What is the most important skill a person in a consulting role needs to develop? According to Carol Mould of leading training provider, Faculty Training Institute (FTI), the key to becoming a successful consultant is to recognise that the role is as much about people as it is about problem-solving.
FTI's newly launched leadership workshop: Soft Skills for Consultants, covers the vital soft skills of emotional intelligence, presentation and facilitation and interviewing. "These are critical skills for consultants to master to take their effectiveness and dynamism to a new level," says Mould.
Mould, an experienced facilitator, trainer, consultant and coach, and who has honours' degrees in information systems and psychology, and a master's degree in organisational psychology, says: "Consultants are change agents by profession and work in conditions that can trigger fear of losing jobs and resistance to change. Strong communication, negotiation, facilitation, empathy and leadership skills are critical to the success of their interventions."
According to Mould: "Hard skills, such as estimating and specification, are relatively simple to acquire. Soft skills, such as communication, empathy, facilitation and being a team player, are more subjective and intuitive and therefore more difficult to master. For organisations to thrive in today's global information-based economy, their knowledge professionals must master the skills needed to connect to and influence others."
The four-day Soft Skills for Consultants intensive programme, running in Cape Town on 20 November and Johannesburg on 27 November, is of ideal benefit to consultants, business analysts and project managers, QA and testing staff and managers from various disciplines.
"Hard skills are the foundation of a successful career. Soft skills are the cement and are essential in achieving higher levels of personal and professional performance," says Mould.
For more information or to book for Soft Skills for Consultants, commencing on 20 November 2014 in Cape Town and 27 November 2014 in Johannesburg, please contact Lauren on 021 683-4506 or laurenl@fti.co.za, or Nondi on 011 807-9478 or nondi@fti.co.za.
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