What digital era skills do you need for management consulting?

1 Data literacy

Data literacy is the ability to understand, analyze, and communicate with data. It is essential for management consultants, who need to use data to identify problems, generate insights, and propose solutions. Data literacy involves not only technical skills, such as working with data tools, platforms, and languages, but also critical thinking, storytelling, and ethical awareness. To improve your data literacy, you can take online courses, practice with real-world data sets, and seek feedback from data experts.

2 Design thinking

Design thinking is a human-centered approach to problem-solving that involves empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing. It is a valuable skill for management consultants, who need to create innovative and feasible solutions that meet the needs and expectations of their clients and stakeholders. Design thinking helps consultants to empathize with their users, generate diverse and creative ideas, prototype and test their assumptions, and iterate and improve their solutions. To enhance your design thinking, you can apply the design thinking process to your own projects, participate in workshops and challenges, and learn from best practices and case studies.

3 Digital collaboration

Digital collaboration is the ability to work effectively and efficiently with others using digital tools and platforms. It is a crucial skill for management consultants, who need to collaborate with their team members, clients, and external partners across different locations, time zones, and cultures. Digital collaboration involves not only technical skills, such as using cloud-based applications, video conferencing, and project management software, but also soft skills, such as communication, coordination, and trust. To boost your digital collaboration, you can use the appropriate digital tools for your tasks, establish clear roles and expectations, and foster a culture of feedback and learning.

4 Agile mindset

Agile mindset is the attitude and approach to work that embraces change, uncertainty, and experimentation. It is a key skill for management consultants, who need to adapt to the dynamic and complex environment of their projects, and deliver value to their clients in short and iterative cycles. Agile mindset involves not only methods and practices, such as scrum, kanban, and sprints, but also principles and values, such as customer focus, feedback, and continuous improvement. To cultivate your agile mindset, you can adopt agile methods and practices in your work, seek feedback and learning opportunities, and embrace failure and uncertainty.

5 Digital ethics

Digital ethics is the awareness and application of ethical principles and values in the digital context. It is an important skill for management consultants, who need to consider the ethical implications and consequences of their data, solutions, and actions in the digital transformation. Digital ethics involves not only knowledge and understanding of ethical frameworks, such as privacy, security, and fairness, but also judgment and decision-making, such as balancing risks and benefits, and addressing dilemmas and trade-offs. To develop your digital ethics, you can learn about the ethical issues and challenges in the digital era, reflect on your own ethical values and principles, and engage in ethical discussions and debates.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?