CONFIDENTIAL

Skills workshop
• UK GRAD
April 15 2005
Group Exercise
Split into groups and
discuss for 15 minutes

What skills do you have?

What skills do you think

consultants have?

Report Back
 Characteristics we feel PhD students have
Most PhDs require It takes considerable
significant problem stamina and
solving motivation to
Selection of PhD Drive and complete a PhD
Problem
students indirectly aspiration •Commitment to
relies on problem solving excellence
solving abilities* •Energy and
perseverance

PhDs often make Independence of

changes to their PhD work and
labs/uni societies Personal teaching
Engineering and science Leadership experience affords
PhDs, in particular,
impact opportunities to
often work in teams develop leader-
Often display confidence ship skills
without arrogance

* Particularly in science and engineering subjects

 Skills we look for in consultants
Ability to
Define the problem
Break it down Commitment to
Gather and analyse data excellence
quickly and Energy and
perseverance
pragmatically
Problem Drive and Curiosity to push
Develop insights
Make recommendations solving aspiration through to innovative
that take into account the solutions
business context Ambition
Think innovatively

Ability to Ability to
Form effective Influence others with
relationships within integrity
teams quickly Personal Bring out the best in
Interact with clients
Leadership others
impact
confidently but without Get a team working
arrogance together in the most
Communicate confidently effective way possible
and influence people Empathise with your
effectively audience
How these skills get used on projects
How do we help clients? What do we actually do?

View problems from the Reading and researching

Top management integrated, cross-functional point
perspective of view of CEO
Meetings and interviews
Analysis based on
Fact-based quantitative/logical foundations
approach Data gathering and analysis

Dispassionate, third-party
Objectivity perspective with experience Coaching and listening
across multiple industries

Recommendations both right and Facilitating groups

Implementation actionable
orientation
Brainstorming
Side-by-side working with clients
helps them develop their own
Personal growth individual skills Preparing and presenting
reports