Personal Consulting Capacity - Essay Example

? Personal Consulting Capa Action Planning Executive Summary Setting goals is a dynamic process for thinking about a person’s ideal future and hence motivates to turn one’s vision of this future into reality. Action planning is a reflection of a person’s planning for future. As a graduate student of Human Resource Management, I want to pursue my career preferably in a public sector organization as these are considered to be job-secure places as well as they provide a lot of opportunities for personal professional development. Human resource management is an essential part of every organization as the most important thing in any business is its people. It takes care of a company's all important assets.HR management is a vast field but my interest lies in consultancy. In this five years plan I have focused on two particular technical skills, which are, strategic consulting and process management, as I move forward to achieve my long-term goals which is pursuing a career in human resource consultancy eventually. My action plan is laid carefully on the basis of SMART model which is easily executable. The skills I want to improve are specifically identified, and so are the possible resources to gain these skills. Moreover, implementation of these skills is also described briefly. Feedback is a part of my action plan as a critical tool to assess the degree of success. Introduction Planning for future is very important as it defines our mindset. By setting goals we plan for our future. Goals can be defined as: Goals are basically tools that give scope to an activity and direct achievement-related behaviors. Goals can be prioritized to short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals heighten the chances of success as they may be challenging but are quite close to the current capacity level of a person. However, it is the long-term goals that are required to achieve permanent success in future endeavors. As I gain entree to the final year of my studies by the end of which I would eventually step onto a professional turf, I am concerned about planning my career so as to ensure maximum satisfaction and success in my future endeavors. MY FUTURE GOALS/OBJECTIVES My future objectives are split into two categories i.e. Short-term and Long-term goals. Short-term goals include the skills I would acquire by the end of this year while long-term goals are elaborate planning of the next five years of my professional life. SHORT TERM GOALS To accomplish my degree with good grade points and to enhance skill based expertise relevant to my field before gaining entry into a reputed public sector organization. My key focus would be on my consulting capabilities so as to give a wider scope to my objectives. LONG TERM GOALS In a span of five years I plan to elevate myself to the managerial level. I also want to gain comprehensive growth by lending my consultancy skills to the company in order to solve the core problems. In future I would also like to pursue my career as a Human Resource Consultant. ACHIEVING GOALS A step wise planning is required to achieve my goals. I need to determine the factors and the barriers which are going to influence my action plan. As I plan to enter a public sector organization therefore, my core focus would be on gaining skills that are relevant to the field. SECTOR IN FOCUS: PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS After the accomplishment of my professional degree I am keen to join a public sector organization as it offers a wide range of careers as well as provided the opportunity to make decisions with the potential to have immediate impact on the wellbeing of citizens. Moreover, public sector organizations are considered to be stable and secure as compared to private sector. Another positive aspect is regular coaching and mentoring and comprehensive trainings being offered time to time. Public sector organizations have clear policies and procedures that must be adhered to by all levels. FUNCTIONAL AREA IN FOCUS: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEment Human resource management being the area of my expertise and I plan to focus primarily on improving in the areas I lack. My focus along with other competency based skills would be on consultancy skills as I work toward my long-term goals. KEY SKILLS REQUIRED Certain skills are required for effective performance in every field. Following are the competency-based skills essential for human resource management: Knowledge-Professional & Organizational Communication Project Management Consultation SELF ASSESSMENT In view of above mentioned skills I can categorize the areas of my strength and weakness based on the SWOT model. AREAS OF STRENGTH Knowledge-Professional & Organizational: Excellent knowledge of principles and best practices in human resource management. A sound knowledge of the business theories and context developed through a combination of practical experience and formal training. Up to date with current trends and development in the field. Committed to step-wise improvement and able to use and learn about advancements in contemporary technology (hardware, software, equipment and processes). Communication: Able to communicate effectively and clearly (verbal and written) both with individuals or groups. Always ensure that the message is conveyed properly and clearly. An effective listener and always open to other people’s suggestions and ideas and respect their opinions. Customer satisfaction is always a priority to me. I use an honest approach to deal tasks with confidence, perform effectively and follow-up quickly on problems. I deal with people in a forthright and timely manner to eliminate potentially negative situations before they arise. Project Management: Able to effectively administer program(s) or project(s) assigned to me within given parameters. As a strong team player I am able to identify and develop objectives, methods and quality control measures and takes action to improve process and program results, wherever needed. Able to work effectively under pressure and to meet established objectives and deadlines. HOW HAVE I ACHIEVED THESE SKILLS? A way to achieve desired skills is to link individual performance to the objectives of the business. Companies these days focus on recruiting people who possess “competency-based skills” which include integrated knowledge, technical skills, judgment, and attributes that people need to perform a job effectively. I have developed these skills during my academic years by availing various opportunities. Apart from seeking knowledge within the class room I have adopted an ardent approach to seek opportunities to cultivate skills outside class room which included: Participating in student-faculty committees and attending seminars and symposiums which helped me to develop effective communication skills. Intern-ships during my academic year helped me to gain job-based skills. Took short courses to develop skills like project management. CORE AREA OF FOCUS: CONSULTANCY In the modern business world the transfer of knowledge is very important as advanced knowledge helps in reforming areas like production and management. Many firms are implementing innovative management models that ensure organizational success. This stimulates a growing awareness of the fact that continuous learning and knowledge to current trends and methods are critical to succeed in business. With this changing attitude of organizations, consultancy has become a necessary requirement. The consulting business is now seen as personnel intensive service which depends on human resources a great deal. Consultancy is the area which I seek to improve as I am keenly interested in pursuing a career as an internal human resource consultant. Consultancy is a professional practice that gives expert advice within a particular field, esp. business. As consultants are grouped into two entities, that is, external consultants and internal consultants, I find it suitable to choose internal consultancy. The key factors behind the decision are that internal consultants are more credible as compared to external ones. Why? Because their credibility is gained through a vast history of within the business interactions, their understanding of organization, its policies and perspectives is deeper than that of external consultants. They are considered as organizational “agents “and hence within the organization their reliability is more than any external consultant or firm. Moreover, internal consultants are cost effective and easily accessible. HRM CONSULTANCY& ITS SIGNIFICANCE Human resource consulting is a solution driven approach towards businesses regarding how to integrate specific workforce problems with the procedure of the actual entity. For example, organization structural changes, Change management& organizational development, performance management etc. Some of the major benefits that are gained by the organizations via proper consultancy are: Effective HR solutions–A complete command and specific expertise in the field of human resource management, consultants are able to provide apt solutions for critical problems. Cost reduction–An internal consultant can be very beneficial as it reduces the cost which is definitely higher when outsourcing or external consultant are hired. Resource Management–When the essential requirements of human resource department are taken care of by the consultant, the available resources for the core areas of business can be mobilized which in return results as increased ROI. Some of the core skills that are required to be a competent consultant in the field include strategy consulting, technology design and integration, process improvement, change management, strategic outsourcing, etc. SKILLS TO FOCUS I want to focus on following skills to become a competent consultant: Strategy Consulting Process Improvement Strategy consultation- It helps organizations to analyze and solve some of their most challenging business problems. These problems are typically opaque and cross-functional, with many critical unknowns. Too little or too much data also causes a lot problem. Client personnel frequently hold conflicting views on the situation. And due to very less time an immaculate solution is difficult to achieve. In public sector strategic planning is the back-bone of all the processes. Organizations (including state) benefit mainly because of the reason that the development strategic policies which in link to the present define the future. The process allows for the officials to have a sturdy grasp on the on-going performance and the out-come. Strategic planning and consultation can be used as an important tool to achieve better results. Process Improvement-It is way of developing methods through which we can do better work and in turn get better results. It means setting aside the customary practice of blaming people for problems or failures. Tedious methods can be simplified without affecting the outcome. Process improvement directly effects the outcome and hence the better and the innovative the process the more desired results are achieved. In public sector organization it is particularly important to drive efficiencies to increase productivity. How? The answer to it is process improvement which is one of the vital factors to drive down costs and increase efficiency. Moreover, organizations have an ample reserve of untapped employee performance potential that can drive financial results. Here enters process consultancy which helps employees to recognize their working potential. Every company’s core asset are its employees and proper consultancy can turn them into efficient and passionate workers who can bring innovation to old practices which in turn results in increased productivity. SKILLS IMPROVEMENT: ACTION PLANNING My plan is to initially focus on the two basic technical skills described above. For this purpose a proper action is to be developed that is, identification of the steps that need to be taken to achieve my objectives, and to be acted upon accordingly. Following plan reflects the steps and strategies I am going to use to achieve the desired state in this academic year and the next five years of my employment. It mainly consists of the same procedures and methods that were used in the past to hone skills that are my strong points now. ACTION PLAN SPREAD SHEET SKILL IN FOCUS: STRATEGY CONSULTING Learning Objectives Resources Implementation & Timeframe To be able to maneuver an established set of structured problem-solving, communication and influencing skills that aid the business problem by: Bringing articulateness to it Providing a specific structure Promptly develop a relevant fact-base Identification & implementation of the appropriate solution and hence gaining organizational buy-in I intend to use every possible resource which will help me to reach my ultimate goals: Intensive self-study Taking guidance from teachers and when on job senior staff members Attending short courses which emphasize on typical strategy engagements like: problem definition, problem structuring, data gathering & analysis, recommendations development & presentation Attending seminars Mini case-studies Intern-ship Engaging effectively in the strategic activities of the department where I plan to work after my completing my degree. Within the last year of my studies I intend to achieve several milestones which would help me to move toward my long-term goals. Intensive self-studies, attending seminars related to strategic planning and a short course which would help me to apply the ABCDE model effectively. I intend to apply the knowledge to the internship during this academic year. Next step of the process would be on-job trainings etc. I intend to engage myself in every departmental activity so as to gain knowledge and insights to the company policies and procedures. I plan to change the conventional thinking within the company and take an innovative approach to the challenges faced by seeking opportunities to lead strategic planning and process improvement efforts in assigned HR area(s) that support the business need and have sustainable value. For the next five years I aim to elevate my progress step by step and reach my objectives. Get regular feedback. SKILL IN FOCUS: Process improvement Learning Objectives Resources Implementation & Timeframe To be able to: Determine weaknesses of a process. Decide how to change the process for the better. My primary focus would be on: How does an on-going process work? How do I configure practical changes in the process? How frequently do I conduct experiments? At what rate would I learn quickly? Possible resources would remain the same: Intensive Study of Process improvement models and theories and testing the hypothetical models whenever I get a chance. Guidance from teachers and when on job senior staff members Attending short courses and seminars Mini case-studies Intern-ship To be a part of company’s process improvement cycle since public sector offers a great many opportunities for process development. As described above I intend to start practicing my process improvement skills from the beginning of this academic year. My aim is to make full use of this year’s internship. I want to extend the cycle to my job as well. I want to achieve my objective in a step wise fashion, that is, starting from making close observations and using methods to extract information directly from the process (or the person) as the work goes on. The next step would include creating a hypothesis about the working of the process, amending and indicating what changes could possibly be made, experimenting the change and observing what specific difference it created and how successful are the results. Furthermore, I aim to keep prototyping the changes in as many cases as possible. Get regular feedback. CONCLUSION In this report a specific approach towards career goals is described. The aim of it is to develop an effective strategy which should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. A career pathway is chosen carefully and the plan is build-up on it. A brief description of the sector of choice followed by the career of choice is confined in separate sections. Skills, key to pursue a professional career in the field of HRM are indicated. Areas of professional strength are identified and mentioned. How those skills are developed and sharpened is described in the entailing section. Long-term goals are elaborated and the objectives are analyzed. A separate section portrays specific technical skills that are basic to the HRM consultancy which is the particular faculty of interest. Focus on the development of these skills is the critical part of this project. For this purpose an action plan is prepared in which learning objectives, possible resources, implementation and time-frame are clearly stated. Another critical part of the plan is to get proper feedback in order to determine the success of the plan.   BIBLIOGRAPHY Kuber, M. (editor), 2002. Management Consulting: A Guide to the Profession. 4 Edition. International Labor Office. Read More