cNotes
National Edition | Summer 2003
News and Ideas for
Canadian Management Consultants
If you have trouble with any of the web links in this newsletter, please go to
http://www.camc.com/documents/cnotes_063003_web.doc
to download a Word version.
Contents
§
National
office summer closing notice
§
Association
website update
§
Report on
trends in IFI/UN procurement procedures
§
Canadian
organizations spend less on training than international counterparts
§
Royal Roads
University to offer MBA learners management consulting designation
§
Discounts
for Association members
§
David
Maister event a success
§
No more
one-night stands: Maister
§
Essentials
of Management Consulting - Next course begins September 25
§
Online
learning from Vubiz
§
Save the
date - CMC seminars and exams across Canada
§
Upcoming events across Canada
National Office summer closing
notice
The Association's National office will be closed
from Monday, July 14 to Friday, July 25. We wish all of our members a
wonderful summer!
Association website update
The Association has invested in a content
management system for our website. This will allow the site to be updated
quickly and easily, as well as offering a streamlined appearance. Heather
Ciebien, Manager of Marketing & Communications, will be dedicating her time
from now until July 11 on transferring content to our new site. She will be
checking emails and voicemail occasionally during this time.
Report on trends in IFI/UN
procurement procedures
In 2002, Trade Team Canada - Service Industries
launched an initiative to reassess the international development business (IDB)
market (IFIs and UN-System) for Canadian service exporters and update its
various support tools accordingly. The effort led to the creation of a new
web-based information resource for Canadian management consulting firms and
law firms, the "Roadmap to International Development Business - Management
Consulting and Legal and Judicial Reform", commissioned by Industry
Canada's Service Industries Branch (SIB) and currently being installed on
Industry Canada's website
The report expands on key IFI/UN procurement
aspects by providing a deeper analysis of the existing procurement and
consultant selection guidelines, the trend toward procurement harmonization
and the implications for Canadian consulting firms. This
service-sector-focused analysis complements work under way at the Export
Financing Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International
Trade, reviewing overall trends in: IFI project lending, information access,
private sector investment and procurement policy.
The full report in PDF format can be downloaded
from the Association member's website.
Click here
to download now.
Canadian organizations spend less on training than
international counterparts
The Conference Board of
Canada announced in June 2003 that Canada has once again lagged behind its
international counterparts in terms of training and development of employees.
Using its Training and Development Outlook Book as a guideline, the Board
states that Canadian organizations spent considerably less than expected on
training in 2001, with no improvements projected in the near future.
As more countries and
organizations begin to realize that providing training and development results
in more innovative and competitive workers, countries that overlook such
services will fall behind, in terms of productivity and competitiveness, in
the global market place.
Comparing Canada to the
United States, Americans tend to invest more into training and development.
Canada's lack of investment has been attributed, in part, to the 2001 economic
declined, but that does not explain the poor comparison with the United
States.
The survey, distributed to 158 medium and large organization from various
regions and industries in Canada, discovered that less than a quarter of the
participants considered themselves "learning organizations."
The report concludes that in order to move ahead and compete aggressively in
the international marketplace, companies must invest in training and
development of employees.
Royal Roads University to offer
MBA learners management consulting designation
Royal Roads University and the Canadian
Association of Management Consultants announced in June the creation of the
new MBA in Executive Management with a specialization in Management
Consulting. Graduates of the new program will be eligible to write the final
qualifying exam for the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation, as
offered by the Association.
To view the entire press release, please
click here.
New U.S entry guidelines for
consultants now online
Updated U.S. entry guidelines are now online in the Member's section of the
Association website.
The purpose of this document is to help members better understand their rights
and to help them better prepare themselves to enter the U.S. There are two
categories under which Association members may temporarily work in the U.S. in
their professional capacities: Business Visitors or Professionals under NAFTA.
To download the Word document, please
click here.
Discounts for Association members
Business book summary service
If you read business books or wish you
had more time to do so, sign up for a book summary service that provides the
ideas and strategies of the latest business best sellers yet only takes
minutes out of your busy schedule. The response to
this service by Association members has been extremely positive. As a result
we will be offering members the business book summary service at the preferred
rate of $25 per year on an ongoing basis. For more information or to
subscribe, please
click here.
Those who
sign up will receive a monthly email with a link to the latest new summaries
and other valuable content for a full year. Think what this could save you
in the purchase of business books!
C2M
subscriptions
Consulting to Management (C2M)
is the only professional development magazine serving
consulting professionals worldwide. C2M's mission is to develop,
collect, and publish the growing body of knowledge within the consulting field
both as a profession and as a business. C2M is published quarterly in
both print and electronic format.
As a member of the Canadian Association of Management
Consultants, you may order C2M at a special discount of 30% off the regular
rate of US $80 for four quarterly issues of the printed magazine. Or, you may
order the electronic version with access to the C2M archives at a 44% discount
off the US $100 rate. Either way the cost is only US $56 for Association
members, the lowest individual subscriber rate they offer!
To subscribe, please visit
http://www.c2m.com and follow these
steps:
§
Download the
special order form found on the web site
§
Select print or
electronic version
§
Include the
priority code CKCC
§
Send the
completed form with payment or payment information to C2M by mail, fax, or as
an email attachment.
You may also call C2M at 1-650-342-1954 and place
your order directly. Please do not contact CAMC to place your order.
David Maister event a success
Over 200 consultants attended the Association's
event, David Maister: Practice What You Preach, on May 15 in Toronto. Carl
Friesen's report on the morning session, "No more one-night stands: Maister",
is included in this newsletter.
Response from attendees was overwhelmingly
positive. Eighty-nine percent of respondents gave the event an overall rating
of excellent or very good. Here's what some attendees had to say:
"David is always thought-provoking. This time his
presentation was even better. Personally, the benefits in increased revenue
will directly pay for my time and costs many times over during the next year"
"An excellent day. Good value for money spent."
"David presented good fundamental messages."
Special thanks to our
sponsors and partners
This event was made possible in part by the generous
support of the following sponsors and partners:
For over 50 years, Meloche Monnex has been
designing insurance programs for members of professional, alumni and student
associations, providing competitive rates and exclusive added benefits.
Deeth Williams Wall
Deeth Williams Wall LLP
is an innovative, entrepreneurial law firm, helping clients develop, protect
and commercialize all types of intellectual property and technology.
LMS Prolink
LMS Prolink Ltd. provides multiple financial
planning and protection products to Canada's most discerning clients. We have
enjoyed an excellent relationship with the Canadian Association of Management
Consultants as the administrator of the Association's Errors & Omissions
Program, available to members only.
CG Group
Strategic communication and sound competitive intelligence
are critical core competencies for today's agile corporations and enterprises.
C.G. Management & Communications is celebrating 20 years in the business of
public affairs consulting to major corporations, financial institutions,
professional and trade associations, emerging enterprises and government
institutions.
Gottschalk+Ash
Gottschalk+Ash International has been synonymous
around the world with clean, distinctive design for over 35 years. We practice
the Art of Communication for our clients everywhere - integrating the logical
with the beautiful to give rise to solutions that inspire confidence, enhance
public perception and contribute to building successful global brands.
Canadian Technology Network
The Canadian Technology Network links federal and
provincial government labs and agencies, universities, community colleges,
industry associations, technology centres and economic development agencies.
Together these organizations provide innovative Canadian companies with quick
and personal access to expertise, advice and information about how to meet
technology and related business challenges.
No more one-night stands: Maister
by Carl Friesen, CMC
Success in consulting depends on the consultant's
people skills, particularly the ability to build relationships of trust with
clients, said professional services management guru David Maister in his
presentation on 15 May in Toronto. So why, he asked rhetorically, are many
professionals treating their clients like one-night stands?
This presentation, part of a one-day conference
organized by CAMC National, featured Maister's opinionated, controversial but
always thought-provoking style.
Maister said that many consultants treat a client
engagement as a transaction, in which they try to get as much out of it as
they can - hence the "one night stand" analogy. Rather, they should work on
building a relationship.
This is because in deciding on a service provider,
prospective clients start out at the qualification stage - seeing if the
prospective providers have what it takes to do the work. If several
professionals meet those requirements, the prospect then proceeds to the
selection stage, in which the prime criterion is trust.
Accordingly, it is important for consultants to
demonstrate that they are trustworthy early in the relationship.
Building the relationship includes starting out
not through "selling" but by showing the client how you can add value.
Determine their needs and find ways you can solve issues they are facing. The
proposals you write should be less of a sales document, and more agreements on
how you'll work together.
Enjoy your work - it's important
Very few consultants consistently enjoy their
work, Maister said. Enjoying one's work is made up of two elements: working
for clients whose industry, issues and prospects you find fascinating, and
working with individuals whose company you really enjoy. Maister suggested
that consultants should work hard at finding clients that they find
interesting and good to work with. This creates enjoyable work experiences,
delighted clients and delighted (and likely richer) consultants. This requires
consultants to take deliberate steps to target their "ideal clients" and then
build a relationship with those people and organizations.
Maister said it may help to position this as a
moral, as well as practical point. You will only be truly earning your fees if
you do excellent work. You do the best work if you enjoy what you do.
Carl Friesen CMC
This article originally appeared in the GTA
Chapter's Summer 2003 issue of cNotes.
Essentials of Management
Consulting - next course begins September 25
The Essentials of Management Consulting is the
Association's flagship program for members. Its goal is to help YOU deliver
superior value to your clients. Dynamic and interactive, it is valuable to
anyone who is considering becoming a consultant and to any Association members
who are thinking about pursuing the CMC designation or have already started
the process of certification. If you want to benchmark your skills and
abilities, put yourself to the test through the Essentials course.
"EMC6 was my
fourth or fifth course in general management consulting but clearly the best.
A lot of thought and effort were obviously put into developing & delivering
this course."
- M. El-Deeb, MBA, Hewlett-Packard, Mississauga, ON
For more information please
click here.
To register, please contact
emchelp@camc.com.
Online learning from Vubiz
Vubiz delivers what business needs ...high impact,
low-cost learning for business success. Vubiz online learning gives you expert
information to boost your business and punch your profits ahead of the
competition. And you save valuable time and money with our practical modules
presented in easy-to-use, self-paced, interactive formats. Association members
receive discounted rates for all Vubiz courses. Offerings include:
Management Practices in Information Technology
Information technology (IT) consulting is a large
and rapidly evolving field. This comprehensive series will keep consultants
up-to-date on current management practices in IT.
Operations Management
Operations management is concerned with the work
an organization must do to satisfy its customers. This comprehensive series
will keep management consultants up-to-date on current practices in operations
management.
Strategic Management Certificate
Purchase either program above and enjoy free
access to the Strategic Management Certificate.
This course offers potent management advice for
entrepreneurs, managers and accounting professionals including: Next
Generation Enterprise, Customer Profitability Analysis, Balanced Scorecard,
Process Management, Strategic Partnering for Profit and Implementing
Self-Directed Work.
For more information on these and other courses,
please
click here.
Save the date - CMC seminars and
exams across Canada
The CMC Comprehensive exam will be held on Friday November
7, 2003 at various locations across Canada (exact locations TBD).
If you plan on registering to write the
Comprehensive Exam this fall please keep the date open for the Preparatory
Seminar.
2003 Preparatory Seminar
Dates
Victoria Tuesday October 7
Vancouver Wednesday October 8
Edmonton Thursday October 9
Calgary Friday October 10
Halifax Wednesday October 15
Ottawa Monday October 20
Toronto Tuesday October 21
Winnipeg Wednesday October 22
Those candidates already in the CMC program will
receive registration information over the summer.
If you are not currently pursuing the CMC
designation and would like more information on the program, please contact Rob
Campanelli at
rcampanellli@camc.com
Upcoming events across Canada
GTA Chapter Fall Kick-Off
Event
Toronto, Ontario
Thursday, September 18
7:30 am to 10:00 am
The Management Consultant Radar Screen:
Identifying New Opportunities
Experts in potential growth areas, including
health care, advanced manufacturing, government/public administration,
communications and tourism, will help you identify new markets and
opportunities and offer recommendations for market penetration.
Location and registration details TBD
Strategies for Urban
Sustainability Conference
September 9-10
Edmonton, Alberta
This National forum brings together Canada's
business, civil society, and municipal, provincial and federal government
leaders to explore practical approaches to urban sustainability - the
foundation for a strong national urban strategy.
For more information and registration details,
please visit
www.sus2003.ca.
Power Within
Toronto, Ontario
Wednesday, October 22
8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Speakers include Jack Welch (Former Chairman & CEO
of GE) and author of "Straight From The Gut", Loretta LaRoche "Life Is Not A
Stress Rehearsal", Nicholas Boothman "How To Connect In Business In 90 Seconds
Or Less", Cheryl Richardson "Take Time For Your Life" and W. Mitchell "It's
Not What Happens To You It's What You Do About It."
Cost: $189 CAMC members and guests, $329
non-members
To view the PDF brochure, please
click here.
To register, please call 1-866-994-2555 ext. 230
Make Your Voice Heard
If you have comments about what you've read in cNotes, or have a contribution
or suggestion for the Editor, we want to hear it. We can't reply to every
email we receive, but we do read all of them and we take your
opinions seriously.
Click here to send a message to the Editor
Visit Our Website
Get more information on the world-renowned CMC designation, find a consultant,
make connections in the profession. All this and more is available to you
every minute of every day on the Association's website.
www.camc.com
