Monique Ho is a Technology Consulting Manager at Accenture UK. She was one of the integral individuals who helped to develop the ChMC award in 2019 when she worked as an Organisational Strategist at BAE Systems AI.
Monique says:
“I was inspired by the energy the founding firms, MCA and CMI put in. The ChMC scheme is a valuable opportunity to hold a mirror up to the industry. It means making sure firms have the right structure in place to support consultants for learning and development alongside their deliveries.”
Monique goes on to explain her journey from being part of the Working Group developing the ChMC Award to becoming Chartered.
“Being part of the working group developing this award in 2019, I was inspired by the energy the founding firms, MCA and CMI put in, and learnt about different L&D approaches. The Chartered status is a great acknowledgement of my 8-years of experience as a Management Consultant. This industry-recognised framework assures any clients of my delivery track record. This would allow me to contribute to more exciting projects and programmes, making our society a better place through technologies and empathy.”
The competency framework of the award sets high standards for practitioners in management consulting. Attaining the Chartered status demonstrates my readiness to take on more responsibilities as an experienced consultant. It also prepares me for more senior leadership roles.
The chartered application process helped consolidate my experience. Taking some time to reflect on the insights and learning on a range of projects and programmes, I was able to explore alternative ways of working and areas of development moving forwards.
The process has a strong emphasis on maintaining an up-to-date Career Development Plan. This encourages me to form a habit, setting aside designated time throughout the year to evaluate my progress and career trajectory. As the exercise is done outside of the context of performance review, there is a better focus on my personal development.
Being Chartered is not only a recognition of my experience as a management consultant but also the confidence in my commitment to creating positive impacts on society. I am also happy to demonstrate “it’s ok to have different styles of working.”
Whilst Chartered Management Consultants share similar competencies, management consulting is not an industry of clones, all consultants don’t look and speak the same way. After all, the profession, firms and individuals would get the most out of a diverse range of talents by truly embracing differences.
I look forward to connecting with other Chartered Management Consultants to exchange ideas to grow the industry. For example, showcasing an energised profession to the next generation of talent by more outreach work, challenging ourselves actively to practise meaningful diversity & inclusion in the workplace.