Description
Case Study on Management Consulting: Understanding the Process using Concepts in Neuroscience:- Management consulting is the practice of helping organizations to improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement.
Case Study on Management Consulting: Understanding the Process using Concepts in Neuroscience
The focus of the management consultant is to help organizations pair their strategic objectives with innovative solutions. This article examines how consultants approach organizational issues through the different phases of consulting, with insights and links to the latest theories in neuroscience. Traditionally viewed as a natural science involving the human nervous system and brain, it has grown to become an interdisciplinary field involving mathematics and computer sciences, various branches of psychology, the physical sciences and philosophy. Understanding the basic concepts of interdisciplinary neuroscience can help management practitioners and consultants improve the quality of their work. Certified management consultants' generally follow five steps in providing services to clients: Entry, Diagnosis, Action Plan, Implementation, and Termination. During the Entry stage, the relationship with the client is initiated where the consultant gathers the initial information about the job and clearly understands the project's purpose and scope. Trust must be established in this stage between the parties. Diagnosis is where facts are gathered in order to then analyze them. Human beings tend to envision solutions before having gathered all the pertinent information and then formulate shortcuts in order to save time and energy. This is done based on the assumption of already having seen the current scenario before, and knowing in advance the best approach to take. The problem arises because of a tendency to create stereotypes and perform routines that the brain develops as benchmarks, in order to maximize the number of transactions the neurons perform on a daily basis. Routines come from past behaviours, and they represent the past. The dichotomy experienced is the cognitive dissonance created between the routines with their ties to past behaviours and the present, which may or may not fit the entrenched behaviours of the routines. We may initially refuse a new analysis of information because our brain finds it more comfortable to use information that is already stored in our memories. When this happens, it appears that the brain bypasses the bifurcation (the point of connection between neurons) and does so because it requires less energy than going through the neutral cathode. The brain tricks itself into becoming more efficient; however in doing so, we give up the opportunity to re-analyze the information and possibly discover new meanings. Two different realities seem to co-exist or follow closely with each other. The first is what we think the information is. and the second is what the information could be or could mean. They are two different spaces that are mutually exclusive. The Action Plan is the stage of the process where the facts from the initial diagnosis are brought together in order to understand the root causes of the issues and begin to develop a set of goals and related actions. The critical thinking experience and ability of the consultant comes most into play at this juncture. Qne of the techniques used is the '5 Whys' that asks five separate times why a certain issue is manifesting itself. This approach is linear in nature and constitutes a mental
Winter 2011
EXPERT ADVICE
GESTION
CANADIAN INSTITUTE OFMANAGEMENT/ INSTITUTCANADIENDE
establishes priorities within a timeframe for all the actions needed to achieve the recommendations and establishes the priorities in terms of importance. The consultant generally starts with the short-term and highly important actions and then moves on to less important activities. After the consulting project has been completed, a final and an important phase is the Termination. In this phase the consultant reviews with the client all the successes achieved and the challenges encountered over the course of the project. Feedback is important to make sure the client has an opportunity to share The theory proposes three stages (Johnson-Laird, accomplishment and concerns; and can help improve the 1983)-: process and outcomes of the next project. Feedback is the 1. Model formation. The person forms an initial model process by which a system's outputs return as inputs; this from the premises. information is used to change the process. If we think 2. Conclusion formation. The person derives a putative about how we react to a variety of life events we can conclusion from the model that is informative. better understand the role feedback plays and how it 3. Conclusion validation. The person searches for a makes a system different and often unpredictable. counterexample, that is, a model in which the With the increasing complexities of global premises are true but the conclusion is false. If no such organizations, the management consulting practice must model is found, the conclusion is valid. expand beyond basic concepts in the management arts and sciences. The interdisciplinary nature of the field of According to this theory, people often commit neuroscience can provide a rich source of applicable fallacies because they fail to find a counterexample model theories that can be associated with management at the third stage, even though such models exist. In fact, consulting practice and the management profession in traditional applications of logic concern the validity of general. Management practitioners can look beyond the arguments, that is, proving that some conclusion is traditional fields of management and draw upon spheres necessary given some premises (Jonathan, Evans, & Harper, of practice that were generally excluded from traditional 1999)\ However, in everyday reasoning it may be just as management curriculum and professional practice. important to decide whether some proposition is possible in light of the given information. Inferences of possibility occur whenever rules and regulations constrain a person's Micheie Vincenti is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and the behaviour rather than determine what it must be. We more than 2Aivana Business Consuiting Inc. in Vancouver, BC. He has founder of also, in a non-linear way, try to avoid the trap of the Management,5 years of experience inManagement. the areas of Change
consuiting in Strategy and Weaith He consuits
model. Mental models create a useful framework for understanding how information is organized and, more particularly, they help in understanding the cognitive layout that a person uses to organize information in their memory (Johnson-Laird, Oakhill, & Garnham, 1995)'. The model's main concept is that people arrive at conclusions syntactically by applying valid inference rules. Their deductions are based on grasping a semantic principle; namely, that a conclusion is valid if there is no model of the premises that exclude it (Johnson-Laird & Byrne,
conclusion validation mentioned above. Only in reviewing internationaiiy and he is nearteaches at internationai in Human and he
completion of his PhD
potential solutions and the proposed process through Organizationai Systems. He
universities
hoids an MBA from Royai Roads University and an MA in Human
different lenses can error in evaluation be minimized. In Organizationai Systems from Fieiding Graduate University. 968-6084
[email protected] Phone: +1 (778)
the Action Plan stage, we provide recommendations of what needs to be addressed by the organization.
After presenting the plan and achieving agreement from the client, it is time to move to the Implementation the UniversityBusiness Administration TechnoiogyGrenobie He hoids a phase. During this phase, the consultant implements using the project management techniques and the in the fieidofofWater/oo. Drand management over 76private ofindustry, recommendations suggested. In this phase the consultant academia and consuiting practice.
University engineering Jeiavic possesses within
Dr Matthew Jelavic is a Professor within the Schooi of Science and Engineering Technology at Durham Coiiege and Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Facuity of Business and information Technoiogy at
of Ontario institute of (UOIT). Doctorate in from the École de Management and a Master's Degree in Management Sciences from the years experience
http://www.cnnc-canada.ca/ Johnson-Laird, P. N., Oakhill, J., & Garnham, A. (1996). Mental nnodels in cognitive scierice : essays in honour of Phil Johnson-Laird. East Sussex, U.K.: : Psychology Press
Johnson-Laird, P. N., & Byrne, R. M. J. (1991). Deduction. . Hove, UK ; : Hillsdale, USA: L. Eribaum Associates. Johnson-Laird, P N. (1983). Mental models : towards a cognitive science of language, inference, and consciousness. . Cambridge, Mass.: : Harvard university Press. Jonathan, B., Evans, S., & Harper, C. (1999). Reasoning about Necessity and Possibility: A Test of the Mental Model Theory of Deduction. Joarna/o^fxper/menia/Psyc/io/ogy, 25(6), 1495-1513.
Winter 2011
Manager
doc_794188491.docx
Case Study on Management Consulting: Understanding the Process using Concepts in Neuroscience:- Management consulting is the practice of helping organizations to improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement.
Case Study on Management Consulting: Understanding the Process using Concepts in Neuroscience
The focus of the management consultant is to help organizations pair their strategic objectives with innovative solutions. This article examines how consultants approach organizational issues through the different phases of consulting, with insights and links to the latest theories in neuroscience. Traditionally viewed as a natural science involving the human nervous system and brain, it has grown to become an interdisciplinary field involving mathematics and computer sciences, various branches of psychology, the physical sciences and philosophy. Understanding the basic concepts of interdisciplinary neuroscience can help management practitioners and consultants improve the quality of their work. Certified management consultants' generally follow five steps in providing services to clients: Entry, Diagnosis, Action Plan, Implementation, and Termination. During the Entry stage, the relationship with the client is initiated where the consultant gathers the initial information about the job and clearly understands the project's purpose and scope. Trust must be established in this stage between the parties. Diagnosis is where facts are gathered in order to then analyze them. Human beings tend to envision solutions before having gathered all the pertinent information and then formulate shortcuts in order to save time and energy. This is done based on the assumption of already having seen the current scenario before, and knowing in advance the best approach to take. The problem arises because of a tendency to create stereotypes and perform routines that the brain develops as benchmarks, in order to maximize the number of transactions the neurons perform on a daily basis. Routines come from past behaviours, and they represent the past. The dichotomy experienced is the cognitive dissonance created between the routines with their ties to past behaviours and the present, which may or may not fit the entrenched behaviours of the routines. We may initially refuse a new analysis of information because our brain finds it more comfortable to use information that is already stored in our memories. When this happens, it appears that the brain bypasses the bifurcation (the point of connection between neurons) and does so because it requires less energy than going through the neutral cathode. The brain tricks itself into becoming more efficient; however in doing so, we give up the opportunity to re-analyze the information and possibly discover new meanings. Two different realities seem to co-exist or follow closely with each other. The first is what we think the information is. and the second is what the information could be or could mean. They are two different spaces that are mutually exclusive. The Action Plan is the stage of the process where the facts from the initial diagnosis are brought together in order to understand the root causes of the issues and begin to develop a set of goals and related actions. The critical thinking experience and ability of the consultant comes most into play at this juncture. Qne of the techniques used is the '5 Whys' that asks five separate times why a certain issue is manifesting itself. This approach is linear in nature and constitutes a mental
Winter 2011
EXPERT ADVICE
GESTION
CANADIAN INSTITUTE OFMANAGEMENT/ INSTITUTCANADIENDE
establishes priorities within a timeframe for all the actions needed to achieve the recommendations and establishes the priorities in terms of importance. The consultant generally starts with the short-term and highly important actions and then moves on to less important activities. After the consulting project has been completed, a final and an important phase is the Termination. In this phase the consultant reviews with the client all the successes achieved and the challenges encountered over the course of the project. Feedback is important to make sure the client has an opportunity to share The theory proposes three stages (Johnson-Laird, accomplishment and concerns; and can help improve the 1983)-: process and outcomes of the next project. Feedback is the 1. Model formation. The person forms an initial model process by which a system's outputs return as inputs; this from the premises. information is used to change the process. If we think 2. Conclusion formation. The person derives a putative about how we react to a variety of life events we can conclusion from the model that is informative. better understand the role feedback plays and how it 3. Conclusion validation. The person searches for a makes a system different and often unpredictable. counterexample, that is, a model in which the With the increasing complexities of global premises are true but the conclusion is false. If no such organizations, the management consulting practice must model is found, the conclusion is valid. expand beyond basic concepts in the management arts and sciences. The interdisciplinary nature of the field of According to this theory, people often commit neuroscience can provide a rich source of applicable fallacies because they fail to find a counterexample model theories that can be associated with management at the third stage, even though such models exist. In fact, consulting practice and the management profession in traditional applications of logic concern the validity of general. Management practitioners can look beyond the arguments, that is, proving that some conclusion is traditional fields of management and draw upon spheres necessary given some premises (Jonathan, Evans, & Harper, of practice that were generally excluded from traditional 1999)\ However, in everyday reasoning it may be just as management curriculum and professional practice. important to decide whether some proposition is possible in light of the given information. Inferences of possibility occur whenever rules and regulations constrain a person's Micheie Vincenti is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and the behaviour rather than determine what it must be. We more than 2Aivana Business Consuiting Inc. in Vancouver, BC. He has founder of also, in a non-linear way, try to avoid the trap of the Management,5 years of experience inManagement. the areas of Change
consuiting in Strategy and Weaith He consuits
model. Mental models create a useful framework for understanding how information is organized and, more particularly, they help in understanding the cognitive layout that a person uses to organize information in their memory (Johnson-Laird, Oakhill, & Garnham, 1995)'. The model's main concept is that people arrive at conclusions syntactically by applying valid inference rules. Their deductions are based on grasping a semantic principle; namely, that a conclusion is valid if there is no model of the premises that exclude it (Johnson-Laird & Byrne,
conclusion validation mentioned above. Only in reviewing internationaiiy and he is nearteaches at internationai in Human and he
completion of his PhD
potential solutions and the proposed process through Organizationai Systems. He
universities
hoids an MBA from Royai Roads University and an MA in Human
different lenses can error in evaluation be minimized. In Organizationai Systems from Fieiding Graduate University. 968-6084
[email protected] Phone: +1 (778)
the Action Plan stage, we provide recommendations of what needs to be addressed by the organization.
After presenting the plan and achieving agreement from the client, it is time to move to the Implementation the UniversityBusiness Administration TechnoiogyGrenobie He hoids a phase. During this phase, the consultant implements using the project management techniques and the in the fieidofofWater/oo. Drand management over 76private ofindustry, recommendations suggested. In this phase the consultant academia and consuiting practice.
University engineering Jeiavic possesses within
Dr Matthew Jelavic is a Professor within the Schooi of Science and Engineering Technology at Durham Coiiege and Adjunct Assistant Professor within the Facuity of Business and information Technoiogy at
of Ontario institute of (UOIT). Doctorate in from the École de Management and a Master's Degree in Management Sciences from the years experience
http://www.cnnc-canada.ca/ Johnson-Laird, P. N., Oakhill, J., & Garnham, A. (1996). Mental nnodels in cognitive scierice : essays in honour of Phil Johnson-Laird. East Sussex, U.K.: : Psychology Press
Johnson-Laird, P. N., & Byrne, R. M. J. (1991). Deduction. . Hove, UK ; : Hillsdale, USA: L. Eribaum Associates. Johnson-Laird, P N. (1983). Mental models : towards a cognitive science of language, inference, and consciousness. . Cambridge, Mass.: : Harvard university Press. Jonathan, B., Evans, S., & Harper, C. (1999). Reasoning about Necessity and Possibility: A Test of the Mental Model Theory of Deduction. Joarna/o^fxper/menia/Psyc/io/ogy, 25(6), 1495-1513.
Winter 2011
Manager
doc_794188491.docx