Consultancy in Practice: Developing Professional Skills for Career Growth

This report discusses the importance of consultancy in practice for developing professional skills and competencies. It covers the skills developed during a project on employee satisfaction and productivity, areas for further development, and an action plan to fill the gaps. The report emphasizes the significance of strategic planning and management in achieving set targets and goals. It also highlights the role of communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in professional life. The report concludes with references to relevant books and journals.

Consultancy in
practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1.......................................................................................................................................4
Overview of the project...............................................................................................................4
Which skills have you developed and/or enhanced as a result of the project.............................4
What do you know now that you didn’t know at the start of the process...................................4
To what extent has your level of confidence improved..............................................................5
How could you use your learning in your future career..............................................................5
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................6
Three skills gaps or areas where you consider that further development( On the basis of task
1).................................................................................................................................................6
Propose a plan of action for filling these gaps/developing these areas. .....................................6
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Consultancy in practice is a professional method of developing effective practices in a
business by taking guidance from experts. In the functioning of a business consultancy plays a
key role by developing various growth and opportunities (Armstrong, 2018). It is major role of
an individual to focus on consulting experienced person for a particular task or activity in order
to gain competitive edge. In this project various skills are practised and developed in order to
lead the competition and establish a major approach. This project includes major three skills
which are required for further development of an individual. The report also includes importance
of strategic and planning framework which is required for development of various competencies
and abilities.

TASK 1
Overview of the project
I prepared a project on “Developing employee satisfaction and productivity'' for a
business organisation using different techniques and tools. I have analysed that it is essential for
a business entity to develop employee productivity and satisfaction in order to gain competitive
advantage. I also learned various skills which will help me to develop professionalism in my
career field and personal life. I will also focus on increasing my strengths and capabilities that
are required for overall development of an individual.
Which skills have you developed and/or enhanced as a result of the project
In order to formulate the project on Developing satisfaction in employees and increasing
their productivity, I have developed various skills in a precise manner. The description of various
skills related to the project by client includes the following:
 Communication skills- Firstly I developed communication skills which are important
for conveying a message from one source to another. I have developed the
communication skills with help of my seniors and professors (Cross, and Sheffield,
2019). My communication skills will help me to increase my approach towards
coordination development.
 Team work- Team work is one of the most crucial skills which helps an individual to
develop essential focus on working with a team. I organised various meetings and
webinars in order to facilitate my team. The major role of an individual is to analyse key
importance of team work in order to develop focused approach in completion of a task.
 Problem-solving skills- In order to resolve specific problems which arise in between the
project. I took help and assistance of these skills in order to develop key approach at the
marketplace. The problem solving skills are also most important for a person in order to
resolve key situations which are hard to resolve.

What do you know now that you didn’t know at the start of the process
In the functioning of project, I gained experience which will help me to deal with various
challenges and approaches in life. I have also analysed that, the skills I learned in developing the
project will also help me developing my career action plan. I didn't how to handle pressure
before the roles and responsibilities were assigned to me related to the project. I also learned how
to handle problems which arise during the project with the help of problem solving skills. At the
starting of the process, I also learned to manage a team which was enable to develop key focus
on goals and objectives. This is one of the major role of an individual to develop a strategic and
planning framework which will help me achievement of milestones. In order to lead the process
management, it is essential for an individual to analyse the roles of formulating rules and
regulations (Daniels, and Wosicki, 2020).. At the start of process, I also know about the
importance of process planning and management. I didn't knew about process implementation
with supervision and control, through which I faced major problems.
To what extent has your level of confidence improved
Confidence is an important part of a person's personality which helps in development of
an effective approach. The confidence also helps an individual to lead the team with major focus
on all aspects and dimensions. It is also one of the major roles and responsibilities of a leader to
analyse key strengths and capabilities which are important for confidence improvement. While
working with the team, my confidence improved a lot with a major focus on patience. I also
developed discipline which helped me to enhance my overall confidence (Gunter, and Mills,
2017). It is major role of individual in the professional life to enhance confidence by
improvement of major areas of development. I will also improve my confidence further to
develop systematic approach in my career based life. I am now very much confident to develop a
key focus on major tasks and objectives that are prevailing in life.

How could you use your learning in your future career
I have developed key skills and competencies which will help me to develop my career in
a professional manner. I will use the learned skills in order to develop systematic approach at the
marketplace. It is my major responsibility to gain competitive edge in studies and professional
career in order to improve my learnings and knowledge development. The skills which I have
learned will improve my overall strengths weaknesses and capabilities (Lawlor, and Sher, 2021).
I will also focus on learning importance of workplace management and I will implement the
same in my career based organisation. In my future career I will also implement key strategies
and plans which I learned to develop during my project.

TASK 2
Three skills gaps or areas where you consider that further development( On the basis of task 1)
In order to gain success in my career field, it is important for me to improve and learn
various skills. I will develop different skills which will improve my different areas and learn key
approaches to find out major solutions. The major three skills which I will develop in order to
gain success in my life are mentioned below:
 Managerial skills- The managerial skills are most important to be learned by a person to
manage day to day issues that arise in the organisation. I will develop managerial skills in
order to also manage my subordinate employees in my life time (Lawrence, 2019). I will
also focus on learning the managerial skills which are helpful in gaining competitive
advantage.
 Time management skills- Time management skills are most important for a person to be
developed in order to manage routine. I will develop a major time table in order to
manage my routine in a well defined manner. The time management skills will also help
me to improve my chances to complete a set task on a time frame.
 Conflict management skills- The conflict-management skills are most important to be
learned in order to manage day to day conflicts which arise (Mullany, 2020).. In order to
learn conflict management skills, I will take assistance of strategies and plans. I will also
develop conflict management skills in order to lead the competition in a systematic and
well defined manner.

Propose a plan of action for filling these gaps/developing these areas.
The action plan is a key approach which helps a business entity to develop and formulate
major plans and policies which are effective in development of major skills. I have also develop
action plan in order to develop major skills (Oliver, McNamee, and Draper, 2018). My action
plan for improving key skills is mentioned below:
Skills to be developed Strategy for their
achievement
Evaluation and
assessment
Time Framework
Time management
skills
In order to learn time
management skills in a
precise and systematic
manner, I will take
help of seniors and
professors.
I will perform the
assessment of key
skills and
competencies in order
to develop key role in
competitive life.
8 Months
Conflict-management
skills
I will take assistance
of professional
managers who are
working in an
organisation in order
to develop conflict
management skills
(Scott, and Shelton,
2019).
I will perform my
assessment by taking
into consideration
various practical
online tests.
10 Months
Managerial skills In order to develop
effective managerial
skills, it is important
for me to watch online
videos and read key
articles.
In order to evaluate
key ways of learning
managerial skills, I
will focus on
evaluating them by
solving practical
problems (Tyllström,
6 Months

2017).

CONCLUSION
From the above stated report it can be concluded that professional skills are the most
important part of an individual's personality. The above analysis also concludes key significance
of consultancy in practice to achieve set targets and goals in a set period of time. The analysis
concludes that is very much necessary for an individual to focus on key growth based areas in
academic as well as professional life. This analysis concludes role played by professional skills
in order to enhance the personality of an individual. This project also concludes major tools and
techniques which are required for overall development of an individual.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Armstrong, D., 2018. Organization in the mind: Psychoanalysis, group relations and
organizational consultancy. Routledge.
Cross, A. and Sheffield, D., 2019, March. Raising the profile of health psychology training,
consultancy and practice issues through the new Health Psychology Update sub-section. British
Psychological Society.
Daniels, M. and Wosicki, C., 2020. Wedding planning and management: Consultancy for diverse
clients. Routledge.
Gunter, H.M. and Mills, C., 2017. Consultants and consultancy: The case of education.
Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Lawlor, D. and Sher, M., 2021. An introduction to systems psychodynamics: Consultancy
research and training. Routledge.
Lawrence, W.G., 2019. The politics of salvation and revelation in the practice of consultancy.
In Tongued with Fire (pp. 165-179). Routledge.
Mullany, L. ed., 2020. Professional Communication: Consultancy, Advocacy, Activism.
Springer Nature.
Oliver, C., McNamee, S., Campbell, D. and Draper, R., 2018. Reflexive inquiry: A framework
for consultancy practice. Routledge.
Scott, P. and Shelton, A.T., 2019. The best of both worlds? combining specialist practice with
hospital consultancy. Orthodontic Update, 12(2), pp.70-76.
Tyllström, A., 2017. Lobbying in practice: An ethnographic field study of public affairs
consultancy. In Power, Policy and Profit. Edward Elgar Publishing.