We seek contributions on the history of management consultancy, announce a new CMCE research project to find out what management consultants want…
We introduced the series with The Case of the…
The case examines the need for B2B sales teams to delve into a customer’s real requirements before proposing a solution. Accepting the…
COMATCH is an online market place where clients can find independent consultants. What it means for established consulting firms is analysed…
Aristotle's approach to ethics provides useful insights for management consultants. It suggests virtues that consultants should adopt in…
Transparency Lab’s mission is to develop a model of ‘automated consultancy’. The company’s main focus is on licensing its technology to…
Source Global Research published a detailed report on the UK Consulting Market in 2020, researched before the Covid-19 pandemic. An extract…
An essential guide for the boards of financial services companies, enabling them to provide robust, rigorous leadership and effective oversight of…
A unique training course and qualification designed to equip current and aspiring financial services managers with the core skills and knowledge…
A guide for senior management, HR professionals and line managers, showing how to embed values and their associated behaviours in every aspect of…
A brief but powerful modern statement of personal commitment which can be used in a wide range of contexts to express what the individuals and…
Calvert Markham, Director of the Centre, introduces the Historical Archive:
We aim to gather items in the Centre’s historical archive that…
Richard Popple is one of the first contributors to this section of the web site, and in the related correspondence noted that he became President…
The text of Professor Bob Garratt's presentation to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Corporate Governance can be found here. Professor…
Richard Popple, past President of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), remembers how the IMC introduced a more rigorous system for…
A guide to board leadership in purpose, values and culture: click to download document pdf.
A timeline of management ideas, prepared by Professor Bob Garratt and showing the development of management thinking from 1950 to 2000, can be…
A Roadmap for Governing Culture: a practical tool. Download here.
Some questions a board might ask of itself and the executive team: a practical tool. Download here.
A consultancy buyer's point of view, recommendations on what to read and listen to during the lockdown, and a commentary on the ethical dilemma…
In this series we confront readers with ethical dilemmas and ask: what would you have done? Each dilemma is followed up with a commentary.…
Today’s marketplace requires dynamism and agility. Buying organisations are becoming increasingly knowledgeable about their options and much more…
This is the first in a series in which we confront readers with ethical dilemmas and ask: what would you have done?
In the mid-1990s Paul…
We describe our Showcase programme, call for nominations for the CMCE Research Awards, and more.
We are calling for nominations for the CMCE Consulting Research Awards 2020.
Calvert Markham reports on the CMCE Showcase: Learn to love the robot, about Robotic Process Automation.
The Proceedings of the CMCE Consulting Research Conference 2019 are now available for download.
Interesting FT article with a survey of the best business school research, defined as that with the widest practical applicability.
'Professional occupations and organisations' by Daniel Muzio, Sundeep Aulakh and Ian Kirkpatrick is a comprehensive and accessible introduction to…
Our programme for 2020, learning to love the robot and a collection of resources for consultants at the start of their careers.
All this…
This is what the future of consulting may look like at entry level. Today’s data scientists are leading the way. One aspect of the…
Useful tips for new consultants based on a survey of 50 partners in top firms can be found here.
Includes a report on CMCE activities in 2019, an account of the first CMCE Consulting Research Conference, and a controversial blog on what…
The inaugural CMCE Consulting Research Conference was held on 21 November in the impressive surroundings of Goodenough College in Central London…
Management consultants and academics studying management share a common topic. In principle, the insights of each should be helpful to the…
Busted flushes, Intergenerational inequality and, new Research Awards...
All the latest news and summer reading
Useful websites for consultants and students:
www.top-consultant.com/ (UK based Industry insights as well as trainings and webinars…
A list of the most recommended books on consulting, based on a synthesis of 20 of the supposedly most valuable lists of best consulting books…
Brief descriptions of 20 useful consulting tools and techniques and some helpful concepts.
Distinguishing complex from straightforward…
Dr Simon Davey reports on the CMCE Showcase: Leading in a Digital World.
Mick James reports on a panel discussion hosted by the Centre on 2 July 2019 in cooperation with M&C Saatchi Transform.
Human Resources (HR) are the people employed by an organisation, and Human Resource management is those aspects of management specifically…
Bain carries out a regular survey of management tools and techniques and has published a booklet with definitions of the 25 most important…
The main news items that appeared in Management Consultancy magazine month by month were as follows:
September 1993
The topic of Systems Thinking and Managing in the Context of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity). is deep and wide, and…
Camels, crowns, chasms and consulting craft in our April newsletter
A camel, a tiger and a unicorn walk into a bar. Or rather into a CMCE seminar…
.... our Technical Symposium.
March saw the publication of Consulting Skills for 2030, a major research project (sponsored by Sheffield Haworth) ...
Welcome to our first newsletter of 2019....
Specialist executive search and talent advisory Sheffield Haworth has become the CMCE’s first Gold Partner.
Click download to read more
Click download for the full report
The results of the FT survey of leading Management Consulting firms have just been published. Click for download containing link.
The Institute of Consulting has recently published issue two of the Management Consulting Journal. Download the full news item for more…
Karol Szlichcinski presents a different view.
The earlier blog draws a distinction between the quality of consultants and consulting firms…
With the launch of this new Centre for Management Consulting Excellence, this is a relevant question.
There are plenty of standards for…
Joe O’Mahoney and Calvert Markham (2013) Management Consultancy. Oxford University Press. It is aimed at students of…
Silent temporal resistance (or how to screw up other people’s plans!)
Dr Simon Davey reports on the 2018 Urwick Lecture.
Mick James looks at the past – and perhaps the future – of the big consulting practices.
Recent corporate scandals have…
Our first newsletter describes forthcoming Events and introduces our Knowledge Base and our main current project, identifying the skills needed by…
“I could tell you were a management consultant as soon as I saw you!”
This was the director’s greeting when I arrived on set for a…
Projects
How can you make sure that management consultants deliver the value expected? The report looks at the impact of factors including commercial arrangements, measures of value and the frequency of reviews, and provides a set of guidelines for ensuring that the value expected from the consultants is delivered.
The report is available here.
This report identifies the fundamental issues in management consulting from a practitioner’s perspective and uses them to frame a research agenda in management consultancy. CMCE has used this framework to develop its own programme of research and seminars, and the report provides an update on progress.
This report identifies a number of trends that are already impacting management consultancy and will continue to do so. It also considers the likely impact on different types of management consultancy and on the way that management consultancies will operate.
Please click here to access the Project page to order the report.