"Consulting" is both a profession and an attitude toward effective communication and career management. We'll discuss and practice practical skills like making yourself marketable, identifying prospective projects and clients, proposing and selling "doable" projects, managing your managers and your clients, and getting credit (and avoiding blame) for project outcomes.
(version 1.16 last modified 24 October 2003)
| DATE | TOPIC | SESSION LEAD(S) |
|---|---|---|
| August 27 | What is Consulting? Plan for the Course | |
| September 3 | Reflecting on your "Consulting" Experience | |
| September 10 | The Consulting Persona | |
| September 17 | Consulting From the Client's Perspective | Peter Charles, Ajay Sreekranth |
| September 24 | GUEST CONSULTANT | Larry Downes |
| October 1 | Defining Your Consulting Niche | Megan Finn, Florence Gee |
| October 8 | Essential Skills (Part 1) | Allison Bloodworth, Bob Daly, Amy Todenhagen, Lauren Wilkinson |
| October 15 | Essential Skills (Part 2) | |
| October 22 | Developing Expertise and Reputation; Networking | Mary Hodder, Scott McMullan |
| October 29 | Finding Business; Relationship Selling | Zhanna Shamis, Ryan Shaw |
| November 5 | Writing a Winning Proposal; Establishing Fees | Kate Ahern, Jeannie Yang |
| November 12 | Managing a Consulting Engagement | Mayjane Co, Joshua Solomin, Margaret Tong |
| November 19 | Distinctive Aspects of Technology Consulting | Shane Ahern, Mikhail Avrekh |
| November 24 | Managing Your Client Portfolio | Vam Makam, Fredrik Wallenberg, Annie Yeh |
| December 3 | Ethics, Integrity, and Walking the Walk | Aaron Brick, Kristine Gual |
This will be an informal and practical course. Students must actively engage in class discussions, and each student will assist the instructor as the lead discussant(s) for one session. No prior consulting experience is required.
Textbook: The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving & Getting Advice Successfully. Gerald Weinberg.