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CONSULTANTS WHO LOVE CONSULTING – TALHA HUSSAIN, CMC
Q1 In brief, describe how you entered the profession of management consulting, or when did you decide that management consulting was a profession that you wanted to enter?
My background is in Industrial Engineering (IE) so I'm accustomed to seeing the big picture of a system and how to dissect it piece by piece. That said I always felt that consulting in general is similar to the work that someone trained in the principals of IE performs.
However, I came to management consulting when I started to really apply the concepts to hospital operations. There I realized the importance of working with both frontline and management, and how vital it is to include every stakeholder in the discussion and during solution generation. Collectively, when I started to look into the CMC designation, I saw the similarities of the ethics standards and core competencies, and it resonated with my values and passion.
Q2 What do you love most about consulting?
I really like to chat with frontline staff and try to understand the gap between their voice and understanding of the work versus management. Often there is a disconnect and I really enjoy being in the midst of these conversations so that we can find solutions to the problems.
Q3 What do you like the least?
I don't like how anyone can call themselves a 'consultant' without being objectively assessed by an independent body. I feel it undermines the professionals who are truly working hard to maintain integrity of the profession.
Q4 What has been your most satisfying engagement and why?
As an internal consultant I work with a team who sometimes works collectively on a large problem. We recently worked on improving the Emergency Department flow at the hospital I work at. The reason it was very satisfying was because we took a completely different approach to solving the problem by doing live simulations of the project flow. The rewarding part was the post-event comments where attendees all appreciated our method as it provided them a sense of accomplishment.
Q5 What personality trait has helped you the most in your career?
I have always been a learner and taken feedback well. The former keeps you striving, and the latter helps you fix past mistakes.
Q6 Finally, if you were stranded on a desert island - What is one book and one luxury item you would take with you?
The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christenson – the reason I fell in love with innovation and always improving. And I would bring a Tissot T-touch watch to help navigate me off the island.
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Visit Talha's LinkedIn Page to learn more.
