Tutor Email: Natalia.nikolova@uts.edu.au

Management Consulting Lecture #1

IMPORTAN INFO

Team deliverables * Due: end of the weekend * 100 word bio + photos * Due: Later * Meeting agenda (Anna will draft this and circulate it to the team) * Preliminary research on client and their business * Website * Communications * Footprint * Based on preliminary research formulate questions to ask the client * Allocate group roles * Initial client meeting Saturday 10th August 2-4:30pm (pending client’s acceptance) * Located at Shop front UTS Tower Building

Group presentations day 2 * Mandatory lecture content = 12 – 2pm * Your group is in the last session (3pm)

Weekly Group Meetings * Library * Monday or Wednesday 6-8pm * First meeting: Monday 12th August * By the first group meeting we will have met with the client and finished initial research

Charter * File sharing platform: drop box * Weekly group meetings * Decisions will be democratic – should issues arise team leader will be the deal breaker * Anna will email group charter

Recommended Text * Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto

Introduction * This subject is practiced based – you learn how to solve real problems for real clients. * Opportunity to learn additional skills (consulting skills). But it is you who are going to create your own learning by consulting for real clients. * We work with small, not for profit organised that are under-staffed and need our help. * Shopfront is managing the relationship of the university with the community. In this subject we solve problems and provide recommendations for groups who really need your help. They don’t have money to pay for proper consulting. * This creates a number of challenges. You might sometimes feel a little frustrated. But this is part of the learning experience. This is how the real world works. * Real case, real business issue, real clients. * You are going to learn how to use your existing skills, problem solving and consulting. You will also learn about the non-profit sector. You will learn to appreciate the complex environments and issues which they face. You will learn about teamwork. You will have opportunities to further your writing and communication skills. * This subject is a community-engaged learning – a form of experiential learning.

Assessment * The key assessment task requires the completion of a consulting project for a real client who needs your help * You have only thirty weeks to do that * You will be building your teams yourself * We will match projects to teams * Today we will start! * No doubling up on projects

Approach to Class * The reason for engaging in this type of experiential learning is because you will be engaging with: * Critically * Creatively * Flexibility * Presentation * Teamwork * Etc * Kolb’s learning cycle: * Different people learn in different ways – * Accommodator: role play, narration, group work, peer coaching, risk takers * Assimilator: creating conceptual models, designing experiments, problem solving exercises, quantitative analysis, reading about theory * Divertor: role play, self assessment videos, learning diaries, imaginative games * Convertor: practical ideas theory, case studies, simulations, guest speakers, real world simulations * Kolb’s research shows that the general way in which we teach focus on only one or two types of learning. However in any group you have people who learn in different ways. This subject will support all four types of learning. * Subject goals: * Develop and apply yours skills * Community organisations to get value from your work * A lot of consultants these days don’t just