The harsh truth is that the initial impact had by most training courses in professional settings simply doesn’t last, with businesses soon falling back into the same old routines. Doing things differently, Consulting Skill Ltd has been thriving in this sector for more than 30 years as a result of its mission to go that extra mile – as seen through the 1,000+ projects it has delivered for leading organisations across a wealth of countries. Named as the Best Professional Development Advisory Firm 2024 – UK, we explore the firm’s unique strategies in more detail below.
A results-driven operation going beyond simple mechanics to unlock transformative mindsets, Consulting Skill achieves stellar outcomes by helping professionals to master the skills and behaviours necessary for success in today’s corporate environment. As Mike Griffiths, the company’s CEO, puts it: “You need coaching and feedback, not just from us but from peers and experts in the client environment. We find that this improves mutual understanding and the cross-fertilisation of ideas across levels and divisions.”
It is this mindset that led to Robin Dickie, the former CEO of WHSmith and Barclays, saying that Consulting Skill was, “the only partner who acted like they were jointly responsible for my results.” He is far from the only person to notice this, as Mike and his team have trained more than 250,000 professionals across the globe, delivering an average ROI of between 20 and 50 times the initial cost. 20+ years of ongoing, industry-leading research into successful behavioural patterns ensures this is the case.
Breakthroughs are only made possible with the right implementation, and achieving the right implementation means starting at the beginning. This is why Consulting Skill offers a core consulting programme, which is its most popular offering. In using the term ‘consulting’, the firm doesn’t just appeal to actual consultants – it recognises that every professional needs these consulting skills, regardless of the nature of their profession. Solving problems is consulting, and yet many companies lack the necessary skills in this area.
“Our core consulting process programme is designed around a hypothesis-based methodology encouraging critical thinking and data-driven decision-making,” explains Mike. “Participants are trained to formulate hypotheses, identify potential evidence to support/refute them, and rigorously test assumptions against real-world data.” As it has been proven that people often back information confirming pre-existing beliefs, Consulting Skill’s structured approach deliberately countermeasures against this by including many perspectives.
“We have introduced this content to over 500 organisations, including 40% of the Fortune 100 and 17 of the top 20 consulting firms. Clients report that it saves on average at least 20% of their time on projects.”
As for why this programme is both the most popular and the best performing in terms of ROI across the firm’s portfolio, Mike tells us that this is because it is essential for customers to understand exactly what they are getting from a business in this age of mistrust. Unless consulting skills are demonstrated in sales conversations, pitches are unlikely to materialise – as product descriptions or demos no longer cut it. Mike likens this to the difference between viewing a menu in a restaurant and actually tasting the dish itself.
Of course, the ever-changing nature of business means that the skills which need to be delivered are themselves fluctuating, and this is especially true when it comes to leadership. In the past five years, leadership has changed considerably, be it as a result of the shift to hybrid working, the greater emphasis on wellbeing, or the need to integrate technology like AI into enterprises. Due to this, Consulting Skill spends a great deal of time working on thought leadership with clients, ensuring their learning remains a continuous journey.
Finally, leveraging this cutting-edge technology for its own gains, Consulting Skill Ltd has invested in AI to streamline its behavioural science research and more accurately predict results. In turn, it is able to refine its professional services training further, paving the way for sustained growth for its valued clients. Its use of such systems also reflects a keenness to evolve alongside the market which it is a part of – the cherry on top of a firm setting the standard in the fields of consulting skills training and professional advisory.
Contact Details
Contact: Mike Griffiths
Company: Consulting Skill Ltd
Web Address: https://www.consultingskill.com/
