“Profitability is an important issue for service-oriented businesses. From my experience, what differentiates a company with high profitability from an average one is the ability to build a business where everything is connected,” explains Carl Lindeborg, program director of Managing Professional Services.
Carl highlights the importance of having a common thread that ties everything together, from the way you choose customers, who you hire and your metrics to your rewards and incentives and how you structure your business. The program takes a holistic approach in addressing all the different components that have to work together and interact within an organization in order to succeed in the professional service industry.
“As a manager and leader, you need to understand the big picture and be able to communicate it. For consultant companies, employees are everything. That’s why it is so important that employees understand how everything is connected, which enables them to bring more value to the business.”
Why should people take the Managing Professional Services program?
“We need to continually gain new knowledge and inspiration to keep up with competitors and maintain a competitive edge in a changing world. Beyond just new knowledge and insight, the program also gives participants a broad toolbox that they can immediately apply to their own business. Every change creates a ripple effect that, in time, can make a huge difference.”
A significant portion of the program is the chance for participants to share their different experiences from different parts of the service industry.
“By letting participants exchange experiences, the program also gives them insight into how other companies go about things, which in turn gives participants new perspectives on how they can do things differently in their own organization. Regardless of if a participant is an architect or IT consultant, they all face similar challenges and can easily relate to each other. Additionally, once the program ends, many participants find their new and expanded network to be a huge benefit.”
Normal challenges within the service sector include hiring the right skills and working with new generations that are entering the labor market for the first time.
“Talent management is vital in the service industry, given that employees are a company’s most important resource. That’s also where we’ll most likely see the biggest shifts overall as society changes. One of the most important questions right now is how we get new generations, entering the labor market today, to achieve their full potential within companies whose structures were created for another generation.”
What is your role in the program?
“As the program director, I am responsible for creating the best possible learning environment, ensuring that every part of the program ties into the next and making sure we proactively adapt the program’s content to the needs of the group. My hope is that participants leave the program feeling more confident in their leadership abilities and feel that they are better equipped to handle a broad spectrum of situations.”
“FOR CONSULTANT COMPANIES, EMPLOYEES ARE EVERYTHING. THAT’S WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THEY UNDERSTAND HOW EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED, WHICH ENABLES THEM TO BRING MORE VALUE TO THE BUSINESS.”
