Performance consulting
Encyclopedia
Performance consulting, sometimes referred to as high performance consulting, is a subdiscipline of consulting
that seeks to understand and develop a holistic strategy to change performance; the results typically include changes in measurement strategy, education, staffing, and toolkits. Its goals can be summarized in the slogan "work smarter, not harder".
. Often an integrated approach is used - a combination of personal coaching, professional training, and team building. The sub-specialty of organizational development devoted to nurturing leaders is called leadership development
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Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
that seeks to understand and develop a holistic strategy to change performance; the results typically include changes in measurement strategy, education, staffing, and toolkits. Its goals can be summarized in the slogan "work smarter, not harder".
Types of Performance Consulting
Performance consulting can be divided into three sub-specialties:- organizational development specialists help organizations improve the effectiveness of their staff by changing the psychodynamics of the organization.
- professional developmentProfessional developmentProfessional development refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. Professional development encompasses all types of facilitated learning opportunities, ranging from college degrees to formal coursework, conferences and informal learning...
specialists help organizations improve the effectiveness of their staff by providing technical and professional training. - personal coaches help individuals be more effective in the personal or workplace lives. The profession draws its inspiration from sports coaching, psychotherapyPsychotherapyPsychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
, philosophical traditionsPhilosophyPhilosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and religious traditionsReligionReligion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
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Related Consulting specialties
When performance consulting is used to improve the quality of an organization's management team or to nurture the development of up and coming leaders, it becomes a specialized form of management consultingManagement consulting
Management consulting indicates both the industry and practice of helping organizations improve their performance primarily through the analysis of existing organizational problems and development of plans for improvement....
. Often an integrated approach is used - a combination of personal coaching, professional training, and team building. The sub-specialty of organizational development devoted to nurturing leaders is called leadership development
Leadership development
Leadership development refers to any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. These activities have ranged from MBA style programs offered at university business schools to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats.- Developing...
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