Business Consultancy in Practice: Self-Evaluation of Learning and Skills Development

This report covers the skills and responsibilities required for business consultancy in practice. It includes a self-evaluation of learning and skills development, proposing an action plan to fill gaps and develop areas. The report focuses on enhancing skills in time management, data collection, research, and more.

Consultancy in
Practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................1
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................2

INTRODUCTION
In the field of consulting, those with transferable abilities in communication, analysis, and
experience can work independently or as a team member in a bigger consultation environment.
However, there is a crucial distinction between content and process difficulties in practise.
Consultants give advice and experience to their clients' organisations to assist them improve their
company performance. They can work in a range of fields and specialties, concentrating on
supply chain management, IT, finance, marketing, and operations. The overall effect of a
consultant is that clients have access to higher levels of competence than it would be practical for
them to maintain internally, and they can only purchase as much service from the outside
consultant as desired. The report will cover the self-evaluation of learning and skills
development. Lastly there will be propose a plan of action for filling these gaps in order to
develop these areas.
MAIN BODY
As we started the project report there were various skills and responsibility that I learnt from this.
There are various skills that I have developed and enhance during the completion of my project
report. I have developed the report writing, data collection critical thinking and critical analysis. I
have also enhanced the time management, team leading and various other skills that helped me
and my team in order to complete the whole project. This ability is useful since it enables me to
arrange the elements of my report in a way that makes sense. I could find it easier to create the
report if I have a plan for what to write and how to write it. Planning techniques are typically
more effective when used during the writing process. Be focused or understand my objective.
Consider the target audience, the reason they need the report, the type of information I was
looking for in the report, the ramifications of reading the report, etc. while analysing the niche
audience. Decide on a report length. The skills and responsibility that I have developed and
enhanced during the completion of my team working project and how it helped me in various
ways are mentioned below.
Collaboration and teamwork
 Positive choice- I believe that my ability to work well with others and my skill set have
been helpful at this period. I've actively participated in my department, working diligently
and contributing my ideas and comments.
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 Negative choice- I am aware that there are occasions when I take up too much control of
a project and don't allow other team members enough space to contribute or develop their
ideas. I need to get better at allowing others more space and letting them take the lead.
Motivation
 Positive choice- Since I first began working for the company, I have consistently shown
my commitment and drive. I regularly meet deadlines and objectives.
 Negative choice- I think my tendency to focus too much time on a single task is a result
of my perfectionist tendencies. My use of resources needs to be better managed.
Leadership
 Positivity choice- I believe I effectively lead my team by example. My actions are what
define my work. I therefore spend time thinking about ways to resolve prospective
problems and challenges.
 Negative choice- Maybe I should put more effort into fostering the values and culture of
the organisation inside my team. When I run meetings, I keep this in mind, but I should
focus on promoting cooperation and teamwork.
Problem-solving
 Positivity choice: "Throughout my tenure with the organisation, I've proven that I can
solve problems." I am able to effectively resolve challenging circumstances while always
keeping the team in mind.
 Negative choice: "I occasionally feel overburdened when I have to make a big decision,
so I ask for advice from others. I need to improve my capacity for handling challenging
situations.
Decision-making skills
 Positivity choice- When faced with a difficult choice, I consider the advantages and
disadvantages as well as the possible results. I do my homework and talk to experts
before making a choice.
 Negative choice- I typically turn to my past blunders while making decisions rather than
looking for new ideas. I should reflect more to avoid making the same mistakes again.
Working under pressure
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 Positive response- Regardless of how tight the deadlines are, I am able to efficiently
manage my time to meet them. I can prioritise the most important tasks, and if I am
unable to, I will delegate them to people with the required experience.
 Negative statement- My time management is one of my weaknesses. I usually leave the
hardest or least enjoyable tasks till the last minute. My attention to detail gets worse as
my level of worry increases.
Communication
 Positive choice- I values conversation and debate among co-workers. I give my group's
opinions considerable consideration when making decisions. I aim to establish a solid
rapport with clients when we speak.
 Negative choice- I need to concentrate on managing my emotions so that they don't affect
how I communicate with coworkers. I occasionally have communication issues.
Adaptability
 Positive response- In times of transition, I make adjustments to the new and try to
contribute. Even when things don't go well, I respect opinions and keep my cool.
 Negative choice- I must encourage change while avoiding micromanagement. I find it
difficult to accept assignments that are outside of my area of expertise or that are foreign
to me.
Negotiation and problem-solving
 Positive choice- I was successful in negotiating (fill in the blank as appropriate) during
this time, which brought the firm (add details regarding gains). I have an analytical way
of thinking, so I can evaluate circumstances well and steer the conversation toward
achieving outcomes.
 Negative choice- Although I think I have improved my bargaining skills, I still think
there is room for improvement. I enter meetings with the appropriate mindset, and I make
an effort to consistently engage in active listening.
Emotional intelligence
 Positive choice "I can manage my emotions better because I am aware of my talents and
flaws. Everybody is heard and understood by me."
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 Negative choice "When I encounter certain behaviours by other team members, I
frequently experience frustration and have a difficult time speaking with them. I become
side-tracked and disregard what other people have to say."
I have gained a lot of experience and a variety of academic and professional abilities by
doing this work. Working in groups has improved a wide range of abilities while also developing
other abilities. I now possess personal qualities like politeness, dependability, honesty, and
reliability that I did not have before. I used to despise working in groups because I had trouble
interacting with people. After working in a group, I have discovered that distribution is weak and
unity is strong. Working as a team guarantees on-time delivery of results and maximises
efficiency. Additionally, one learns knowledge that they did not already possess from the group
members. I gained knowledge of new techniques and concepts. I was able to pick up new
academic skills that I had not previously known, such as new academic methodologies and
techniques. Among the abilities I developed were teamwork, time management, and academic
abilities, including reference practises. My academic abilities have improved, and this includes
referencing and intext citations. My writing skills, which I've been working on for years, have
improved thanks to this training. Learning about some of the challenges faced in the retail
industry while working as a team was a great opportunity. It was essentially a one-time
opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of both internal and external clientele. I have
acquired crucial abilities that will let me serve the internal and external client efficiently as a
budding problem solver. The procedure was difficult since it needed the vital involvement of
each group member. Each participant was assigned a task to complete. The responsibilities
included conducting in-depth research for each task. This indicated the need of teamwork.
Scope Skill gap analysis Action Time period
Time management There was situation
where I was not able
to manage my time
during completion of
the report.
The suitable action in
order to develop the
time management
skill within me. I
need to focus on
prepare a time table
and time schedule for
my day-to-day work.
2 months
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Data collection I was little confused
and it difficult for me
to collect data from
various sources. It
was difficult for data
collection skill.
In order to develop
the data collection
skill within me I need
to focus on sourcing
small data for my
research and project.
Also, I can take into
help for internet and
learn more about the
data collection skills.
3 months
Research Research skills are
necessary to find the
solution to a problem
or the answer to a
question. You need to
be able to learn about
a problem, assess it,
and then analyse and
understand the details
in order to support a
solution. It was
difficult for me do
research for my
project.
For my further
development and
project, I need to
develop my research
skill. For that I need
to start more
researching on
internet ask seniors to
help and teachers to
help me.
2 months
CONCLUSION
According to the aforementioned article, an action plan, a part of strategic planning, is
crucial to project management since it enables teams to collaborate effectively, communicate
properly, and finish a project from start to finish. An action plan is equally helpful for people
pursuing their own goals outside of the business sector. This action plan will help me in
developing and enhancing the skills that I face issues and difficulties in.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Ashuach, S. and Berman, A. eds., 2022. Sibling Relations and the Horizontal Axis in Theory and
Practice: Contemporary Group Analysis, Psychoanalysis and Organization
Consultancy. Taylor & Francis.
Lehene, C.F., 2021. From management consultancy to management therapy: diagnostic of
managerial disorders and anatomy of management therapy. Review of Economic Studies
and Research Virgil Madgearu, 14(1), pp.51-78.
Mullany, L. ed., 2020. Professional Communication: Consultancy, Advocacy, Activism. Springer
Nature.
Müller, B.S. and et. al., 2018. Implementation of models to ensure healthcare in rural areas:
Development of a consultancy service. Zeitschrift für Evidenz, Fortbildung und Qualität
im Gesundheitswesen, 131, pp.53-59.
Novakovic, A. and Vincent, D., 2019. Tavistock consultancy approaches, systemic practice and
the group analytic approach in work with staff, staff teams and organizations. In Group
Analysis (pp. 9-9). Routledge.
Oliver, C. and et. al., 2018. Reflexive inquiry: A framework for consultancy practice. Routledge.
Sarra, N., Solsø, K. and Mowles, C. eds., 2022. The Complexity of Consultancy: Exploring
Breakdowns Within Consultancy Practice. Taylor & Francis.
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