Fundamentals of management consulting. Psychological and management consulting Financial bases of management consulting

Management consulting services appeared later than similar services in the field of marketing, advertising, technical policy, etc. This was a natural phenomenon, because. at first, the most obvious, quick-acting sources of efficiency improvement are used in the competition. Managerial capabilities are associated with human behavior, and a person is a relatively inertial part of production. Despite this, management consulting is one of the most sought-after products in today's reality. Depending on the content and level of complexity of the situation in which the client’s enterprise finds itself, a consultant is invited to solve three types of problems:

To correct the current situation in the enterprise (task for correction),

To improve the existing situation (improvement task),

To form a completely new situation (creation task).

In all three cases, the interaction between the client and the consultant begins with the fact that some condition, some situation or some indicators of the enterprise's activity are recognized by the client and the consultant as unsatisfactory and there is an opportunity to change them for the better with the help of the advice and recommendations of the consultant. And therefore, as the completion of the interaction, all changes in the enterprise proposed by an independent consultant should contribute to improving the quality of the client's enterprise management, improving the management of the enterprise's functional areas and processes at the enterprise. In general terms, the problem management consulting come down to the following:

Increasing turnover and profitability, increasing the value of the company,

Creation of competitive advantages in the customer market, supplier market, labor market,

Increasing the manageability of the company, reducing the cost of managerial energy of managers,

Ensuring the required quality of products and services, reducing costs, eliminating time delays,

Improving intra-company interaction, increasing the coordination of actions of departments and employees,

Increasing the activity and loyalty of the staff, strengthening the performance discipline,

Development of key competencies, improvement of managerial skills of managers and employees.

Management consulting services are of a specific nature:

As a result, material products are not produced that can be measured by mechanical and / or physico-chemical indicators,

The creation of a service and its consumption occurs immediately in the same place and at the same time,

Consulting firms contact the consumer directly, which creates additional requirements for their functioning.

Like any other product, management consulting services have their own life cycle: stages of design and development, testing, market launch, growth, maturity, saturation and decline. This process also has a temporal dimension, as some services become obsolete and should be replaced, and some services emerge and should be implemented. The essential characteristics of management consulting are manifested in the ways or special types of its implementation. Therefore, the classification consulting services necessary to identify each new type of consulting and manage the consulting process. Summarizing the classification of types of management consulting given in the literature and supplementing it on the basis of the experience of their provision, we were able to identify the following generalizing features of the classification (Table 1) , , :

Table 1 - Types of management consulting

Classification sign

Types of management consulting

By working methods

Expert consulting, process consulting, training consulting

By subject of work

Project consulting, process consulting

Targeted counseling, multipurpose counseling

By task

Operational, strategic, organizational, developing

By client type

Consulting individuals, advising legal entities

By client industry

Manufacturing, banking, energy, transport, healthcare, etc.

Directions of management activity

General management consulting, administration consulting, financial management, HR consulting, marketing consulting, production consulting, information technology consulting, specialized consulting services

According to the form of work in the consulting process

Individual counseling, group counseling

By working method

Diagnostics, calculations, developments (work in projects with guidelines), documentation, informing, training (lectures, training seminars, trainings, case studies, discussions, case-story methods, business and role-playing games), negotiation

By duration of work

Short term, medium term, long term

By frequency of work

One-time, periodic, subscription

Location of the consulting firm

Local, regional, national, multinational

According to the mode of work in the process of counseling

Intensive, expert-process, joint with representatives of the client organization, using active forms of training and development, focused on practical results and changes

By type of consultant-client relationship

By output result

Normative, valuable, problematic

The systematic nature of the characteristics given to each type of management consulting allows you to compare its capabilities and evaluate its effectiveness in relation to others. Assessing the ratio of types of management consulting in economic practice, one can observe the trends of these observations in dynamics, which allows you to make appropriate adjustments to the development of consulting activities.

It is difficult to assess the quality of management consulting services, because the client perceives not only the result of the service, but becomes an accomplice in its provision. And the only requirement that is imposed on consulting services, as well as on any other transactions made by organizations, from the side of the law is that they are provided in accordance with the law. Russian Federation(in the banking sector of the economy, they must be provided in accordance with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the law "On banks and banking activities", etc.).

Difficulties in assessing the quality of consulting services determine the need for the existence of special guarantees of their quality, and primarily standards for consulting activities. When considering the quality of a consulting service, the subject area, the content of the recommendation, the methodology and service in providing the consulting service are also evaluated. At the same time, it should be noted that the quality of consulting services directly depends on the degree of development of the consulting business and the principles of its implementation by periods of development. You can trace the development of the principles for the implementation of consulting activities according to table 2.

Table 2 - Development of management consulting principles

Characteristics of the principles of management consulting

Independence of assistance provided, advisory nature, high professional level, dissemination of best practices, promotion of professional development of managers, compliance ethical standards behavior, promotion of management consulting

The predominance of the interests of customers over the interests of consultants, respect for the confidential nature of consulting, servicing related enterprises only with the consent of their managers, the availability of sufficient information to fulfill the order, a preliminary survey of the client organization before concluding a contract, familiarizing the customer with new methods, techniques and principles of consulting, taking into account the conditions necessary for the implementation of the developed recommendations, close cooperation with the personnel of the client organization, the development by consultants of new methods and techniques of consulting

Scientific character, concreteness, preservation of the system, publicity, representativeness

The presence of an economic effect, calculated and agreed upon by customers and consultants; focus on helping lagging enterprises (unprofitable and low-profit), focus on long-term collaboration

Independence and objectivity of the assistance provided, confidentiality of information received from the client, confidence in the benefits of the consultation and one’s competence, payment for services on the basis of contractual circumstances fixed before the start of work

Independence and objectivity of the assistance provided; confidentiality of information received from the client; confidence of the consultant in the benefits of consultation for the client; the consultant's confidence in his competence, the obligation to inform the client of his doubts about the possibility of usefully applying the advice received; clarification to clients of the essence and nature of the problems, ways, conditions for their solution; payment for services on the basis of prices fixed before the start of work, regardless of the results of the client's activities; association of almost all existing consulting firms into an association; adherence to the consultant's code by members of the association

"Capture" of the market by Western consulting companies, cooperation and accumulation of experience, work on foreign projects and programs

Generalization of accumulated experience, specialization by types of services provided, information and consulting networks

Allocation of the elite of consultants to the association of management consultants, retreat of Western consulting companies, specialization in the industries served, specialization in the scale of the client, specialization in the forms of ownership of the client

Based on this, in the scientific literature, for a formal description of the quality of a consulting service, it is proposed to use various evaluation parameters. Having summarized the accumulated experience in providing consulting services and assessing their quality, we consider it necessary to use the following set of quality indicators of consulting services (Table 3). Thus, in order to gain recognition and become in demand in the market, a consulting firm needs to constantly take care of its reliability, responsibility and, most importantly, competence. Consulting specialists, on the other hand, must be, first of all, excellent experts in business processes, competent analysts and good forecasters, and they must also have their own relatively free and objective opinion and be able to influence clients authoritatively.

You can confirm the presence of the listed indicators of the quality of consulting services as follows:

1. Demonstration of the future result:

1.1. Displaying results for similar orders (sample reports, customer success stories).

Table 3 - Indicators of the quality of management consulting services

An indicator that determines the quality of management consulting

Characteristics of the indicator

Relevance

Importance, significance for the present moment, modernity, topicality of consulting services.

Availability

Consulting service is easy to get in a convenient location, in convenient time, without undue waiting for its provision

Objectivity

Employees of a consulting firm should not ignore the actual conditions or actual state of affairs in the provision of consulting services.

Complexity

It implies coverage of all links and all aspects of the client's activities

Reliability

Highly technical and stable service delivery mechanism. The consulting services provided are reliable, do not carry any danger or risk, do not give rise to any doubt

credibility

A consulting firm and its employees can be relied upon to truly strive to meet any client needs and help solve their problems.

Competence

Maintenance staff and consultants have the required skills and knowledge

Efficiency

Ability to quickly, accurately and timely provide consulting services

Communication

The description of the consulting service is in the client's language and is accurate. Consultants and staff are friendly, respectful and caring

Creativity

Employees are creative in problem solving and customer satisfaction

Individual approach

The client always has the right to count on the fact that the consultant is able to identify exactly his problem, professionally solve it, taking into account all the details of the situation

Possibility practical application in the context of the client's organization

Saving the system

The impact of the consultant on the client organization in the process of consulting up to the stage of mastering the results of consulting should not violate the qualitative parameters and mode of operation of the organization

Publicity

The work of consultants at all stages should be visible, and team members should be directly involved in the development and development of innovations

Scientific

Application of scientific approaches in the process of providing consulting services

Flexibility

The possibility of adjusting the consulting process when external or internal conditions change, the diversity of solutions

Progressiveness

It involves the development and improvement of the theory and practice of consulting in accordance with the change in management systems, content and forms economic activity, legal regulations, etc.

Efficiency

Achievement of the set goals, visibility and usefulness of the results, commensuration of results with costs

1.2. Imitation of the future result for the Client (determination of key management and financial and economic indicators that can be achieved as a result of acquiring the service).

1.3. Demonstration of future benefits from the acquisition of the service.

2. Realization services:

2.1. The result of cooperation is partially embodied (handout at seminars, accompanying documentation on implementation projects, paper report on the results of consulting).

2.2. Related items, consumables are transferred as an addition or a gift (video or audio course).

3. Physical evidence of the quality of the resources involved in the work:

3.1. Diplomas of employees (number of certified specialists, candidates and doctors of science, trained abroad, etc.).

3.2. The latest equipment.

3.3. The quality of the materials used (international recognition and awards).

3.4. Official agreements with partners.

3.5. Licenses, certificates of the company in certain areas of work.

4. External evaluation of the quality of work by third parties:

4.1. Company awards in competitions.

4.2. Membership in associations, clubs, etc.

4.3. Confirmation of cooperation with companies that traditionally impose the most stringent quality requirements.

4.4. Testimonials and letters of thanks from Clients.

4.5. Participation of management / employees in expert councils, scientific conferences, round tables on the topic (publications, photos, etc.), etc.

5. Demonstration of quality control to the Client:

5.1. Implementation of intra-company standards and "voicing" them to customers.

5.2. Memo to the client for independent quality control.

5.3. Implementation of a quality management system.

6. Modeling the process, clarifying the cooperation procedure, guaranteeing efficiency:

6.1. Phased provision of services, the ability for the client to refuse further cooperation at some stage.

6.2. Detailed prescribing of the interaction procedure and fixing it in the documents.

6.3. The possibility of a refund in case of unsatisfactory quality.

It is possible to ensure the availability of the considered indicators of the quality of consulting services by analyzing and taking into account the factors affecting their quality. The services that a consulting firm can offer depend on a wide variety of external and internal factors. External factors- these are factors that are outside the consulting firm and contribute to the formation of the quality of services. The main ones are the requirements of the market (customers), competition, the economic situation in the market, the political situation, etc. Internal factors include those that depend on the activities of the consulting firm itself and affect its ability to provide services of adequate quality.

Basically, all factors, both internal and external, are closely related, and they all affect the quality of consulting services. At the same time, only internal factors can be controlled and managed, so we will dwell on their study in more detail. To identify internal factors affecting the quality of advisory services in the banking sector of the economy, we conducted a survey using a questionnaire. The questionnaires were filled out by employees of banks located in the Oryol region and using the practice of contacting consultants in their activities (Rosselkhozbank, Lanta-bank, Trust Bank, VTB 24, etc.).

As a result of the survey, the following information was obtained. Objectivity, comprehensiveness, communication, trust, competence and effectiveness of consulting services that characterize the quality of customer service depend on the qualifications of consultants, on their experience in this field of knowledge, on the relationship of consultants with clients, on the methods used by the consultant.

As the survey of respondents shows, they are more willing to listen to consultants if they have higher education and experience in banking. Customers make a preliminary impression of the possible quality of services based on an analysis of the price list of the consulting firm. There is an opinion that the higher the prices, the more qualified assistance can be expected from consultants. Wherein financial crisis in the global economy forces banks to save money in order to reduce costs, which makes it difficult to attract highly qualified specialists who provide quality consulting services. Such qualitative characteristics of consulting services as relevance, efficiency, reliability, scientific character, complexity, flexibility and efficiency are provided through the use of modern information technologies. From the supply of consultants technical means depends on their ability to use information technology, with the help of which they can provide advice in the shortest possible time with the highest quality. As the survey showed, not all consultants are provided with necessary equipment and not everywhere it meets modern requirements. Basically, problems arise with software. In addition, most consultants are currently not provided with portable instruments and laboratory equipment.

To be effective, consultants must have a comfortable workplace, preferably in a separate room, however, as practice shows, consultants are usually limited to premises and are in a room with other employees. The survey showed that 61% of consultants work indoors with other specialists up to 3 people and 23% in an office with up to 6 people. Almost all consultants do not have an office for receiving visitors. There are also problems with the availability of premises for holding group events.

Based on the study of the experience of consulting organizations and the conducted research, we have identified the main internal factors affecting the volume and quality of consulting services, which are presented schematically in Figure 1. Internal factors are numerous and it is advisable to classify them into groups:

1. Material and technical factors through the introduction of new equipment, technologies, etc. create a material basis for the production of competitive consulting services.

2. Organizational factors associated with improving the organization of production and labor, increasing production discipline and responsibility for the quality of services, ensuring a culture of production and an appropriate level of staff qualifications, introducing a quality management system and its certification, and other organizational measures.

3. Economic factors are determined by the costs of organizing the provision of consulting services, the costs of providing required level their quality, pricing policy and the system of economic incentives for staff. Socio-psychological factors largely influence the creation of a healthy socio-psychological climate in the team, normal working conditions, education of personnel in the spirit of devotion and pride in their enterprise, moral stimulation of employees for a conscientious attitude to work.

4. Marketing factors affect the ability to determine the position of a consulting firm in the market and in the minds of consumers.

When studying the influence of these factors on the activities of consulting firms, it should be remembered that at each stage of their development, the degree of influence of these factors is not the same. Therefore, the relevant departments of consulting firms should rank internal factors according to the degree of influence and give preference to those that most affect the quality of consulting services. This will allow cost-effective and more efficient management of product quality. The identified factors make it possible to determine the conditions for increasing the volume and quality of consulting services:


Figure 1 - Internal factors affecting the volume and quality of consulting services

Organization of marketing of consulting services;

Creation of personnel potential of consultants, providing them with a decent level wages, organization of their professional development;

Acquisition of information and consulting centers with modern computing, copying and presentation equipment, necessary software and updated databases, organization of access to the Internet;

Equipping information and consulting centers with portable field devices and laboratory equipment that allow you to quickly determine the parameters technological processes and provide more informed banking advice;

Providing consultation centers with vehicles for organizing mobile and operational work;

Methodical, organizational and informational support of consultants.

The creation of these conditions in Russia is possible with an integrated systematic approach to the organization of management consulting in particular and all consulting in general. Thus, given the commonality of goals and objectives, all formations of the system require standard methodological, information support, training and advanced training programs for personnel, technical support for compatible equipment, and exchange of experience. These functions can be most effectively implemented centrally by differentiating the level of tasks and distributing them between the federal and regional levels, as well as through interregional exchange. At the same time, duplication of actions will be excluded, which entails the irrational use of material and labor resources. With joint actions aimed at solving common typical problems, underestimation of factors due to incomplete information and knowledge is excluded, and the unification of efforts and cooperation gives a synergistic effect that will be used and replicated in other territories.

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3. Classification of consulting by types of services and activities [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: http://bnk-group.ru/klassifikacij_konsaltinga_po_vidam_uslug.html.

4. Classification of consulting services [Electronic resource]. - Access mode http://www.management.com.ua/consulting/cons006.html.

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7. Minyakova, T.E. Management consulting [Text]: tutorial/ T.E. Minyakova. - Ulyanovsk UlGTU, 2007. - 112 p.

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INTRODUCTION

Relevance of the chosen topic Management consulting on resolving an unfavorable situation that arose during management municipal enterprises(on the example of MUK GDDK "Rodnik") is due to the fact that consulting activities are among the few industries with high growth rates (average annual growth has not fallen below 10% for many years). And although the growth rates and trends in the development of management consulting correspond to the global ones, in terms of absolute (the volume of consulting activities, the number of people employed in management consulting) and relative indicators (consultant workforce, income per consultant), Russia is still noticeably behind this process compared to Western European countries.

Currently, the country lacks a concept and has not developed a policy for the development of management consulting to resolve adverse situations that have arisen in the management of municipal enterprises. The development of management consulting has identified a new, insufficiently developed not only in domestic, but also in foreign theory, problem: a change in the essence and the emergence of a variety of relations of interconsultant interaction.

Objective

Subject of study

Object of study

CHAPTER I. THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL BASES OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

Management Consulting Methods

Management consulting is one of the methods for developing the management system of organizations (firms, companies), as well as one of the methods for creating and developing social systems. In the broadest sense, management consulting is the process of applying to social systems social technologies.

Social technologies represent the order of stages of interaction between an innovator (in particular, a management consultant) and a social system. At each of these stages, the innovator applies a certain set of management tools. At the same time, there are a number of norms and requirements that the activity of an innovator must comply with in order for the innovation process to proceed without destruction and without degradation of the developing social system.



Management consulting is considered from the point of view of functional and professional approaches. 1. Terms functional approach, consulting - a type of activity aimed at providing assistance to the client, taking into account his interests. At the same time, the consultant is not responsible for how the client uses his service, that is, it is not the consultant who is responsible, but the client. 2. From the standpoint of a professional approach, consulting is a consulting service, working under a contract and providing services to clients, from the standpoint of specially trained and qualified persons who help identify management problems, analyze them, give recommendations on solving these problems and assist, if necessary, in the implementation of these solutions. Goal -> Situation -> Problem -> Decision (the process of implementation, not the fact of acceptance). According to the definition of the European Federation of Associations of Economic and Management Consultants FEACO, management consulting is the provision of independent advice and assistance on management issues, including the identification and assessment of problems and opportunities, the recommendation of appropriate measures and assistance in their implementation.



Components of counseling: process, expertise, service, method. Characteristic features of counseling: 1. Professionalism. Knowledge of the management situation. Availability practical experience her permission. Possessing the skills of sharing experience, identifying problems, searching for information, analyzing the situation, communicating with people, planning changes and overcoming resistance to change. 2. Consultation. The consultant does not have the right to make decisions, but only recommends what can be done to resolve the situation. 3. Independence. Financial, having your own account and the consultant's lack of interest in how to dispose of the client with his advice. Administrative, lack of communication and subordination. Political. Emotional, from family and friendship ties.

With the beginning of market transformations in the economy of the Russian Federation, a new industry appeared - business services. Business services are activities that carry out macro- and microeconomic regulation and maintain optimal proportions of the economy, engaged in servicing the main and infrastructure production, as well as public administration. Business service is professional and always paid. Demand for business services appears as the economy develops, and their role is determined by the fact that they create the basis for the growth of well-being and social satisfaction of people.

The functions of business services include: 1. Formation of components of management systems. (personnel systems, technologies, logistics, etc.) 2. Implementation of ongoing maintenance of management processes (legal, audit and other project support). 3. Provision of consulting services. 4. Creation, distribution, implementation of management innovations.

The value of business services lies in the fact that they: 1. Create conditions for the effective functioning of our economy. 2. Contribute to the formation and close interaction of all elements of the infrastructure complex. 3. Release organizations from the need to create additional service units and hire additional staff.

As a rule, business services are provided simultaneously for several types of activities, one of which is dominant.

Business services require different regulation, from free implementation (consulting) to compulsory licensing (audit), attestation, certification and accreditation. Most business services firms provide advice in their area of ​​expertise. 1. Consulting services are part of business services. 2. Management consulting is one of the types of consulting services.

The whole variety of social technologies used in management consulting can be divided into two types:

1. Advisory - consists of the following steps:
careful study of the customer's situation, comparison of the customer's situation with analogues, development of recommendations based on theories, methods and classifiers used by this consulting company, writing a report containing these recommendations and presentation of the report to the customer. The result of recommendatory counseling is carefully thought out, balanced and systematized recommendations.

2. Process consulting - claims not so much to develop recommendations, but to change the state of the management system and the system of activity of the customer's organization. Therefore, including all the stages listed for advisory consulting, process consulting complements them with various active forms of work with owners, top managers, managers and specialists of the customer.

Active forms of work are of two types: a) long-term support of the customer's company, up to temporary replacement of the customer's employees by specialists consulting company who, by their own example, train the customer's employees to work in a new way; b) various game forms, which have the advantage that the change in the management system and the system of activity occurs much faster (within one to two weeks).

Management Consulting Methods

1. Individual work with the first persons of the organization (in the form of coaching (training) or advisory consulting). This method of work is typical for both advisory and procedural counseling.

2. Reflective games and seminars, during which key managers and specialists of the organization (firms, companies) participate in the design of the next step in the development of the management system and the system of activity. One of the types of reflexive games used in management consulting is “live modeling of collective activity”. Reflexive games are actively used in process consulting type b). Debugging the control system "in manual mode”, when a team of consultants works for a long time with top management, managers and specialists of the company, accompanying each management action and instructing key specialists and managers in detail about new standards of activity and working methods. In this mode, a team of consultants can create a new document management system, collect marketing and management information, implement computer programs, contributing to the improvement of management efficiency, etc. This method is typical for process consulting type a).

Development and writing of recommendations. Reference consultants develop and write their recommendations based on a thorough analysis of the client's situation and similar situations that have occurred in the past. Process consultants develop and write recommendations primarily based on the results of live work (in reflective games or in the process of individual and group methods of working with employees of the organization).

Consulting activity is a sphere of professional services. The expert nature of such assistance means that it is carried out by order of the interested leader and is advisory in nature. The consultant helps, promotes, develops, educates, etc. The consultant does not make decisions, he prepares, calculates alternatives. The entire responsibility for making decisions rests with the head of the organization. The advantages of counseling over training lie in a specifically individual, "piece" approach. The consultant develops and gives only what, in his opinion, is necessary for this organization in this situation.

Management consulting connects management science with management practice: if research and design organizations offer standard recommendations, then the management consultant “ties” them to the specifics of the client organization.

The advantage of management consultants over managers is independence and impartiality of views, in a broader outlook. They have extensive information in a variety of areas of management and management (due to less workload with current management problems), are guided by a broad study of the problem and the transfer of experience from other organizations (this mainly concerns external consultants). Management consulting is carried out by specialists in various fields: lawyers, economists, marketers, analysts, psychologists and sociologists.

One of the new in our market and the most promising types of consulting are outsourcing and "hire of directors".

Outsourcing (outsourcing) is based on the full or partial transfer of the routine functions of the enterprise (for example, such as accounting calculations, tax calculation, personnel management, etc.) to a consulting firm in order to focus its own efforts on solving key strategic tasks.

“Director Hire” is used when there is a temporary absence of management or a recent layoff. Organizational development and record keeping or administration, although they are certain types consulting, we attributed to management consulting.

Services such as corporate finance management and management accounting are also relatively new in the transition to Western management standards. financial resources very relevant. The main purpose of creating a management reporting system is to provide enterprise managers with timely and necessary information for making effective management decisions. The implementation of almost all services is based on the analysis of existing and expected financial flows of the enterprise.

Methods of management consulting are divided into 1) project consulting; 2) consulting process.

The difference between them lies in the organization of the division of labor between the consultant and the client in the process of performing specific tasks.

When consulting a project, the consultant makes a diagnosis and develops proposals for improving management (draws up a project for improving management, but does not take part in the implementation of his proposals. The consultant acts as a designer, who is distinguished by his relatively high independence from the client.

When consulting the process, the diagnostics is carried out by the consultant together with the client. At the same time, the consultant undertakes to train the client's employees in the use of diagnostic and problem solving methods, and the client - to develop proposals for improving management using these methods.

It is advisable to use design consultants in the preparation of management procedures, job descriptions, other projects. Process consultants are best used in the development of large complex problems, when there are serious difficulties in implementation.

The choice of method of counseling also depends on the level of management at which the problem is solved.

Methods of management consulting are divided into:

General- they come from management and therefore they are identical to the methods of management. 1. Dialectical. 2. Logical. 3. Empirical.

local or special 1. Methods of the technical aspect, allowing to carry out consulting services for the analysis of information, the study of the situation, the search for problems, the development of alternative solutions. Among these methods, the methods of questioning and writing a report are the most widely used.

2. The methods of the human aspect are implemented in the client relations consultant system and are based on psychology.

From the point of view of methods, the following forms of counseling can be distinguished: expert, process and training.

The model is selected depending on the problem being solved, the characteristics of the client organization, the qualities of consultants (skills, experience, personal qualities).

Expert advice. The client himself forms the task, the consultant-specialist acts as an expert. The disadvantage of this model is that the consultant develops a recommendation without conducting an independent analysis of the situation. Implements the changes, again, the client himself. It is advisable to use the model if it is necessary to gain knowledge on standard procedures and standards.

Educational consulting. The consultant not only collects ideas, analyzes solutions, but also prepares the ground for their emergence, providing the client with relevant theoretical and practical information in the form of lectures, trainings, business games, specific situations ("cases"), etc. The client forms a request for training, programs and forms of training, study groups.

Process consulting. Consultants at all stages of the project actively interact with the client, encouraging him to express his ideas, considerations, suggestions, critically correlate with ideas proposed from outside, analyze problems and develop solutions with the help of consultants. At the same time, the role of consultants is to collect these external and internal ideas, evaluate the solutions obtained in the process of working together with the client, and bring them into a system of recommendations. This approach is the most efficient.

The process of counseling is understood as a sequential series of actions, activities carried out thanks to joint activities consultant and client to achieve positive changes within the client organization, resolving its problems.

The consultation process goes through 3 stages:

1. Pre-contract stage. The client establishes the existence of a problem and the need to involve consultants to solve it, who, based on the results of preliminary diagnostics, make an offer to the client about the task. This stage ends with the conclusion of the contract. Its purpose is to ensure unity in understanding the essence of the consulting project by the client and the consultant.

2. Contract. It consists of several stages (diagnostics, development of solutions, implementation of solutions), which in turn include procedures. The purpose of the contract stage is to determine specific results and directions of work, to ensure the development and implementation of problem solving.

3. Post-contract. (Final) Departure of the consultant.

The allocation of stages in the consultation process provides a structured basis for decision-making, coordinated communications, a motivated project organization, and tangible results. All this makes it possible to reduce unpredictability, i.e. resulting in a well-managed project.

Consultants use many techniques to effectively complete a consulting assignment.

The consulting method is understood as a general scheme (action plan) formed on the basis of the generalized experience of effective consultations of this type, which allows developing an appropriate action program.

There is the following classification of counseling methods, which helps to quickly search, select and effectively use the methods most appropriate to the problem of the organization and the model of counseling:

1. Methods for solving the content of problems.1.1. Diagnostic methods. 1.1.1. Information collection methods: surveys, interviews, questionnaires, expert assessments. 1.1.2. Information processing methods: data classification, problem analysis, comparison.

1.2. Problem solving methods. 1.2.1. Methods for identifying problems: a tree of goals using expert assessments, methods for assessing the priorities of problems (expert and logical analysis), a method for constructing a graph of problems. 1.2.2. Methods for developing and evaluating solutions: methods for developing alternative solutions, methods for choosing alternative solutions, methods for analyzing the quality of decisions made, methods for group work.

1.3. Implementation methods. 1.3.1. Experimental verification methods: group work, business games. 1.3.2. Methods for transferring the result to real conditions: methods for forming working groups, methods for holding problem meetings.

2. Methods of working with the client. 2.1. Methods for choosing the roles of consultant and client. 2.2. Methods of cooperation and assistance to the client in the implementation of changes. 2.2.1. Methods of education and training of personnel of the client organization. 2.2.2. Methods for developing the creative potential of the leaders of the client organization. 2.2.3. Methods for increasing the motivation of staff and managers to change: methods of persuasion, methods of using feelings of tension and anxiety, methods of reward and punishment, etc.

There are several consulting methods (a set of directives that indicate the course of action and methods for achieving the set goals): 1. Specialized (for special conditions). 2. Universal (for all types of organization, regardless of industry, form of ownership).

There are many definitions of management consulting. There are two main approaches to counseling.

In the first case, a broad functional view of counseling is used. Fritz Steele defines it this way: “By consulting process I mean any form of assistance with regard to the content, process, or structure of a task or series of tasks, in which the consultant is not himself responsible for completing the task, but helps those who are responsible for it.”

The second approach considers counseling as a special professional service and highlights a number of characteristics that it should have. According to Larry Greiner and Robert Metzger, “management consulting is a contracted and service-based consulting service to organizations through specially trained and qualified individuals who help the client organization identify management problems, analyze them, make recommendations for solving these problems, and assist, if necessary, the implementation of decisions”. These two approaches can be seen as complementary.

In particular, the European Federation of Associations of Economics and Management Consultants (FEACO) gives the following definition: “Management consulting consists in providing independent advice and assistance in management matters, including identifying and assessing problems and / or opportunities, recommending appropriate measures and assisting in their implementation". The American Association of Economics and Management Consultants (ACME) and the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) adhere to the same definition.

In order to fully disclose the concept of consulting activities, we consider it appropriate to analyze changes in the existing formulations of management consulting (Appendix 1) and changes in the basic principles of consulting activities (Appendix 2). If in the early 1980s they contained only principles relating to the professional characteristics of consulting services, as they move towards market economy they were complemented by the characteristics of consulting as entrepreneurial activity.

An analysis of the presented formulations does not give grounds to take any of them as a model, since each of them fixes only certain side consulting activity. Therefore, the symbiosis of the formulations of consulting activity as a specific form of activity can give a more complete and more systematic definition.

We offer the following definition of consulting activity.

Management consulting is a type of intellectual professional activity in which a qualified consultant provides objective and independent advice that contributes to the successful management of the client organization.

Western theorists of management consulting distinguish the following character traits management consulting.

First, consultants provide professional assistance to executives. Experienced consultants go through many organizations and learn how to use the experience gained, helping new and old clients in different situations. Hence, they are able to recognize general trends and common causes of problems. Moreover, professional consultants constantly monitor the literature on management issues and the development of theories of methods and management systems, as well as the situation in the market. Thus, they act as a link between management theory and practice.

Secondly, consultants mostly give advice. This means that they are only advisors and do not have direct power to make decisions about change and implement it. Consultants are responsible for the quality and completeness of the advice. Clients bear all responsibility that stems from the acceptance of advice.

And third, counseling is an independent service. The consultant assesses the situation, offers recommendations on what to do to the client, without thinking about how this might affect his own interests. The consultant must have the following types of independence: financial, administrative, political, emotional. All this makes high demands on the quality and efficiency of consulting services and causes them to focus on the interests of the client.

The ultimate goal of counseling is to help the client make progressive changes in his or her organization. The consultant helps to identify and solve specific technical problems while addressing human issues and aspects of organizational change.

The main task of consulting is to identify and find ways to solve existing problems. Consulting services are carried out both in the form of one-time consultations and in the form of consulting projects. There are many divisions of the consulting process into stages (, , , etc.). Any consulting project includes the following main stages:

diagnostics (problem identification);

development of solutions;

implementation of solutions.

Posadsky A.P. notes] that the consulting process, in addition to the project stage, includes pre-project and post-project stages. The initial step of the pre-project stage is the recognition by the client that he has such a problem, the solution of which he would like to implement with the help of consultants. This recognition is the result of a two-way process: on the one hand, the client's awareness of the existence of a problem as such, on the other hand, the formation of a manager's desire to entrust the development of a solution to the problem to consultants. Usually, the client selects on a competitive basis from several proposals the one that best suits him in terms of quality and price, after which he concludes a contract with the consultant of his choice.

The post-project stage consists in analyzing the changes that have taken place in the client organization, resolving issues related to the possible expansion of the project in connection with new problems - either identified during the implementation of the project, or arising as a result of the organization reaching a new state as a result of the project. Within this stage, the final financial calculations client with a consultant and introspection of the consultant's activities in order to comprehend the experience gained for use in other projects.

A consulting project can take from several days to several months. When solving problems, an integrated approach is used, which takes into account the relationship of various aspects of the enterprise. To achieve maximum efficiency in the implementation of consulting projects, a project team is created, which includes experts in various subject areas and managers who manage the project. When making decisions, diagnosing problems and developing recommendations, the methods of organizing the collective work of the project team are widely used.

The main task of the consulting project is to achieve the highest possible quality of solving the problem while observing financial and time constraints. Process consulting is a method for developing and changing organizations. The purpose of this method is to increase productivity and / or improve the psychological climate in the organization, achieved with the participation of an independent, external consultant. The focus is not only on the solution actual problems organization, but also the acquisition of skills to analyze, evaluate and solve customer problems. In this sense, the consultant must perform two tasks: on the one hand, to monitor the solution of existing problems, on the other hand, to show the organization's ways to independently solve pressing issues in the future. The degree of client involvement in a consulting project varies depending on the types of consulting services. By comparing the time spent by the client's staff and the results of the consultant's work, it is possible to determine the required degree of staff involvement in the consultant's activities.

The effectiveness of the consultant's work will be minimal if the client does not participate in it at all. Further, this efficiency grows as the client's involvement increases, and after reaching the optimal point, the efficiency begins to fall, therefore, the client begins to do his work for the consultant. Of course, the curve of this graph will change depending on the type of problems being solved, on the stage or phase of the consulting project and, of course, on the type of consulting services.

In expert consulting, the client provides the consultant with information, monitors his activities, learns his recommendations and takes appropriate management decisions. With process - the client, in addition to the above, takes part in the development of recommendations and, with training - the client's staff spends additional time on training sessions. IN specific projects or at their various stages, combinations of all three of the listed types of counseling can be used, and then it becomes expert-process, process-training, expert-training, etc. The work of the consultant begins with the fact that some condition is recognized as unsatisfactory and there is an opportunity to correct it. Such work ends when there has been a change in this condition that can be considered an improvement. The work of a consultant includes interaction various kinds business activity, affects the technological, economic, financial, legal, psychosocial, political and other aspects of the organization. All changes, conceived and implemented with the help of a consultant, should improve the quality of leadership and increase the efficiency of the organization.

There are several typical consulting assignments depending on the quality or level of the situation faced by the client organization:

the task of correcting a situation that has worsened;

the task of improving the situation that already exists;

the task of creating a completely new situation.

It should also be noted that there are two aspects possible changes in the client organization:

· a technical aspect relating to the nature of the managerial or commercial problem faced by the client; the consultant finds ways to analyze and solve it;

the human side, i.e. the relationship between the consultant and the client, the reaction of people in the client's organization to changes; the consultant helps in planning these relationships and their implementation.

Effective counseling shows how to deal with these two aspects of organizational change. These issues are interrelated and the consultant must understand this. "Change is the meaning of management consulting. If different forms of consulting assignments have one general characteristics, then it is help in planning and implementing changes in client organizations" .

The characteristics of the changes are as follows:

· the extent to which their approval by staff is important for their successful implementation;

How profound is the impact of changes on the enterprise;

How ready is the company for change?

There are many definitions of management consulting. There are two main approaches to counseling.

In the first case, a broad functional view of counseling is used. Fritz Steele defines it this way: “By consulting process, I mean any form of assistance with regard to the content, process or structure of a task or series of tasks, in which the consultant is not himself responsible for completing the task, but helps those who are responsible for it.”

The second approach considers counseling as a special professional service and highlights a number of characteristics that it should have. According to Larry Greiner and Robert Metzger, “management consulting is a contracted and service-based consulting service to organizations through specially trained and qualified individuals who help the client organization identify management problems, analyze them, make recommendations for solving these problems, and assist, if necessary, the implementation of decisions”. These two approaches can be seen as complementary.

In particular, the European Federation of Associations of Economics and Management Consultants (FEACO) gives the following definition: “Management consulting consists in providing independent advice and assistance in management matters, including identifying and evaluating problems and/or opportunities, recommending appropriate measures and assisting in their implementation". The American Association of Economics and Management Consultants (ACME) and the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC) adhere to the same definition.

In general, there are several main approaches to the definition of the concept of management consulting:

1. QM - highly qualified assistance to managers aimed at improving the work of organizations, which is provided by independent (not part of the organization) experts who have specialized in a particular area

2. MC - a kind of expert assistance to the leaders of the organization in solving the problems of restructuring management in changing external and internal conditions

3. MC is an activity and a profession, its content is to help managers in solving their problems and in introducing the achievements of science and best practices.

4. UK - a certain way organized process of interaction between the consultant and the personnel of the enterprise (organization), the result of which is an organizational change carried out on it or a project for its implementation

5. QM - services provided by independent and professionally trained specialists (a consultant or their group) in order to help the head of the organization in the diagnosis, analysis and practical solution of managerial and production problems

6. QM - a service provided by a consultant to help an enterprise in diagnosing, analyzing and practically solving problems

7. MC is an effective form of rationalization of production management based on the use of science and best practices.

8. Consulting is professional assistance from management specialists to business managers and management personnel of various organizations (client) in solving problems and functioning of their development, carried out in the form of advice, recommendations and solutions jointly developed with the client

9. Business consulting - providing the client with specialized experience, methodology, behavior techniques, professional skills or other resources that help him optimize the financial and economic condition that has developed at the enterprise (organization) within the framework of the current regulatory and legislative framework.

10. Management consulting is a service that provides the client with independent and objective advice and is provided by a specialized company or specialist to identify and analyze the management problems and opportunities of the client company.

In the most general form, management consulting can be considered one of the methods for developing the management system of organizations (firms, companies), as well as one of the methods for creating and developing social systems. In the broadest sense, management consulting is the process of applying social technologies to social systems. Social technologies represent a sequence of stages of interaction between an innovator (in particular, a management consultant) and a social system. At each of these stages, the innovator uses a specific set of management tools. At the same time, there are a number of norms and requirements that the activity of an innovator must comply with in order for the innovation process to proceed without destruction and without degradation of the developing social system.

The analysis of the presented formulations does not give grounds to take any of them as a model, since each of them fixes only a certain aspect of consulting activity. Therefore, the symbiosis of the formulations of consulting activity as a specific form of activity can give a more complete and more systematic definition.

We offer the following definition of consulting activity.

Management consulting is a type of intellectual professional activity in which a qualified consultant provides objective and independent advice that contributes to the successful management of a client organization.

Western theorists of management consulting distinguish the following characteristic features of management consulting.

First, consultants provide professional assistance to executives. Experienced consultants go through many organizations and learn how to use their experience to help new and old clients in a variety of situations. Hence, they are able to recognize general trends and common causes of problems. Moreover, professional consultants constantly monitor the literature on management issues and the development of theories of methods and management systems, as well as the situation in the market. Thus, they act as a link between management theory and practice.

Secondly, consultants mostly give advice. This means that they are only advisors and do not have direct power to make decisions about change and implement it. Consultants are responsible for the quality and completeness of the advice. Clients bear all responsibility that stems from the acceptance of advice.

And third, counseling is an independent service. The consultant assesses the situation, offers recommendations on what to do to the client, without thinking about how this might affect his own interests. The consultant must have the following types of independence: financial, administrative, political, emotional. All this makes high demands on the quality and efficiency of consulting services and causes them to focus on the interests of the client.

The ultimate goal of counseling is to help the client make progressive changes in his or her organization. The consultant helps to identify and solve specific technical problems while addressing human issues and aspects of organizational change.

The main task of consulting is to identify and find ways to solve existing problems. Consulting services are carried out both in the form of one-time consultations and in the form of consulting projects. There are many divisions of the consulting process into stages. Any consulting project includes the following main stages:

diagnostics (problem identification);

development of solutions;

implementation of solutions.

The consulting process, in addition to the project stage, includes pre-project and post-project stages. The initial step of the pre-project stage is the recognition by the client that he has such a problem, the solution of which he would like to implement with the help of consultants. This recognition is the result of a two-way process: on the one hand, the client's awareness of the existence of a problem as such, on the other hand, the formation of a manager's desire to entrust the development of a solution to the problem to consultants. Typically, the client selects on a competitive basis from several proposals the one that best suits him in terms of quality and price, after which he concludes a contract with the consultant of his choice.

The post-project stage consists in analyzing the changes that have taken place in the client organization, resolving issues related to the possible expansion of the project in connection with new problems - either identified during the implementation of the project, or arising as a result of the organization reaching a new state as a result of the project. As part of this stage, the final financial settlements of the client with the consultant and self-analysis of the consultant's activities are also carried out in order to comprehend the experience gained for use in other projects.

A consulting project can take from several days to several months. When solving problems, an integrated approach is used, which takes into account the relationship of various aspects of the enterprise. To achieve maximum efficiency in the implementation of consulting projects, a project team is created, which includes experts in various subject areas and managers who manage the project. When making decisions, diagnosing problems and developing recommendations, methods of organizing the collective work of the project team are widely used.

The main task of the consulting project is to achieve the highest possible quality of solving the problem while observing financial and time constraints. Process consulting is a method for developing and changing organizations. The purpose of this method is to increase productivity and / or improve the psychological climate in the organization, achieved with the participation of an independent, external consultant. The focus is not only on solving the actual problems of the organization, but also on acquiring the skills of analyzing, evaluating and solving customer problems. In this sense, the consultant must perform two tasks: on the one hand, to monitor the solution of existing problems, on the other hand, to show the organization's ways to independently solve pressing issues in the future. The degree of client involvement in a consulting project varies depending on the types of consulting services. By comparing the time spent by the client's staff and the results of the consultant's work, it is possible to determine the required degree of staff involvement in the consultant's activities.

The effectiveness of the consultant's work will be minimal if the client does not participate in it at all. Further, this efficiency grows as the client's involvement increases, and after reaching the optimal point, the efficiency begins to fall, therefore, the client begins to do his work for the consultant. Of course, the curve of this graph will change depending on the type of problems being solved, on the stage or phase of the consulting project and, of course, on the type of consulting services.

In expert consulting, the client provides the consultant with information, controls his activities, learns his recommendations and makes appropriate management decisions. With process - the client, in addition to the above, takes part in the development of recommendations and, with training - the client's staff spends additional time on training sessions. In specific projects or at their various stages, combinations of all three of the listed types of consulting can be used, and then it becomes expert-process, process-training, expert-training, etc. The work of the consultant begins with the fact that some condition is recognized as unsatisfactory and there is an opportunity to correct it. Such work ends when there has been a change in this condition that can be considered an improvement. The work of a consultant includes the interaction of various types of business activity, affects the technological, economic, financial, legal, psycho-social, political and other aspects of the organization's activities. All changes, conceived and implemented with the help of a consultant, should improve the quality of management and increase the efficiency of the organization.

There are several typical consulting assignments depending on the quality or level of the situation faced by the client organization:

the task of correcting a situation that has worsened;

the task of improving the situation that already exists;

the task of creating a completely new situation.

Two aspects of possible changes in the client organization should also be noted:

· a technical aspect relating to the nature of the managerial or commercial problem faced by the client; the consultant finds ways to analyze and solve it;

the human side, i.e. the relationship between the consultant and the client, the reaction of people in the client's organization to changes; the consultant helps in planning these relationships and their implementation.

Effective counseling shows how to deal with these two aspects of organizational change. These issues are interrelated and the consultant must understand this. "Change is the essence of management consulting. If the various forms of consulting assignments have one thing in common, it is to help plan and implement change in client organizations."

The characteristics of the changes are as follows:

· the extent to which their approval by staff is important for their successful implementation;

How profound is the impact of changes on the enterprise;

How ready is the company for change?

The object of consulting for management consultants is always the first person of the organization (manager) with all his problems - financial, personnel, social, etc. Management consultants can be divided into at least two groups: specialists and generalists or generalists. Experts innovate. They keep themselves up to date with all the latest developments in a particular area of ​​expertise.

Generalists offer methods. They deal with several areas of management and focus on their interaction, coordination and integration. In "value" consulting, consultants-specialists (ideologists, innovators, trainers) "inculcate" new value orientations in the client organization through training, social and psychological trainings, negotiation technologies, work in groups. This consulting happens with the participation of consultants in the work on "total" quality, in management, in the organization's orientation towards the client.

Generalists carry out problem consulting of a process or project. They are usually involved in preliminary organizational diagnostics, negotiations with clients, planning and coordination of assignments, drawing conclusions, presenting final proposals to clients, etc. Generalists perform supervisory and managerial functions. When consulting a project, the consultant diagnoses problems and offers his solutions. Generalists provide advice on: organization goals, organization strategy, organizational structure, organizational culture, type of organization development, leadership, conflicts, etc.

In management consulting, the generalist creates a situation for the personnel of the organization, who himself reveals his condition, and, realizing it, finds ways to solve his problem, difficulty, idea.

However, the point is not to oppose generalists and specialists, but to combine their skills and abilities to achieve a greater overall effect. In many consulting firms there are both specialists and generalists, between whom there is a certain division of labor.

There is also a division into external and internal consultants. External consultants are independent, experienced and provide services to clients on the basis of an appropriate contract. Internal consultants are full-time specialists in the economics and management of a particular organization

The key qualities of consultants can be noted: broad public interests; self-confidence: objectivity, prudence, mental and intellectual balance; flexibility of mind: validity and perseverance in finding solutions, analytical skills, tactical and strategic thinking; technical skills: academic training, practical methods of work; experience: from work in enterprises, from activities as a consultant; knowledge of the industry and the subject of consulting: theoretical, practical.

Consider the main tasks that consultants perform.

1. General management consultants solve problems related to the very existence of a business and its prospects.

2. Business Administration Consultants solve business problems i.e. help to optimize the management of the organization.

3. Financial management consultants assist in solving three main tasks: finding sources of financing and its effective use; analysis of the financial activities of the organization and increase its efficiency; prospective strengthening financial position organizations.

4. Human resources consultants assist managers in optimizing the attraction and use of human resources.

5. Marketing consultants assist the organization in such a way that the products produced will be purchased by the consumer.

6. Production management consultants solve tasks related to engineering, audit and quality control, etc.

7. Information technology consultants solve problems related to the design and implementation of information technology in the enterprise.

8. Consultants for specialized services solve specialized tasks that are not related to any of the listed types of services, and differ from them in methods, in objects, or in the nature of the knowledge introduced.

To be successful, the consultant should (ideally): know the methods that are applied when working with the organization in various aspects organizational activities; know the areas of application of these methods and their limitations, be able to choose them depending on the task and taking into account existing conditions (limitations) and systematically, comprehensively apply; technologize your work as much as possible, reducing your activities from art to technology, know the sequence of steps that most likely lead to success in consulting, clearly formulate the result of the work and ways to achieve it; don't be afraid to apply Information Technology and be able to determine which of them are most effective in each specific case.

These requirements can be met by firms and teams of consultants that have at their disposal experienced diversified specialists with systems thinking, who are able to look at the problem as a whole and offer effective solution that takes into account all aspects of the problem.

Necessary conditions for the effectiveness of the solution:

the complexity of the applied approaches, that is, the application of methods from various areas of management consulting, taking into account their mutual compatibility and the specific situation

Completeness of the decision in the sense that the decision should contain not only recommendations on how and what to do, but also a set of measures for their implementation, and more? the solution must be implemented in practice (otherwise it is not a solution in the full sense of the word). This requires from the consultant not only the ability to "come, figure it out and offer something", but also the ability to implement in a particular organization what he proposed (again using a set of methods).

To understand the specifics of management consulting in our country, it will be useful to consider the stages of its formation.

The beginning of the development of management consulting technologies in Russia dates back to the twenties of this century, when the movement for the scientific organization of labor was gaining strength everywhere, which was the prototype of management consulting in modern form, and also developed organizational theory, studied Western experience in improving production. Organizations such as the Central Institute of Labor, the trust “Ustanovka”, “Orgstroy”, experimental station CIT, Orga-station, Orgburo.

The main directions in the development of management science were a systematic approach, mathematical analysis and modeling, the activities of the service for the study and improvement of the production and management process, the concept of the “mechanism service relations”, social engineering, the doctrine of organizational charts, the system of material incentives for advanced workers, professional selection, central information and research bureaus, the creation of “databases” and other developments of the first quarter of the century. The main thing in the activity of the Russian institutes and laboratories of the NOT was the creation of systematized concepts in the field of labor organization and management. At the same time, the combination of methodological and concrete-applied research became the most important regularity in the development of scientific research and management in the 1920s. Academic research during this period was closely intertwined with practical work. Most of the research institutes were at the same time rationalization centers. Of particular interest are the ways of introducing scientific knowledge into production, the experience of rationalization and advisory work of self-supporting consulting trusts, such as the "Installation" of the Central Institute of Labor, "Orgstroy" of the Institute of Management Technology and others.

In the twenties, the so-called “org games” were used to train the organizers, one of the initiators of which was Dobrynin V.V. And in 1932, under the leadership of Birshtein M.M. the world's first business game was developed and held on the topic “Deployment of the production of the assembly shop of the newly built plant typewriters during the launch period.

In fact, NOTovtsy were the prototypes of internal and external consultants in enterprises. In the thirties - fifties, all activities to improve management were curtailed.

In the sixties the situation changed. Economic reform contributed to the expansion of independence. Stimulation of personal initiative prompted the study of not only the economy, but also the theory of management, the patterns of development of labor collectives, and methods of managing them. Therefore, the revival of interest in the NOT movement, the appearance of translations of the works of Western scientists on management, marketing, management consulting, management psychology, and analysis of Western management systems looked quite natural. The most important of these works are discussed in the first paragraph.

At the present stage of development of management consulting, the institution of external and internal consulting is being formed and approved, and the market for professional consulting services is being formed. Professional communities are emerging, such as the Association of Management and Organizational Development Consultants (AKUOR), the Association of Economics and Management Consultants (AKEU), the Moscow Club of Business and Political Consultants, and also the School of Management Consultants, the only one in Russia so far .

Currently in Russia there are many views on the problems of management consulting. There are many schools, approaches, methods that consider the problems of the organization and the construction of ways to solve them. The market of consulting services, which was formed in Russia in Lately, is a prime example of this.

One of the features of management in Russia is the underestimation of social technologies. This is connected both with the historical conditions of the country's development and with the structure of the formed management. This attitude is also due to the isolation of scientific research from practice, from the specific tasks of specific industries, while science, engaged in the development of fundamental problems, is able to provide priority in the creation of new technologies and products, expand the resource and information base production, increase the role of human creative participation in the dynamics of organizational and technical systems. In particular, consulting technologies can be significantly enriched by turning to sociology, sociological knowledge.

The last decade in Russia is characterized by an increase in the number of specialized firms that provide clients with a range of services in the field of management consulting: business process reengineering; selection and implementation of a corporate information system, management of organizational changes. This set of services helps clients improve internal processes, thereby increasing the efficiency of the company. Management consulting is a joint work of a consultant and a client on the development of an enterprise, the result of which is a real improvement in the work of the company.

Collaboration can consist of several stages: studying enterprises and its diagnostics: analysis of managerial enterprise structure, financial activity analysis enterprise analysis of the psychological climate, analysis of information flow analysis distribution problems; implementation of recommendations: holding regular consultations with enterprise managers on the implementation of the action plan; regular monitoring of the results of ongoing work; Summing up and discussion of the report on the work done by the management of the company. Additional services: organization of programs training and internships, both in Russia and abroad, organization of presentations, organization advertising and PR campaigns. Business process reengineering is aimed at conducting a thorough analysis of existing processes and implementing business process improvements that can quickly provide positive results for the company, as well as form the requirements for the future. information system enterprises. One of the main problems of companies operating in Russia is the low efficiency and reliability of management information.