Why you should engage a Certified Management Consultant
Choosing a management consultant doesn't have to be a gamble!
You are looking at engaging a consultant to help you on a project, but there are so many to choose from, covering a wide range of competencies and skills, even the industry sectors they serve. So, how do you choose one that best suits you? Perhaps the easiest and safest solution is to look for a Certified Management Consultant.
CMC® is the differentiator and guarantee that you are hiring a consultant who has been independently certificated as possessing the skills and experience necessary for the successful completion your project.
As IMC USA says "When selecting a management consultant, clients are well advised to seek individuals who meet the profession's standards of competence and ethics. The CMC® designation is a valuable aid in this quest. Certification by the Institute of Management Consultants is the mark of excellence among management consulting professionals."
So, what does (CMC®) Certification mean?
CMC® stands for Certified Management Consultant. This designation indicates that a management consultant meets the international standards of competence, education, experience, and ethical conduct set by the Institute of Management Consultants.
When you see the CMC®mark above on the business card, website or letterhead of a consultant, it means that he or she has met strict certification requirements of the Institute of Management Consultants in one of the 43 member nations of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes (ICMCI). ICMCI sets rigorous global standards for technical competency and professional conduct for management consultants.
When you deal with a Management Consultant who is properly certified, you will be working with someone who is Recommended, Trusted, Committed and Proven. You know that you have the consultant's commitment to your work as their first priority, that the consultant has the experience to practice in their field, and that the consultant practices at the highest standard of ethics.
Recommended: Part of the certification process includes client recommendations. When you engage a Certified Management Consultant, you will be working with a consultant who has been recommended for his accomplishments by other clients, for the way the consultant works with people, and for the results that he achieves.
Trusted: Ethics. High ethical standards are maintained by the Institute for Management Consultants. As part of the certification process, consultants ascribe in writing to these standards of behaviour, as they relate to:
- accepting only those client engagements they are qualified to perform;
- rendering impartial, independent advice;
- developing realistic and practical solutions to client problems;
- agreeing with the client in advance on the basis for professional charges; and
- safeguarding confidential client information,
The profession monitors performance against these standards, and when necessary, investigates complaints and takes disciplinary action.
Commitment to Clients: Before any consultant can even be considered for certification, they must have been practicing full-time internal or external consulting for at least 3 and more probably 5 years. When you are dealing with a properly certified management consultant, you are not dealing with someone who is temporarily offering services until some other opportunity arises, you are dealing with someone who is committed to staying with your engagement through completion. Your satisfaction with the results of the engagement are the consultant's primary interest in terms of their own future, as well as yours.
Proven track record: The amount and quality of experience, plus the consultant's ability to apply this experience successfully to solve clients' problems, are judged both by consulting peers and by prior clients. So you know that there is a proven track record with a certified consultant.
Education and experience are requisites for certification. Education is normally at the college level, and frequently involves graduate and post-graduate degrees. Additional relevant experience is also required.
Because the Institute of Management Consultants is the independent awarding body for CMC®, you can be assured your CMC Consultant has completed a rigorous and demanding professional assessment of their skills and competence.