c Spring 2011
Gregory Richards FCMC
Consulting after the double dip –
What’s Changed?
The Magazine for Members of CMC-Canada
consult
“These experienced and accomplished professionals chose the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation to help them as they moved into advisory services.”
‘Transformers’16 Jane Osler, CMC prepares for a meeting while enjoying a quiet moment at the Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre.
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
Inside
Consulting after the double dip10 Social media15 Passion in the profession22 Departments editor’s note 03 industry insights 06 coast to coast 08 how’s your asset? 27 buzz 30 remembering 31 top of mind 32
AT CMCCANADA
Editor’s Note
Winter 2011
Now that the economy is on an upturn and business opportunities abound for good management consultants, the prevailing wisdom is that we live in a changed world, which will keep us all on our toes. As our thoughtprovoking feature article by Greg Richard argues, consultants who adapt their thinking to the new economic environment are likely to find themselves an invaluable asset for many clients, but in ways which represent a departure from conventional practice. My hope and expectation is that Consult Magazine will rapidly become the ‘need to read’ publication that will bring you the latest ideas and developments to ensure you make the most of these new opportunities. Enjoy the current issue!
The skaters are circling the ice rink at Nathan Philips Square at Toronto’s City Hall. I’m watching them from the 20th floor of the Simpson Tower, from CMCCanada’s new office.
HAROLD SCHROEDER FCMC, PMP, CHRP, CHE SCHROEDER & SCHROEDER INC.
The new office is modern, bright, and open and serves as a great metaphor for the changes underway at CMC-Canada. Gone are the walls and formal offices that keep us apart from each other. Our new approach is to work outside of boundaries and think differently. Just because it has been done one way, doesn’t mean that is how we will manage things in the future. This magazine is a perfect example of breaking down the walls. Consult is a magazine that is different than anything CMCCanada has published in the past. It is designed to inform, to share our activities across the country, but most importantly, it is hoped that it will build pride in our membership. In these pages, you will read about our members and our activities from Vancouver Island to Halifax. In May 2011, our Institute in British Columbia is hosting a conference, ‘Innovation and Collaboration in Leading Change.’ On the other side of Canada, our Atlantic Canada Institute will host their own conference, ‘Rise to the Top.’ In between, there is lots of activity as well. Our Greater Toronto Area chapter has a plethora of events, from special interest
groups to the strategic leadership forum. In eastern Ontario, our Ottawa chapter is always active with many events, and in Quebec, there was a conference in March, combined with an event honouring new CMCs. In May, the National Board of Directors will be hosting their face-to-face meeting in Regina, and in October, our Manitoba Institute will celebrate the 25th year of their Provincial legislation, recognizing the CMC designation, with a one-day conference in Winnipeg. We continue to work hard at building the critical mass needed to support our National Association – so we can build more awareness and recognition of our designation. Through alliances and partnerships, we can achieve our objectives. Our strategic alliance with the Certified Management Accountants is starting to generate opportunities for both associations. This past December, we ratified the inclusion of the Certified Agricultural Consultants to our association. We will be hosting the annual North American Consulting School this year. Professional Development is an ongoing imperative for any professional. David Maister’s seminal article, ‘How’s Your Asset?’ is how we are raising the bar at CMC-Canada. Towards that end, we are strengthening our pre-certification courses, like our Essentials of Management Consulting. We are supporting our facilitators, partnering with more Universities, and updating our Common Body of Knowledge. We are not ignoring post-certification – as we are launching our ‘Leadership for Professional Services’ program, in partnership with the Richard Ivey School of Business, in June 2011. This is just a snapshot of how CMCCanada is raising the bar. GLENN T. YONEMITSU, MBA, CMC CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS (CMC-CANADA) VISIT
cmc-canada.ca REGULARLY TO SEE WHAT IS NEW
consult Publisher: Glenn Yonemitsu, CMC Editorial Board: Harold Schroeder, FCMC, Mike Appleton, FCMC, Jane Davison, FCMC, Eric Inthof, FCMC, Ron Knowles, FCMC, Dianne Lougheed Keefe, CMC, Greg Richards, FCMC, Tony Wanless, CMC, Mary Blair Editor in Chief: Harold Schroeder, FCMC Managing Editor: Andrea Vandenberg Contributing Writers: Glenn Yonemitsu, CMC, Greg Richards, FCMC, Andrea Vandenberg, Mary Blair Research: Mary Blair, Suzie Fernandes, Darlene Hoornstra, Suzie Fernandes, Lora Rossi, Hélène Théberge
Creative and Art Direction, Design: Aegis Design Inc. Photography: Nation Wong Cover Photo: Nation Wong
Consult is published simultaneously on the Internet at consult-magazine.ca
Consult Magazine is published semi-annually by the Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CMC-Canada).
Copyright 2011 – Canadian Association of Management Consultants. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Consult welcomes unsolicited manuscripts for publication, comments, letters to the editor, or ideas on themes. Please send all feedback and address changes to Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CMC-Canada), PO Box 20, 2004-401 Bay Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5H 2Y4 or via email to consult@cmc-canada.ca
Advertising Sales and Inquiries: Andrea Vandenberg (416) 860-1515 avandenberg@cmc-canada.ca
consult magazine Spring 2011 3
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
A toast to paradise
“IT’S been wonderful boTH To our PraCTICe and To our lIfe Here… a loT of IT HaS Come from our CmC-Canada ConneCTIonS.” MARTIN PLAYFORD, CMC AND JOY PLAYFORD, CMC
Martin and Joy Playford are from Owen Sound, Ontario, but today, they make their home and their Hawk Ridge Estate wine in beautiful Kelowna, British Columbia. Colonel Playford (retired) served in the Canadian Forces for more than 30 years and is a professional engineer by training. As his experience grew, he progressed to roles where he served as a change agent and advisor in the Air Division. After returning to civilian life, it was a natural step to establish The Playford Performance Group, a consultancy that focuses on performance management and executive coaching. Joy has enjoyed a successful 30 plus year career with the Business Development Bank of Canada. In her role as Regional Director, Special Markets, she is involved with coaching, capacity building, consulting, and strategic alliances for western Canada. Previously, Joy served as Vice President, BDC Consulting Group for the Prairies and West region, and more than doubled revenues and professional staff. Since relocating to Kelowna, which Joy says, “we applied the planning principles we use in business to our own life,” the Playfords have a
new activity that takes up much of their time – managing an estate winery on their property. When they decided to move from Winnipeg to Kelowna, Joy found a wonderful piece of land that, “had a gorgeous lake and valley view.” There was no analysis paralysis for this household of two consultants, they acted immediately. Martin added, “this was the first place we’ve been where we could grow grapes and make our own wine.” The Playfords didn’t do this blindly, they hired a consultant, “who helped us identify the conditions of the soil and the kind of grapes that would grow.” Today, they are awaiting their third harvest of Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer and with the help of friends, they will get out the picker boxes, put the harvest in the destemmer and then into a hydraulic press, before going to the tanks for aging. It is a year-round activity, with pruning in the late winter/spring, growing in the summer, to the harvest and production in the fall. Marty loves the growing, spends about 10 hours a week in the vineyard and, “loses himself in the vineyard.” Joy complements Marty as she, “digs the production.” Running their own estate winery has benefited their social and professional life. As they have
sought out advice, they have built tremendous friendships with the growers and producers in the region. There have been many lessons from the winery that has helped their consulting practice too. Martin believes that cultivating the grape through the summer is like building a relationship with a client. “You can’t leave it for a few months and expect we will catch up. It’s an ongoing relationship. You have to be focused and follow through on a consistent basis, or in the end, the wine will be impacted.” Joy agrees, “when developing the vineyard, you have to take a long term view.” And when consultants continue with professional development, “it is like putting the investment into the right resources.” CMC-Canada has played a big role in helping the Playfords settle in the Okanagan. “This is what CMC-Canada has brought us – its been wonderful both to our practice and to our life here, when I look and see the friends and relationships we have developed, a lot of it has come from our CMC-Canada connections.” Grape growing and wine making is clearly a passion. As Marty says, “the most enjoyable piece of our work is taking a bottle down to the vineyard, looking over the lake, and having a glass of wine together.”
consult magazine Spring 2011 5
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS News and information about the Management Consulting Industry and Profession.
Fortune’s best companies to work for and biggest pay lists
In the February issue of Fortune magazine, the 2011 list of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ was released. Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is ranked as the second best company, behind software company, SAS. With 1,713 employees in the United States, BCG also made the top ten list for the best paying companies, with an average total pay of US$154,051, for employees in the role of ‘consultant’. Other firms included in the ‘Best Companies’ ranking, who have significant management consulting departments, include
Deloitte, No.63 PricewaterhouseCoopers, No.73 Ernst & Young, No.77 Booz Allen Hamilton No.85 KPMG, No.86 Accenture, No.99 In the ‘Best Paying’ ranking, firms with significant management consulting practices include
PricewaterhouseCoopers No.53/$86,826 Accenture No.54/$83,500 Deloitte No.56/$81,622 KPMG No.67/$73,300 For more information visit www.money.cnn.com/magazines/ fortune/bestcompanies/2011
6 consult magazine Spring 2011
Consulting rankings from vault career intelligence Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and McKinsey & Company take the top three spots in the 2011 Vault Consulting 50. Bain has been a perennial leader in this ranking and they continue to receive the top ratings. The group of Bain, BCG, and McKinsey all outdistance their peers by a significant margin. Vault Career Intelligence is one of the most influential resources for MBA graduates as they prepare for their careers. It is one of the only sources for broad-based, up-to-date information on all of the major consulting practices. Each year, Vault publishes the Vault Consulting 50, which is a ranking that combines the previous ‘best to work for’ rankings with overall prestige feedback. 43% of highly credentialed candidates rank firm culture as the most important factor in selecting an employer. The Vault Consulting 50 weighs 25 percent firm culture, 25 percent work/life balance, 20 percent compensation, 20 percent prestige, 5 percent overall business outlook, and 5 percent transparency. Vault surveys con-sultants who work at the major firms. Survey respondents are not allowed to rate their own firm, and they were asked to rate only those firms with which they were familiar. In addition to the Consulting 50, Vault publishes separate lists ranking firm on prestige, best to work for, compensation, diversity, and the best within practice areas. To see the complete collection of lists by Vault, visit www.vault.com/ wps/portal/usa/ranking
Vault summarizes the good, the bad and the ugly for the consulting profession Vault has an interesting perspective into the Management Consulting industry and published their analysis on what is good and bad about the profession... they also advise on what kinds of skill/behaviours are needed to succeed in the profession.
UPPERS
High pay Wide variety of projects Intellectual stimulation
DOWNERS
Grueling travel Long hours Too much jargon Unpaid overtime
PERSONALITY MATCH
People-oriented Well spoken Analytical Independent Creative
PERSONALITY MISS Antisocial Inflexible Afraid of flying
Strategy in uncertain environments Boston Consulting Group’s Managing Partner and Canadian Practice Leader, Kilian Berz, shared his thoughts on how leading organizations must compete in a world and environment filled with waves of systemic turbulence. Market leaders are falling from grace more often and more quickly, due to much disruption. The core axioms of strategic planning are being undermined. In response, BCG suggests adaptive strategy is at the centre of a new basis for advantage. Three attributes are essential for survival in a changing environment: Responsiveness, resilience, and readiness. But, to gain a sustainable advantage, companies must use a dynamic, recursive approach, where strategies continuously evolve. Berz shared his thoughts at a sold out, joint CMA/CMCCANADA event in Toronto. More details on adaptive strategy can be found at www. bcg.com/documents/file37859.pdf
Advisory services expected to grow at large firms Each of the Big 4 professional services firms expects Advisory Services to lead the growth of their professional services practices. Major investments are being made into personnel, methodology development, and professional development, all of which indicate strong growth prospects for the future. Consulting magazine reports that KPMG for one, expects revenue in advisory services to double by 2015. Consulting goes on to report that in the first quarter of 2011, other large firms have been taking advantage of the strengthening economy. IBM’s business analytics practice grew revenue by more than 40 percent in the second half of the year. The firm expects continued growth in the coming year. Capgemini also reported a strong second half of 2010, and is forecasting as much as 10 percent revenue growth in 2011. Read more about these results and forecasts at www.consultingmag.com and click on ‘News Briefings’.
Which categories are firms making the most/least improvements? compensation and benefits satisfaction career development work/life balance culture leadership the job overall
3.9
4
4.1
Survey Average (1-5 Scale)
4.2
4.3
2009 Survey Average
4.4
4.5
2010 Survey Average
consult magazine Spring 2011 7
COAST TO COAST Events, news, and happenings at the Canadian Association of Management Consultants.
“Not enough consultants turn their intellectual capital into intellectual property, and very few manage to translate that to income that’s bankable. The fear of someone stealing your intellectual property if you put too much on the table is a chimera. I’ve written 40 books. Help yourself!” Dr. Alan Weiss, FCMC Keynote speaker, BC’s 2010 ‘Charting a Course to Value’ conference. President Summit Consulting Group www.summitconsulting.com
BC Charting a
Course to Value Last May, internationally acclaimed consultant Dr. Alan Weiss known as ‘the consultant’s consultant’ was the keynote speaker at Consulting Conference 2010, the first management consulting conference sponsored CMC-BC. Weiss challenged the audience that we need to get more savvy and courageous in how we manage and build our consulting practices, whether it be intellectual property, fees, or how we market ourselves.
8 consult magazine Spring 2011
“Organizations recognize the need for change and the relative speed and accuracy that is required for effective execution. The challenge is how to do it. Traditional methods are no longer enough. People are the secret ingredient and Seth Kahan clearly offers the path to get you there.” George A Castineiras Senior Vice President Prudential Financial, Inc.
Collaboration & Innovation in Leading Change Leadership and change expert Seth Kahan and one of Canada’s foremost futurists, Jim Bottomley, will headline CMC-BC’s second conference, ‘Collaboration and Innovation in Leading Change’. The Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour Hotel is the place to be on May 5 & 6, 2011.
BC
Other conference topics include: • Breaking through the Change Quagmire • Innovative Strategies for Complex Business Transformations • Balancing Divergent Needs through Creative Collaboration • Collaborating through Social Media CMC-Canada members will earn 20 CPD points for the conference. To register, visit cmc-bc.ca
AB Fostering Excellence
“Organizations are designed for the past. How can leaders put in place systems that guarantee their organizations are able to respond to rapid market changes? Eighteenyear-old Shawn Fanning revolutionized the music industry by creating Napster. And Apple legitimized digital distribution. Why were the record labels incapable of reinventing their business?” Jim Harris, Keynote speaker Alberta’s 2010 ‘Pursuing Strategic Advantage’ conference. Renowned speaker on leadership and change www.jimharris.com
AB Pursuing Strategic
Advantage Last October, CMC-Alberta hosted ‘Pursuing Strategic Advantage’, a showcase of many renowned experts, led by keynote Jim Harris, who challenged the audience to stay nimble and aware, with a goal to helping leaders future-proof their operations to avoid being blindsided by changes. Other speakers presented the latest ideas on strategy, change, leadership, innovation, and social media.
in Consulting In October 2011, management consulting professionals will gather in Edmonton once again for an intensive learning experience. The ‘2011 CMC Conference: Fostering Excellence in Consulting’ will challenge your thinking, enhance your practice, and offer exciting networking opportunities as delegates and speakers come together for our biggest learning and social opportunity of the year in Alberta! Fostering excellence in our knowledge, our practice, and our relationships speaks to the high quality of service we aspire to as consultants, and gives us the competitive edge in the field. This year we are excited to open our doors to our colleagues who are members of national project management (PMI) and accounting (CMA) organizations, offering them our member pricing. Bringing three powerful professional groups together will support unparalleled opportunities for learning and growth. Watch cmc-canada.ca for details on speakers, as they are confirmed.
CMC-Canada Annual General Meeting – October 2011 | Winnipeg, MB For 2011, CMC-Canada will take the AGM on the road to Winnipeg, where CMC-Manitoba will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the passing of Bill C47 in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, which recognizes the CMC designation and the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Manitoba. As part of the celebration, CMC-Manitoba will host a conference with a focus on Social Media. Business leaders such as, Dan Belhassen, President, Modern Earth, Christine Irving, Principal, ProductWorks Inc., and Peter de Gosztonyi, Senior Consultant, Zanka Consulting, will speak on the importance of this next generation marketing thrust. CMC-Canada’s 2011 Industry Study Results will be released and shared by Cathy McIntyre of Carolyn Vose & Associates. For more information on the conference, the keynote speaker and the AGM, visit cmc-canada.ca
MB
“Québec est l’institut fondateur du mouvement CMC et il demeure crucial pour l’avenir de notre association. Cette conférence fut un élément important dans nos efforts actuals afin de redynamiser la désignation CMC au Québec.” L’apport du CMC au sein des organisations
QC Quebec CMC’s Gather
for ‘Formation CMC’ ‘Formation CMC’, at Centre Mont-Royal on March 31, saw Quebec based CMCs gather for some continuing Professional Development. A whole day of speakers and workshops culminated with the awarding of the CMC designation to newly qualified members.
Chair, Mauro Mengehetti, CMC, National Director of Western Management Consultants, outlined his plans for 2011.
“Teamwork is the most valuable and crucial aspect of any organization – an orchestra is certainly one of the finest and most complete and complex examples of teamwork that exists in our society. Just like any organization, we have a common vision that is only truly fulfilled through successful teamwork.” Martin MacDonald Keynote speaker, CMC-Canada’s 2010 Annual General Meeting Resident Conductor Symphony Nova Scotia www.symphonynovascotia.ca
NS Teamwork in the Arts
and in Business Martin MacDonald, Resident Conductor of Symphony Nova Scotia, talked teamwork from a musical perspective CMCCanada’s 2010 AGM in Halifax. Whether it be for an orchestra or for business, it requires a common vision that must be effectively communicated. In true team fashion, outgoing Chair, Todd Williams, CMC, VP Sales & Consulting Services, Sheepdog Inc., reflected on the achievements of the past year, and incoming
“The Professional Development Summit 2011 is jointly presented by six organizations in a common effort to raise the bar in their respective professions. CMC-Canada members should attend because it offers a unique opportunity to gain professional development from ‘like’ organizations. No matter what your specific consulting expertise, this symposium will fill your knowledge gaps in other functional areas.” Todd Williams, CMC Past-Chair, CMC-Canada Vice-President Sales and Consulting Services, Sheepdog Inc. www.sheepdoginc.ca
NS PD Summit 2011:
‘Rise to the Top’ On May 4, 2011, there is no more important place to be than in Halifax. This Professional Development Summit is a full-day conference designed expressly to help you ‘Rise to the Top’. Summit 2011 brings together professionals, and keynote speakers who’ve achieved remarkable success in their fields as they share their knowledge, best practices, and tips. To register, visit cmc-canada.ca
consult magazine Spring 2011 9
Consulting after the double dip BY GREGORY RICHARDS, MBA, PH.D, FCMC
“
The volatility and the rate of change is incredible around us... the question that consultants need to ask is, are they at the leading edge of the knowledge base in their particular area of consulting?� opposite: ConSulTIng under THe SPoTlIgHT: Gregory Richards has managed a boutique consulting firm since 1997 focused on business planning, learning, and development of performance frameworks for public and private sector organizations.
10 consult magazine Spring 2011
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
PHOTOGRAPHER: LYLE STAFFORD
“‘The drop-off-a-report’ consulting model is dying.” —TONY WANLESS
Tony Wanless Principal, Knowpreneur Consultants
T
he first economic slowdown within the last 10 years – dip Number 1 – occurred in 2001/2002. At that time, research conducted by Kennedy Information suggested that during times of economic uncertainty, the client-consulting relationship changes. More specifically, clients tended to use consultants for only mission critical projects, they bargained harder on price and insisted on measureable ROI for projects. Consultancies around the world felt the immediate effects of these changed expectations: in 2002, many consultancies did no hiring at all, and some actually laid off staff (an estimated 3% reduction in staff occurred across brand name consultancies). Dip number 2 occurred in 2008. A 2009 survey by CMCCanada indicated that clients reacted by postponing projects, being more demanding when negotiating contract terms, and pressing for price reductions. In short, facing economic challenges, clients tend to react in predictable ways. The question is do these behaviours persist when the economy recovers? In other words, once clients get used to bargaining harder on price, insisting on ROI, and focusing on smaller, more mission critical projects, is this a pattern that persists? Given that, despite the current
12 consult magazine Spring 2011
economic recovery, many prognosticators feel that our economy will be facing a roller coaster ride for some time, this is an important question for consultants to consider. Our highly informal exploration of this issue suggests that three key client behaviours are emerging consistent with the trends discussed above: insisting on implementation, requiring redundancy, and focusing on value. Insisting on Implementation While it was customary for clients to be satisfied with recommendations, nowadays, clients want more than a report; they want the consultant to implement recommendations. According to Brendan Cunneen CMC, General Manager, OME Group Consultants, and former Vice President of Consulting with the Business Development Bank of Canada, the past few years have seen an increasing trend toward a more hands-on approach by the client, and a need for consultants to deliver results that last. “Has there been a transfer of knowledge, or is there just a nice, glossy report sitting in somebody’s credenza that nobody is ever going to open? You can only be effective if the planning, involvement, or intervention is actually executed,” Cunneen explains, “and I think that clients are asking themselves if they have the leadership and management capacity to execute. If they don’t, then they’re asking for addenda or
additions to the scope of the work to assist in the execution of the plan. That’s definitely a change.” Insisting on implementation is one way clients can assure themselves of measurable ROI.
be even more critical that you can differentiate yourself.” This orientation is in keeping with the notion of client’s looking for specific ROI. If you are the only consultant who can implement a specific piece of technology for example, the value you bring is readily apparent.
Tony Wanless CMC, Principal with Knowpreneur Consultants, agrees. He emphasizes that the ‘drop-offa-report’ consulting model is dying. “Consulting today must involve extreme collaboration with a client: it’s no longer enough to simply provide an analysis and perhaps some high-level advice. The consultant must help the client solve his or her own problems and implement strategies and tactics that make the business perform better in a measurable way”.
Implications for Management Consultants What does this mean for management consultants? First, consultants need to invest in their own expertise. Clients will have to adjust their business models quickly to cope with unpredictable market conditions. Consultants will have to anticipate continual evolution of their client’s business and get there first by building expertise in different domains. “I can think of a client over the course of the last year whose sales were probably 95% into the automotive industry,” says Cuneen, “but in reading the tea leaves and what was going on, today – a few years months, later – 40% of their sales are with the nuclear industry, which they didn’t do any business with at all before.” Even though the core competency of the client was the same and they were capable of making that switch, the company had no relevant contacts in the nuclear sector, so they retained consultants to assist in building those new networks and relationships and in reconstituting their value proposition to a different industrial sector.
Requiring Redundancy The second behavioural change is that clients expect consultants to make themselves redundant. Michael Kelly CMC, Principal, Mara Consulting, says “…(clients) need to be able to sustain themselves without you, so we’re seeing a move by the clients to try to inject their own resources into the transition work.” In addition, the capability of a consultant to transfer knowledge and build capacity in the client’s organization is becoming more important. In taking this client-centric approach, the consultant might make him or herself redundant for a specific engagement, but will create additional opportunities for different types of engagements through the client’s organization.
“The volatility and the rate of change is incredible around us,” says Cunneen, “and no matter how deep their experience is, the question that consultants need to ask is, are they at the leading edge of the knowledge base in their particular area of consulting? I think there is a huge demand for continuous improvement from a learning point of view as it pertains to their particular area and field of expertise. To me, that’s a critical issue.”
The point is that clients need more than a problem-solver: they also need someone who can build capacity in their organization to continue the work once the consulting assignment ends. PHOTOGRAPHER: VANESSA GEORGES
Michael Kelly Principal, mara Consulting
Focusing on Value In uncertain economic situations, the edge goes to consultants who can demonstrate that they deliver value in resolving specific issues. “The differentiator,” says Kelly, “is whether you have specific knowledge of the client’s business or industry, a process that is specifically tailored to the kind of problems they might have, or expertise in a particular technology or in a particular domain area. If you do, you’re always going to have that competitive advantage, and as the economy offers less growth, it’s going to
Second, strengthen relationships. As is the case for anyone with a product to sell, trusted relationships are vital. The people who have done a good job in building relationships during economic downturns are going to see a very positive outcome, says Ron Knowles, FCMC, Director, Western Management Consultants. “I think it’s important to invest in building those relationships,” he says, “and enunciating the value proposition of your firm or of you as an individual consultant very clearly, such that when you do come out (of an economic downturn), you have significantly deep relationships.” Third, be the voice of reason. Beyond the host of strategies and skill sets that can be put into play, one of the most important ingredients that a consultant can add to the mix is stability. During downcycles, “…consultants will need to be able to take a longer view and avoid participating in all of the gloomy, negative communication”, says Knowles. “Consultants will need to be models of maintaining a balanced and objective view of downturns as just that – an economic correction that will pass.” Maintaining such a view requires consultants to exercise discipline, and it calls for being prepared. Knowing how the client-consulting relationship will evolve during an economic future that will likely resemble a roller coaster ride will go a long way to preparing consultants to anticipate changes in their client’s environment, build a strong value proposition, and re-tool as needed to ensure that they deliver relevant advice in any economic situation. DIG DEEPER:
www.telfer.uottawa.ca/en/professor-directory/professors/richards-gregory
consult magazine Spring 2011 13
Youroffice away from theoffice. Introducing the CMC Business Lounge Stuck in downtown Toronto and need a place to hang your hat? Want to catch up on work, prepare, or unwind between meetings? Your business demands a higher level of communication and productivity—no more noisy coffee shops, dropped calls, and rushed emails. Located in the heart of Canada’s financial district, the CMC Business Lounge offers 1,500 sq. ft. of modern office space available for your use. Book space for client meetings, signings, or just drop in and have a flexible place to work—whatever your need, we have you covered. CMC-Canada members can access the CMC Business Lounge with a nominal daily fee, a monthly fee, or our best value, an annual subscription. To subscribe/for more information, please visit cmc-canada.ca or email businesslounge@cmc-canada.ca
cmc-canada.ca/businesslounge
Social Media How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Social Media Andrea Vandenberg, CMC-Canada, Toronto
@consult Canadians
love their social media1 • 70% of Canadians say they use social media • Facebook is the most popular social net-working site with 70% of people surveyed currently having an account • 47% of Canadians use Twitter • YouTube & Flickr are the most popular social media sites with 38% & 29%, respectively of people surveyed using the sites • 58% of Canadians blog • 61% of businesses said they track what people are saying about their brand online As a communications professional, I have always been interested in using the latest technologies to share my messages. I sought to embrace Social Media before I even fully understood the concept, jumping on the MySpace bandwagon about six years ago. MySpace quickly fell out of favor, and was replaced by Facebook. Facebook led to an explosion of ‘groups’, which allowed similar minded people to unite through a common cause. Smart communicators, entrepreneurs,
and businesses quickly realized how important it was to get a Facebook group up to promote their organization and events through word of mouth, thereby greatly increasing the reach of their messages. I thought I had mastered social media, until I realized I had only scratched the surface. Next up was YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, some of the main social media programs used by organizations today. My initial concerns pertained to justifying the time investment in these applications. Who even watches these videos? Reads tweets? Is linked in? And what is so social about media? “Social media are media for social interaction. They support the democratization of knowledge and information and transform people from content consumers to content producers. Social media utilization is believed to be a driving force in defining the current period as the ‘Attention Age’, which is marked by the ability of individuals to create and consume information instantly and freely.2
reader Does social media work for consultants? @consult Is it for me? Consultants are social creatures who rely on their personal brand to secure employment. Successful networking is the backbone of a consulting career. With strong competition and an improved economy, you need to
embrace what works to set yourself apart. Often, it comes down to whom you know, and how connected you are. Social media can help expand your network in ways attending an event cannot, but just like going to an event, it takes energy, investment, hard work, and a little creativity to create a social media presence. “There is a lot of hype around social media and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Each organization needs to assess the use of social media and the different tools based on their specific needs,” says Peter de Gosztonyi, P. Eng, Senior Associate, Delta Partners. “A bit of process, some sanity checks, and a close look at one’s current business model in relationship to what can be gained by investing into social media is critical.” Social media is not for everyone, but it is for many. If you are looking to attract younger clients, it’s a great way to reach them at a low cost. Don’t be scared of social media, or dismiss it as a passing fad. As more and more age groups are using the Internet for business and pleasure, you would be remiss not to participate in their online world. First, you must learn as much as you can about all of the opportunities available through social media. Once you understand the reasons why it can help you, and see the results yourself, you will learn to stop worrying and
consult magazine Spring 2011 15
love social media. So start preparing that YouTube jingle today!
going to be following you are mostly bots. Or they’re just following you in hopes that you’ll follow them back.
mashable How freelancers are using social media for real results3 Connect Your Networks to Your Work Perhaps the most obvious advantage of social media for consultants is connection building. It’s all about the conversation. Once social connections are made, the distance between conversation and a paying gig is much shorter. Many cite Twitter as an ideal medium for this type of networking.
Don’t overlook niche social media sites When people think of social media, they typically think of Twitter or Facebook. But there are literally hundreds of social media networks and sites that you can use to help promote your brand. Oftentimes targeted niche social sites can bring more targeted traffic to your site than larger sites.
Social Networks as a Resource Social networks can be useful in different ways. On one hand, they are a marketing platform where you can share and promote your work. On the other, they serve as rich community resources for freelancers. Once you’ve built and cultivated your network, a simple tweet or update can yield valuable crowdsourced4 wisdom. Share What You’re Currently Working On Social networks are all about sharing – they always have been. Share thoughts about your current projects whenever possible. This not only drums up practical topics that your followers and friends can discuss with you, but also lets interested parties know that you’re actively engaged in qualifying work. Build Credibility in Public Social freelancers shouldn’t be myopic about their work. It’s difficult to build credibility by only sharing your own projects and links. By sharing valuable insights, even when they’re not your own, people are more likely to regard you as a specialist. Blogging is a key component in creating a public repository of your expertise.
online marketing blog Where do I start? Essential social media tips for beginners5 Start small Building profiles for multiple social sites is hard work, so it’s best to start by only tackling a couple at first. Start small, and then grow to other social networks as your confidence grows. Don’t fret about follower counts Don’t believe all the ebooks out there that sell you the notion that you can attract thousands of followers in a matter of days. Sure, you could, but the types of followers who are
16 consult magazine Spring 2011
Find people within your niche to follow on Twitter The ideal follower on Twitter is one that has similar interests within your niche. You can find like-minded people to follow on Twitter. Once you’ve started following these people, start interacting with them. Participate in discussions, and retweet things they say that would be helpful to your community.
consult Social media is not just a “young person’s game.” @reader Check
out some interesting Canadian stats that support this notion. Internet use has increased in all age categories since 2000, seniors being the fastest growing group of users (Figure one). Furthermore, since younger and middle-aged people are likely to continue using the Internet as they get older, age-related differences in usage are expected to decline over time.6 Figure one – Rates of Internet Use, by Age Group, Selected Years7 age group
2000
2003
2007
15-24 25-34 35-44
consult Check out these social media experts. @reader Mitch Joel, Seth Godin,
Gary Veynerchuk, Mari Smith, Shiv Singh, Clay Shirky, Guy Kawasaki
consult Here’s a list of social media
sites consultants should know about (Google them!) Communication • Blogs: Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress • Micro-blogging/Presence applications: Twitter, Tumblr, Posterous, Jaiku • Social networking: Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ning • Social network aggregation: NutshellMail, FriendFeed,dillidost.com • Events: Upcoming, Eventful, Meetup.com
Collaboration • Wikis: Wikimedia, Wikia, PBworks, Wetpaint • Social bookmarking (or social tagging): Delicious, StumbleUpon, Google Reader, CiteULike • Social news: Digg, Mixx, Reddit, NowPublic Multimedia • Photography and art sharing: deviantArt, Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa • Video sharing: YouTube, Viddler, Vimeo, sevenload • Livecasting: Ustream.tv, Justin.tv, Stickam, Skype
45-54 55-64 65-74 75 up % 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
DIG DEEPER: 1. Source: 2009 6S Marketing, The Canadian Social Media Survey 2. Social media. (2010, June 13). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:29, June 16, 2010, from www.en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php? title=Social_media&oldid=367849194 3. Matt Silverman, “How Freelancers are Using Social Media for Real Results,” Source: www.mashable.com 4. Crowdsourcing is a neologistic portmanteau of “crowd” and “outsourcing” for the act of outsourcing tasks, traditionally performed by an employee or contractor, to a large group of people or community (a crowd), through an open call. The term has become popular with businesses, authors, and journalists as shorthand for the trend of leveraging the mass collaboration enabled by Web 2.0 technologies to achieve business goals. Crowdsourcing. (2010, June 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:00, June 18, 2010, from www.en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Crowdsourcing&oldid=368509099 5. “9 Essential Social Media Tips for Beginners,” Source: Online Marketing Blog 6. Ben Veenhof and Peter Timusk, “Online activities of Canadian boomers and seniors (4.5 Mb, 76 pages),” Canadian Social Trends, Statistics Canada, Cat. no. 11-008, Winter 2009, No. 88, p. 26.7. Ibid.
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
Transformers
One grew up in Atlantic Canada, another in Northern British Columbia, and the other in Ontario, but they all have one thing in common – they all had successful careers and decided to make a left turn – to join the ranks of those who give advice, as management consultants.
Richard Lundeen, CMC
Dawn-Marie Turner, CMC
Jane Osler, CMC
Richard Lundeen hails from Dawson Creek in Northern British Columbia but his roots are now firmly planted in Toronto. Coming from the north, his quest for higher education took him on a cross-Canada journey, first to Vancouver and the University of British Columbia, then to Toronto and York University, where he completed two Masters degrees, in Geography and Environmental Studies.
Dawn-Marie Turner was raised at the opposite end of Canada from BC, in Atlantic Canada. She initially chose a career in healthcare, graduating from Dalhousie, with a Bachelor of Nursing.
Jane Osler was raised in Toronto and earned a degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Waterloo. After University, she started her career in market research with the Hudson’s Bay Company. In retrospect, Osler says it was this role that introduced her to advisory services as they helped other departments solve issues using quantitative data.
As he neared graduation, Lundeen asked himself, “do I want to try to influence policy from the outside or from the inside?” This led him to a position at the Ministry of Energy following graduation where he had a successful 27-year career in the Ontario Public Service, rising to the rank of Assistant Deputy Minister at the Management Board Secretariat. In his final posting, he had the experience of working across Ministries, on Government-wide transformation projects and intergovernmental initiatives. The satisfaction of being able to help groups coalesce and effect cross-enterprise change intrigued Lundeen and helped him to envision his future career.
Like Lundeen, Turner explored the vast country of Canada due to her sense of adventure, and she took a role providing healthcare in the ‘First Nations’ communities in Northern Manitoba. First posted to Oxford House, which was only accessible by airplane, she then moved to Nelson House and to the ‘Hub of the North’, Thompson, Manitoba. It was in Thompson where she first became involved in administration and change, as she took the role of coordinator of the Adolescent Health Education Centre. From there she moved to Winnipeg, earned her Masters in Education and continued her career in health administration with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba. A lifelong learner, who believes strongly that, “professional development is your responsibility, not your employer’s,” Turner always knew that she would earn a PHD, but she wasn’t sure in which subject. In 2007, she earned her doctorate from Walden University in Organizational Leadership and Decision Sciences.
Following HBC, Osler moved to Compusearch, a firm that sold statistical data. More than just providing data, Osler developed a reputation for taking a consultative approach. She relocated to Vancouver when Compusearch acquired Infogroup and she was appointed as its President. In 1997, Osler joined Intrawest, the entrepreneurial and iconic BC company. Osler served as the Vice President of Customer and Market Research and her clients were the various destination resorts under Intrawest’s control. Again, she brought a problem solving approach to the job and soon, everything that was not otherwise classified, ended up under her aegis. But, all good things must come to an end and in 2007, Intrawest was taken over by a US based private equity investment company and Intrawest’s leadership team turned over.
“The opportunity was to connect with other consultants in the field, to learn from them, and to tap into the network of people who had more experience.” —DAWN-MARIE TURNER
PHOTOGRAPHER: KAREN ASHER
Changing Direction Osler’s friends and business associates always seemed to be asking her to get involved in special projects. The time was ripe for a new direction and Osler seized the opportunity to launch a new career that assists clients with strategic insights in customer experience management. PJ Osler & Associates was born. After 20 years in healthcare, Turner changed gears, first moving into IT consulting with EDS, then after completing her PHD, striking out on her own with the launch of Turner Change Management. It was, “time to really start laying the groundwork for the organizational change company that I wanted to create.” To satisfy her desire for academic research and to support her consultancy, Turner founded the International Council on Organizational Change, a group of change management scholar-practitioners who work in a collaborative, non-competitive way to inform and advance the practice of change management worldwide. Lundeen took his almost 30 years of public service experience and now, through SEG Management Consultants, serves as a key resource to Federal and Provincial Governments by leading major business transformation initiatives within the public sector and in the Crown agencies. this page: Dawn-Marie Turner President, Turner Change management opposite: Richard Lundeen President, Seg management Consultants
consult magazine Spring 2011 19
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
“The values of the association mirrored very much my own values” —JANE OSLER
Jane Osler President, PJ osler and associates
CMC-Canada as an Ally Each of these experienced and accomplished professionals chose the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation to help them as they established their advisory practice. With a depth of knowledge in each of their areas, the CMC designation helped provide legitimacy and a network of support. As she had been a member of the College of Registered Nurses for many years, it was natural for Turner to seek another professional association as she embarked on her new career. The CMC-Canada Uniform Code of Professional Conduct helped to provide confidence to her clients that she followed the right practices. But, it was the interaction with other CMC professionals that really supported her practice. “In the early stages of developing my practice, I found myself isolated,” Turner said. “The opportunity was to connect with other consultants in the field, to learn from them, and to tap into the network of people who had more experience.” Osler joined CMC-Canada for similar reasons. “Given that I was on my own, not part of a major firm, there were lots of people who I wanted to do business with, but they didn’t know me. The CMC designation provided credibility.” Osler believes that her affiliation with a professional association with a strong Code of Professional Conduct served as security to those who didn’t know her or her firm. Once involved with the association, another benefit became clear, “the values of the association mirrored very much my own values.” Honesty, transparency, and the focus on clients made it very easy for Osler to feel part of this group. Lundeen readily admits that his initial reason for joining CMC-Canada was purely financial, he had to have liability
20 consult magazine Spring 2011
insurance and the CMC package offered the best rates. He didn’t see a lot of value in the organization as it had relatively little profile in the Government and that was his market. Once he became a member, Lundeen started going to professional development events. What really intrigued him as a member was the GTA Chapter’s initiative in 2003 to promote the creation of special interest groups (SIG). He realized that by bringing together other consultants whose clients were Governments had tremendous value and he, “saw the opportunity to create something that would be of value to himself and other members.” With the help of a small group of other CMC members, Lundeen launched the Government SIG and served as chair until 2009. Since then, Lundeen has chaired the Ontario Advocacy Committee, which has been a driving force in raising the profile of the CMC designation and CMC-Canada in the eyes of the Provincial Government. When Ontario’s Auditor General issued two successive special reports criticizing the procurement of ‘consultants’ by the public service, Lundeen was front and centre working on CMC-Ontario task forces to help present the other side of the story. CMC-Canada has been a valuable ally for each of these career changers. It has provided different value to each and to a person, they realize that you get out of it what you put in. Lundeen summarizes his involvement best; “I have worked with excellent colleagues who have the best interests of the association at heart. They are working very hard to make it as good an organization as it can be.”
DIG DEEPER: SEG Management Consultants www.SEGconsultants.ca PJ Osler & Associates www.pjosler.com Turner Change Management www.thinktransition.com Ontario Advocacy Committee www.cmc-canada.ca/provincial_institutes.cfm?Portal_ID=66 International Council on Organizational Change www.thinktransition.com/international-council-on-organizational-change.html
New Certified Management Consultants (CMCs) in 2010 and Fellows of the Institute (FCMCs) in 2010 Roger Abbott, CMC Adelana Adeleye-Olusae, CMC Betina Albornoz, CMC Leonard Ashby, FCMC Mona Attard, CMC Peter Baran, CMC Pierre Battah, CMC Esfandyar Bayandor, CMC Gary Berezowski, CMC Malcolm Bernstein, CMC James Boyd, CMC John Bruder, CMC Marilyn Butland, CMC John Callaghan, FCMC Wayne Cameron, CMC Donald Caplan, CMC Marc Caron, CMC Sheri Critch, CMC Catherine Daw, CMC Gerry Devine, CMC Kamaldeep Dhanoa, CMC Stephen Dreezer, CMC James Dubroy, CMC Vesta Filipchuk, CMC Lawson Findlay, CMC Janice Florence, CMC Sandra Foster, CMC Dick Frenz, CMC Ann Gabriel, CMC Wendy Gnenz, CMC Michel Grillot, CMC Andrew Hamilton, CMC Gord Haynes, CMC Mervin Hillier, CMC Michael Hughes, CMC Iqbal Jamal, CMC Jennifer Jennax, FCMC Bill Johnson, CMC Ray Johnston, CMC Mumtaz Khan, CMC Nancy Kilpatrick, CMC Mike Koessler, CMC George Konstantopoulos, CMC Rishi Kumar, CMC Dunya Lackovic, CMC
Paulette Lacroix, CMC Greg Lamothe, CMC Brenda LaRose, CMC Christopher Lavin, FCMC Darren Lippard, CMC Stefano Lizzola, CMC Derek MacEwen, CMC Gord MacIlquham, CMC Bruce Madole, CMC Laurie Majcher, CMC Andre Mamprin, CMC William McClennen, CMC Kelly McDonald, CMC Kevin McGaffey, CMC Sormeh Metelitsa, CMC Alexander Milne, CMC Karen Miner, CMC Terry Munro, CMC Blair Newhouse, CMC Anita Nickerson, CMC Greg O’Malley, CMC Nkem Ikechukwu Onyegbula, CMC Lesley Parrott, CMC Allison Patterson, CMC Jim Pealow, CMC Anil Peer, CMC Chantal Priard, CMC Janet Lynne Pierce, CMC Monica Porteanu, CMC Minhaj Qidwai, CMC Robert Radchuck, CMC Douglas D. Ross, FCMC John Sibley, CMC Gay Skinner, FCMC Greg Smith, CMC Michael Stanleigh, CMC Bill Stephen, CMC Zeeshan Syed, CMC Mebs Tejpar, CMC Michael Thompson, FCMC Dawn-Marie Turner, CMC Faye Wankling, CMC Timothy Wildman, CMC Kevin Yousie, CMC
PASSION IN THE PROFESSION
Consultants who love consulting PHOTOGRAPHER: LYLE STAFFORD
Mitchell Temkin CMC
Principal Associatus Consulting www.associatus.ca
“I like new problems – the bursts of energy of dealing with new situations gets my juices flowing.” Describe, in brief, how you entered into the profession of management consulting or when did you decide that management consulting was a profession that you wanted to enter? I began my career as a freelance researcher in publishing. Then I moved to a social marketing agency working with organizations on communication/marketing issues – which often had underlying strategic issues. My work naturally started to drift into strategy/ consulting. I moved 6-7 years ago to Victoria and have enjoyed the change of scenery. What do you like most about consulting? I love the ability to make a difference. When you do a good job the results are incredible. It’s great to transform an organization over a conversation. You can have a tremendous amount
22 consult magazine Spring 2011
of impact – when it works, it’s complete magic. What do you like least? It’s frustrating to encounter people and organizations who really aren’t prepared to change, even when they say they are. Often people are stuck in systems that inhibit creative transformation. What has been your most satisfying engagement? And why? I have enjoyed any of my jobs where courageous, strategic conversations made the
difference. One I enjoyed most was strategy work for a foundation that provides funding to graduate students – building the strategy to develop the relationship between academic involvement and public policy. What personality trait has helped you the most in your career? I am a listener/talker. I have the ability to articulate things differently, state issues clearly, and get to the core of a problem. “I like new problems – the bursts of energy of dealing with new situations gets my juices flowing”.
PHOTOGRAPHER: NATION WONG
THE VICTORIA FOUNDATION Both Bert and Mitchell have been affiliated with the Victoria Foundation through their Community Advisor program. Providing assistance beyond the grant in order to make a meaningful difference to grantees requires a significant investment on the part of the funder and fosters a new type of relationship that typically involves more frequent contact and discussion around the work supported. By engaging qualified volunteers, the Foundation has been able to assist local charitable organizations build their capacity and increase their effectiveness. This year the Victoria Foundation celebrates its 75th anniversary. It is Canada’s second oldest and sixth largest community foundation. Since 1936 the generosity and commitment of donors has enabled the Victoria Foundation to fulfill its vision of connecting people who care with causes that matter®. The connections that the Foundation has with the charitable sector allows it to respond to the needs in its community through leadership, stewardship, and granting.
Jim Love FCMC
Managing Partner Chelsea Consulting and Performance Advantage www.chelseaconsulting.ca
“Consulting is about empowering others, not yourself.” Describe, in brief, how you entered into the profession of management consulting or when did you decide that management consulting was a profession that you wanted to enter? I have always liked to accomplish things. I decided to drop out of theatre school and got into consulting to support myself. Consultants tackle so many issues – it’s a performance industry – it’s about your ability to get ideas across, intellectually and emotionally, and be a great communicator. An excellent
idea is nothing if you cannot express it – this is what I tell my students all the time (at Waterloo and York). What do you like most about consulting? My answer to this has changed from the beginning. At first I liked getting results, and having people notice my intelligence. Now it’s about helping people get results – a big difference. It’s not about me consulting, but about helping others. What do you like least? The insecurity of it. It’s like a roller coaster. Things come all at once or not at all, truly feast or famine. I have made peace with this, but you are never certain of your schedule. What has been your most satisfying engagement? And why? My current one. It involves a great CEO, intelligent group, and real challenges.
Generous CMCs who have volunteered with the Victoria Foundation Mary Colak Richard Eaton David Gordon Chris Jones Ray Lazanik Justin Stephenson Mitchell Temkin Victoria Williams Bert Zethof
www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca
What personality trait has helped you the most in your career? A strong desire for achievement. This desire has both helped and hindered me. Helped in that is has made me driven to learn, but hindered in that I have taken things on that others should have taken.
consult magazine Spring 2011 23
PHOTOGRAPHER: LYLE STAFFORD
Bert Zethof CMC
President The Surge Strategies Group Inc. www.surgestrategies.com
“It fuels my passion that I can make a difference for my client, and in turn, for my client’s community.”
Describe, in brief, how you entered into the profession of management consulting or when did you decide that management consulting was a profession that you wanted to enter? I was aware of the field during university. I got my MBA at UBC and applied to the ‘Big 8’ firms, but decided to accept a corporate planning position in the construction industry. After finding that the construction industry wasn’t for me, I won a consulting position with one of the big firms where I cut my consulting teeth for five years and earned my CMC designation. I left the big firm and moved back to my hometown where I worked for the BC Government for seven years. During this time I realized I wanted to have my own consulting company, which I eventually started with a partner in 1996. The best part of having my own company is that I can pursue projects that truly interest me and I can control my own destiny. What do you like most about consulting? I like that I can make a difference for others. Consulting is a continuous learning process – I can apply lessons learned at one client and apply them to the next one.
24 consult magazine Spring 2011
What do you like least? Sometimes it is challenging working with government because their administrative processes can get in the way of a consulting engagement. Also, when working with large organizations, it can take a long time to see any results from my work. What has been your most satisfying engagement? And why? I really enjoyed my strategy work with the Board of Basketball BC, a non-profit that supports amateur basketball in the province. I knew some board members from my university playing days and the atmosphere was very collegial. They participated enthusiastically in the strategic planning process and the results of our work made a real difference for kids across the province. The assignment made me feel of value. What personality trait has helped you the most in your career? I possess a quiet confidence that helps me build relationships. To me, confidentiality and ethics are important. I am introverted and a good listener. Where I can, I serve more as a coach who helps my clients arrive at their own solutions.
PHOTOGRAPHER: JOËL CÔTÉ-CRIGHT
working, and learning about different subjects and organizations. What do you like least? I do not enjoy making cold calls, doing administration, and the occasional loneliness of a small firm as I get my energy from other people.
Dorothy Milburn-Smith FCMC
Partner and Chief Executive Officer Perfortics Consulting Inc. www.perfortics.com
“You should never rest on your laurels.”
PHOTOGRAPHER: JOËL CÔTÉ-CRIGHT
Describe, in brief, how you entered into the profession of management consulting or when did you decide that management consulting was a profession that you wanted to enter? Early in my career, I was a director in the Ontario government, but I really functioned as an internal management consultant, leading
Fernand Campbell FCMC
Owner and President Managia Inc. www.managia.ca
“I can look into an anxious CEO’s eyes and tell them, yes, I can really help you, I’m a professional, I’m a CMC.”
a number of internal initiatives. I enjoyed the variety and change of these projects, and loved solving problems. I take pleasure when people tell me that something can’t be done, a solution isn’t possible – and a solution is found. While in the Ontario government, I received an offer to go to Saskatchewan to advise Social Services as an internal consultant, and I went. In Saskatchewan, I formed a small consulting firm. When I moved to Ottawa and joined Price Waterhouse (now PwC) as an IT consultant the first thing they did was encourage me to join CMC-Canada. My membership resulted in three things: It confirmed management consulting methods and approaches; it introduced me to other people in Ottawa; and it resulted in my being offered consulting positions. What do you like most about consulting? I love the variety, people, problem solving, net-
Describe, in brief, how you entered into the profession of management consulting or when did you decide that management consulting was a profession that you wanted to enter? I got involved about 20 years ago, in the middle of a big economic crisis. I started to make some business contracts on my own and, after a certain time, I realized I was made for this profession. I started my career in marketing, but through time became more involved with top executive management – and my mandates became much more strategic involving almost all aspects of management. I joined CMCCanada, which helped me to become more confident in myself and gave me a global vision of the management consulting profession. Recently I completed an MBA, which has also helped to enhance my competencies in strategic management. What do you like most about consulting? My passion for management consulting comes from the belief that I can help executive management reach their goals and succeed in complex business situations and very difficult markets. I also love that every day it’s always something new. You get to play different roles for your clients depending on their needs. It is a ‘helping’ relationship between people which can be very rewarding when you succeed.
What has been your most satisfying engagement? And why? A project for the Yukon government. I was recommended to the Government Leader by someone for this project and it took some time to get the project started. I reported to the Government Leader and the Cabinet of the Yukon Government, but I also had to sell my ideas to the Deputy Ministers and the IM/IT organization. This project crossed organizational boundaries and all levels. Many of the public servants initially were concerned that I was a political hack! The Government Leader wanted to know if IM/IT was being delivered effectively – but he wanted the answers in totally non-technical terms. But the IM/IT folks wanted to be certain I had IM/IT expertise. I developed an elevator speech that was accessible to all audiences. I got support from every group. And they ended up using my recommendations, and adopting the processes recommended. What personality trait has helped you the most in your career? I possess an innate curiosity and am a lifelong learner. I am unwilling to be defeated and work well with people. I believe it’s important for me, as a consultant, to have a strong ego – not a big ego.
What do you like least? It’s a tough market out there. There is a lot of competition and sometimes you feel tired and lose your motivation, especially when you are just starting out. But after working with a network of senior partners it gets easier. You feel less alone as you share information and expertise. Also, sometimes you can face complex problems that you are not sure if you will succeed. But now, with more than 200 mandates in 20 years in the business, I have the experience and assurance that I will. What has been your most satisfying engagement? And why? I have really enjoyed following the success of some of my clients – where I can see the strategy I recommended still being followed years later. It’s great to see them become business success stories. What personality trait has helped you the most in your career? Confidence. It’s a tough business to be in front of experienced managers and tell them they are wrong when they believe the opposite. You need to have great confidence in yourself, a good sense of judgment, and very good communication skills, which comes with experience, time, and perseverance.
consult magazine Spring 2011 25
HOW’S YOUR ASSET?
Work/Life imbalance? Look in the mirror BY PROFESSOR CHRIS A. HIGGINS, PhD RICHARD IVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UWO AND PROFESSOR LINDA E. DUXBURY, PhD SPROTT SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, CARLETON UNIVERSITY
Technology was envisioned in the early 1980’s as a panacea that would increase our leisure time and make long hours at work a thing of the past. How wrong we were. Nowadays we have less time than ever for our personal/family responsibilities and stress levels are at an all time high. Work-family conflict is an issue that is not going away. Our research on work-life conflict spans nearly two decades. In the period 1989-90 we surveyed over 25,000 Canadians on issues surrounding work-life conflict. From 1990 through to 1999 we worked with numerous companies that were concerned about the issue sharpening our thinking on the issue and exploring coping mechanisms and root causes. In 1999, generously funded by Health Canada, we replicated the 1990 survey and received responses from over 33,000 Canadians. In 2011, we are duplicating our previous surveys. What we have learned from our research is summarized in a series of six reports. The interested reader can access these reports on our website (see end of article for a list of sites). Some of our key findings are summarized in this brief article.
Let’s look at current trends in the work. Twentyseven per cent of our 1990 sample perceived high levels of role overload. By 2000 this had climbed to an incredible 58 per cent. Recent surveys conducted by us show even higher rates in 2010. Clearly the issue of work-life conflict is not going away.
So what are some of the causes of our inability to balance work and family demands? Our research has identified five root causes:
01
organizational downsizing
02
organizational culture
03
changing demographics
04
non-supportive managers
05
technology
Over the last decade companies have downsized to be more competitive and to increase shareholder value. Downsizing has resulted in overworked staff with unreasonable workloads and low levels of job security. However, just because a company downsizes does not mean that the work has gone away. It is there to be spread around the remaining employees, who, due to their feeling of job insecurity do not say no to more work. The result: less personal and family time and increased conflict between the domains. Organizational cultures are also behind many of our problems. We have identified four cultures, some co-existing, that make it difficult for employees to balance their work and family demands. The first, the culture of hours is pervasive in our business environment. It is the belief that one has to work long hours to succeed. It is easy to know if your company has a culture of hours. Do you feel guilty if you leave the office early? If yes, you probably suffer from the culture of hours. Do you cope by leaving a hot cup of coffee on your desk (like the Bud Light commercial) with your door open leading others to believe you are still around even though you left to take care of some family or personal demands. Other cultures, are also problematic. A discon-
consult magazine Spring 2011 27
“It is the belief that one has to work long hours to succeed. It is easy to know if your company has a culture of hours. Do you feel guilty if you leave the office early?”
nected culture is one with progressive workfamily policies in place that people don’t feel they can use. In essence, management does not encourage their use of such policies and subtly encourages employees not to take advantage of them – thus, the policies are disconnected from practice. For example, our research shows very little use of family-friendly policies such as flexible hours or compressed work weeks despite them being widely available. When asked, employees simply say their manager was not supportive of the idea. A third culture, labeled the culture of money, occurs when budgets, not people, count. Many public companies have this mindset working frantically to make each quarter’s numbers exceed stock analyst expectations. The result is that employees are pushed to achieve short-term targets at the expense of personal/ family demands. Finally, there is the myth of separate worlds in which management operates as if employees’ work and family lives are separate. They assume that employees will forego personal plans for last-minute organizational needs. They assume employees will travel on weekends to get to business meetings first thing Monday morning.They assume that employees will re-locate if offered another job within the organization. They forget, however, that employees have spouses with their own careers, and that these demands create huge conflict at home.
28 consult magazine Spring 2011
A third root cause of work-family conflict is changing demographics. Thirty years ago the man worked, the woman tended the home and children. Now both parents work, and there is less time for the home chores and child care responsibilities. Women especially, suffer the most for challenges at home. While women have now assumed greater responsibility for the financial health of the family, men do not appear to have assumed a concomitant shared responsibility for the care of their children. This is an important observation as responsibility for a role has been found to have a stronger positive association with stress than has time spent in role related activities. Looming on the horizon is eldercare which is more of an issue in 2000 than it was in 1990 when only 5% of the sample spent more than an hour a week on eldercare. For comparison purposes, almost one third (31%) of the respondents to the 2000 survey spent at least one hour per week in eldercare! As babyboomers move through the retirement years into old-age elder-care responsibilities will take centre-stage. Canada will also see a significant increase in the proportion of their work force in the sandwich generation (i.e. both child care and elder care responsibilities). Such employees typically experience extremely high levels of work-family conflict especially with incapacitated elders. The dearth of supportive managers is a fourth root cause of our problems. Our research has found that the presence of a supportive
manager is critical to employee perceptions of their ability to balance work and family demands. Over the past ten years, working with scores of companies, we have developed our own measure of a supportive manager.
THESE ARE MANAGERS WHO 1 | give recognition for a job well done 2 | provide constructive feedback on work and performance 3 | listen to employee concerns 4 | support employee decisions 5 | share information with subordinates 6 | ask for input before making decisions concerning an employee’s work, and 7 | provide employees with challenging opportunities. Although this list is not rocket science, less than half of all managers score highly on our scale.
Our research has shown a very high correlation between the presence of a supportive manager and higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, lower stress, lower intent to turnover and most importantly,
“Yes, we have found the enemy – it is us. Look in the mirror at the enemy. It is you. Leave your BlackBerry in the car and don’t take it into your home.”
lower levels of work-family conflict. Employees with non-supportive managers have high levels of stress and are more likely to be absent from work or have high intentions of changing employers. Interestingly, employees with supportive managers have a more positive perception of the organization’s work-family policies than do employees with non-supportive man agers. This is true even though the policies are factually the same for both sets of employees. The final cause of our problems is technology. For example, e-mail and texting are widely used as the primary method of communication with employees at all levels. There is, nowadays, a universal expectation that everyone reads, clears and responds to e-mails on a constant basis. Memos sent in the evening are expected to be read and responded too that same day. It is not uncommon to get e-mails from colleagues late in the evening. Many individuals are now in the habit of clearing out their e-mails before going to bed at night. And Blackberries are ubiquitous. They are even found on the golf course. Just look up next time you are putting – one of your foursome will likely be checking his/her messages. Technology is not helping us achieve work-life balance. Sixtyeight per cent of our respondents say technology has increased their levels of stress. Seventy percent say it has increased their workload. So while technology does increase productivity it comes at a cost. In summary, the facts are very clear: most of us have a problem balancing our work and family demands. However, not everyone suffers from work-family conflict. Empty nesters have it made. They have time, disposable income and fond memories (but not work) of their child-raising years. Then again they are not reading this article so let’s not waste any more
organization into our home through the internet and portable computers. We willingly take work home with us, skip family meals to work late, travel on weekends, and so on. words on them. Young single people are also not reading this article. Perhaps they should. Then they will realize that getting married and having kids is not exactly a stress-free life. Perhaps the rewards are worth it. There are days when those with young children think otherwise but only briefly, right? So is there a solution to these problems? In our reports we recommend many solutions such as government policies to limit work hours, better work-family policies, increased familyfriendly training, etc, etc. But are these realistic? Sure they will help, but do you really think the government is going to enact legislation to solve our problems? Do you believe big business is going to change their culture away from long hours and bottom-line results in exchange for a family-friendly environment where employees fit their work schedules around their family schedules? Do you expect men and women to magically change their upbringing and begin to equally share in all of the home chores and child-care responsibilities? Do you believe that technology will slow down and organizations will stop buying enhanced communication tools to keep you connected 24/7. In sum, there is no one solution. But wait a minute. Perhaps there is. We are not quite sure who can be credited with the following statement but perhaps he/she has identified the solution to our problems: We have found the enemy: it is us. Yes – we are to blame. We allow work to impinge on our family. We willingly allow the
Recently, we interviewed a senior consultant of a large, worldwide consulting group. He said work-family balance was a huge problem for his organization and wanted to know how we could help. Later he mentioned how no one in his organization takes weekends off – it’s basically a 6-7 day week if you want to get ahead. No kidding you have a work-family problem, we said. Yes, we have found the enemy – it is us. Look in the mirror at the enemy. It is you. Leave your BlackBerry in the car and don’t take it into your home. Turn off the wireless network in the evening and don’t turn it on again until the next morning. Find time to relax as this is by far the best coping mechanism. Play golf without a cell phone or Blackberry in your golf bag. Talk to your spouse without feeling like you have hundreds of priorities and why doesn’t he/she stop talking so you can get to them. Plan down time and shoot any enemy (i.e., you) that tries to take it away. This will be hard to do.
DIG DEEPER: Professor Chris Higgins www.ivey.uwo.ca/faculty/chris_higgins.html
Professor Linda Duxbury www.sprott.carleton.ca/faculty_and_research/lduxbury.html Health Canada, Work-Life Balance, National Study on Balancing Work and Family and Lifestyle www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/occup-travai Impact, Management Research in Action – “Nero Fiddling” www.ivey.uwo.ca/publications/impact/Vol13No2-Higgins.htm CICA – Resources, Articles on Work-Life Balance www.cica.ca/service-and-products/members-services/ work-life/item12005.aspx Work and Family Foundation Canada workfamilyfoundation.org
consult magazine Spring 2011 29
BUZZ News directly from the Institutes and Chapters.
01/Atlantic Canada New Board of Directors The Institute of Atlantic Canada held its 2010 AGM meeting and dinner at the World Trade Centre in Halifax. The Board is a dynamic blend of experienced CMC’s and very much-welcomed new members as we advance into the next 12 months with renewed vigor. Members are: Kathy Jane Elton (President), Newfoundland and Labrador Todd Williams, (Vice President), Nova Scotia Jerry White, (Treasurer), Nova Scotia Cheryl Harrison, (Secretary), Nova Scotia Shawn Porter, (Past President), Nova Scotia Pierre Battah, New Brunswick Richard Daw, Newfoundland and Labrador Ayman Elhefnawi, Nova Scotia Brian Hurley, Newfoundland and Labrador John Snow, Nova Scotia Musetta Thwaites, Nova Scotia Atlantic Canada currently has approximately 220 members and we will sustain a strong focus on building this CMC membership throughout the region. Newfoundland and Labrador in particular has realized significant growth with membership doubling over the last two years to create a strong cluster and support for continued growth in that province. As well, this is the first time that a CMC from Newfoundland will serve as Atlantic President and sit on the national Board.
02/Quebec Georges’ Report Georges Sayegh, CMC, serves as a director of the l’Ordre des administrateurs agréés du Québec (OAAQ) and is the key OAAQ Board Director who oversees the Certified Management Consultant designation in Quebec. • Policies and procedures from CMC-Canada are being translated and put into place in OAAQ. • 25% of the documents have been translated and OAAQ is investigating the possibility of obtaining government grants to fund the balance. • The OAAQ wishes to formally thank John Gelder, FCMC, and Greg Richards, FCMC, for their assistance in conducting CMC Interviews. • OAAQ is finalizing its agreement with L’UQAM to offer the Essentials in French in Quebec; the course must be approved as equivalent by the NCC. • An Open House is planned with UQAM prior to the course launch in April. • OAAQ has been in discussion with management consultants in France, and through Mike Thompson, FCMC, also with the University of Grenoble concerning the development of a CMC Institute in France.
03/Ontario New FCMCs Southwestern Ontario Chapter It was a special honour to present the FCMC award to John Callaghan. The FCMC award is accorded to less than 5% of all CMCs. It is a high honour and John is very deserving. He has been an active
member for the SWO chapter since its inception. He also served SWO chapter’s first treasurer for many years until 2008. John received the President’s award at a new member reception in April 2006. John has also served on the Fellows committee. We have tried to come up with a key theme that distinguishes each of the new FCMCs. For John, the theme is Business and Community Leadership. John has been very active in a number of organizations in London as well as the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada and the Catholic Health Association of Ontario. Greater Toronto Area Chapter We would like to thank Laren Stadelman, FCMC, for Chairing the FCMC committee this year. The committee, which included representatives from all three Chapters, worked hard to review and evaluate the information provided about all candidates who were nominated. Congratulations to the following: Len Ashby, is being recognized in particular for his contribution as a Pioneer in IT Consulting. He has been a practice leader in major international firms as well as his own practice, developing people, markets and methodologies to advance the practice of the profession and to develop its next generation of practitioners. Doug Ross, was recognized in particular for his ideas and new approaches. He works with clients around the world and this year alone has been working with clients in diverse locations spanning the breadth of Canada (Vancouver to Peterborough) and the breadth of Africa (Cairo to Nairobi) and across Europe (Milan to Scotland). Gay Skinner, was recognized in particular as a champion of learning. She has over 30 years experience in the profession. She is a CMC and a PMP. She is also the president of her own firm, GAIA Management Consulting Inc. Gay has had a lot of accomplishments in her work with the association, but one of her finest is the work that she had done with the SIGs. We refer to her as “one of the founders” of the SIGs, but she went on to do more than found them. She worked tirelessly to encourage, cajole, demand and lead the SIGs to their early success. Congratulations to Nick A. Shepherd, FCMC, FCGA, FCCA, who was awarded a Fellowship in the Certified General Accountants of Canada, and was admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (of the UK).
04/Manitoba New CMCs and FCMCs CMC-Manitoba held their AGM in May and introduced two new FCMCs: Stu McKelvie and Gino Braha. As well seven new CMCs were welcomed including: Dr. Lana Adeleye-Olusae (Manitoba Public Insurance), Marc Caron (IC Group Inc/LP), Sandra Foster (People Process and Technology Inc.), Greg Lamothe (Meyers Norris Penny), Dr. Dawn-Marie Turner (Turner Change Management Inc.), Faye Wankling (PCGI Consulting Services), and Dr. Tim Wildman (Sierra Systems Group Inc.).
05/Saskatchewan Member Relations The Saskatchewan Institute has focused on building value with our members. Receptions were
held in 2010 at the grand Hotel Saskatchewan in Regina as we honoured and welcomed new FCMC and CMCs to the institute. The mid-winter doldrums were abated with a couple of cocktail receptions in Regina and Saskatoon, where members and guests had an opportunity to mingle with colleagues. Informal discussions about how the Institute could develop were held at these receptions. The national office has embarked on a partnership agreement with the national body representing professional CMAs and Saskatchewan Council has met with our provincial CMA counterparts to partner on activities. Several professional development events will be planned through the CMA Saskatchewan organization that will be available to CMC members. CMCs will enjoy member pricing for these events. The possibility of joint luncheons with speakers are being discussed. Plans for the remainder of the year include conducting a membership survey to focus on the enhancement of the Institute and the development of the CMC brand in Saskatchewan.
06/Alberta Initiatives The agreement with the University of Alberta on the consulting component of their MBA program is almost complete. Approval of the course equivalency will be needed. This is in progress. The Alberta Institute is considering a possible partnership with Alberta Council of Technologies for 2012.
07/British Columbia New Website We are very excited to tell you that our own ‘made in BC’ website for the Institute of Certified Management Consultants of British Columbia (CMC-BC) has now launched at www.cmc-bc.ca. This website is a key deliverable in our strategic plan to improve the value of CMC-BC to our members. Its objective is to improve communications between members, chapters, the Institute and stakeholders. For CMC-BC, the project has been a labour of love (mostly) and a lot of work. For their assistance and guidance as the website was being developed, we would like to especially thank: Peggy Snelling, CMC, Stephanie Slater, CMC, Terry Rachwalski, CMC. As well, in the early stages of this project, thank you to the following for their support and sage advice: Rob Shirra, FCMC, Cam Telford, CMC, Tony Wanless, CMC. And thank you also to CMCBC Council and Chapter Chairs for providing content and reviewing website versions during development. This includes: Deb Bourne, CMC, and John Glover, CMC. Russ Grabb, CMC, Ray Lazanik, CMC, Teri McEachern, CMC, Neill McRae, CMC, Joy Playford, CMC, Satnam Sekhon, CMC, Connie Siu, CMC, Justin Stephenson, CMC, Mike Thompson, FCMC, Simon Wong, CMC, Bert Zethof, CMC. To our website developers at Number 41 Media, a round of applause for a job well done – Jennifer Peaker, Ian Martin, Martin Leggett, and Chris Lawder. We couldn’t have done it without you! And now that our website is finally here, please help us keep it current by sending us news and events that would be of interest and benefit to all of our CMC-BC members as well as to the BC business community at large. Special areas for consideration include Consulting Opportunities, Helpful Documents, and Resources.
REMEMBERING Remarkable lives lived within the CMC-Canada family. Send in your suggestions for someone to profile to consult@cmc-canada.ca, and put ‘Remembering’ in the subject line.
STEVAN RALPH, CMC
A former colleague once described Stevan Ralph as a businessman with “more energy in his little finger than most of us have in our entire bodies”. Steve started his first business at the age of 12, cutting lawns and doing gardens in his native Ottawa. Following high school, with the intent of becoming a professional musician (he later studied trumpet under the principals of the Montreal, National Arts Centre, and Cleveland Symphony Orchestras), he started work as a pipe layer and in eight months, became assistant to the vice president – according to Steve largely due to his ineptitude with machinery – and wound up teaching the heavy machinery course he took when he first joined the construction company. After two years in commerce at Queens, Steve moved to law at Western, taking his third year at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland.
Immediately after getting his law degree in 1979, Steve became general manager of an Ottawa heavy construction firm in order to gain more experience in business and technology. At the same time, he moonlighted weekends in Montreal searching through files and preparing a claim for another construction company that was under contract to HydroQuebec. This successful part-time consulting practice became SBR International, with offices in Toronto and Washington, DC and projects around the globe. His personal consulting expertise was financial analysis, strategic and tactical planning, process and systems engineering, business turnarounds, and corporate development.
as saying at the time, “As long as you have some intelligence, drive, enthusiasm, and persistence, things will look after themselves”.
While studying philosophy at the University of Toronto in 1983, Steve became involved with the student-run Entrepreneur’s Club. According to Influence magazine, he was quoted
Steve Ralph passed away August 9, 2010 succumbing to cancer at the age of 55. He is survived by his wife, Vivian Ligo, and his daughter Kharis.
As well as his studies in North America, Steve attended Leuven, Louvain-la-Neuve, Oxford, Cambridge and Institute Catholique de Paris in Europe. He has served on the boards of Regis College of the University of Toronto School of Theology and Opera Atelier. And he most recently served as the Honorary Consul of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. He was an active member of Legatus, an organization of local Catholic business leaders. Steve was conferred the knighthood of both the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and the Knights of Malta.
consult magazine Spring 2011 31
TOP OF MIND Do you have an opinion, idea, or perspective that you want to share? ‘Top of Mind’ is written by our members to stimulate a dialogue on important issues. Send in your quotes to consult@cmc-canada.ca with ‘Top of Mind’ in the subject line.
“Are Change Management and Communications separate disciplines or should all management consultants be proficient in managing change and communicating? Seems to be the essence of our profession?” Ken Davies, FCMC, Lumina Management Consultants
“We can leave the science of economic recovery to the economists; the art of recovery, however, needs people like us. As employers turn their minds to change initiatives designed to maximize business success in a post-recession world, the challenge of re-motivating employees and engaging them in long-term goals may be the biggest hurdle. Paying attention to the art as well as the science of transformation management is now more important than ever.” Harold Schroeder, FCMC, PMP, CHRP, CHE, Schroeder & Schroeder Inc.
“Those of us who have contract assignments with the Canadian federal government often experience lengthy delays in receiving payment for our work. Many simply laugh this off stating that, although payment is very late, payment will most definitely be paid – eventually! Although contracts state that payments are to be paid within 30 days of the receipt of invoices, most have experienced delays of many, many months – that is – except for the March invoice each year, which miraculously is paid within weeks, sometimes mere days! Funny how this happens...” Michael Appleton, FCMC, PMP, DAMA Consulting Services Ltd.
“In early 2011, Prime Minister Harper met with US President Obama to discuss a North American security deal. I hope this discussion leads to a freer border (obviously with the necessary security precautions) – a crossing that demonstrates that Canada and the US are friends, not enemies. Ever since 9/11 we have been treated as suspicious foreign nationals first, and as economic partners second.” Glenn Yonemitsu, CMC, MBA, NEXT Strategic Advisors
32 consult magazine Spring 2011
Show your passion. The Canadian Association of Management Consultants (CMC-Canada) is proud to offer members a growing range of high-quality products highlighting the Certified Management Consultant (CMC) designation. Browse around our online store, we offer a fast and secure checkout. Wear your designation with pride!
cmc-store.ca
Silk Neck Tie
Silk Scarf
Cutter & Buck Tan Leather Notebook Jotter
Cutter & Buck Computer Case - Men’s