This article is the first in a series designed to help consultants maximize the value they get as a member of IMC USA.
Getting value from a professional association like IMC USA is not a passive experience. When you join a professional organization, it’s better to be proactive about your membership to get the best return on your investment.
One of the first things to do to increase your value as a member is to get to know the organization. Here are some actions you can take to better understand and leverage the value IMC USA offers.
Understand the Mission, Vision and Values of IMC USA
The Mission of IMC USA is to promote excellence and ethics in consulting through certification, education and other resources.
IMC USA’s Vision is: “IMC USA is the community of professional consultants who define excellence and advance ethics for the management consulting profession.”
Our value proposition is that “IMC USA is a powerful network and vibrant community of professional consultants. It provides a springboard for members to exchange ideas, accelerate business growth, strengthen practical knowledge and enhance client relationships.”
Action Item: Learn more about IMC USA’s Mission, Vision and Values here.
Understand IMC USA’s Definition of Management Consultant
One of the conundrums new members (and sometimes existing members) may have is thinking “My specialty is IT/HR/Marketing/Supply Chain/etc. Am I really a Management Consultant?” The beginning of IMC USA (The Institute of Management Consultants USA) harkens back to the 1960s and 70s when the focus of Management Consultants was strategic planning, operational efficiency and capital allocation. Today IMC USA’s expanded definition of a Management Consultant is much more inclusive:
“A Management Consultant shall be defined as one who helps organizations to solve issues, create value, maximize growth, and improve performance through the application of their knowledge, techniques, and assets to provide objective advice, expertise, and specialist skills which the organization may be lacking.”
Action Item: How do you solve issues, create value, maximize growth and improve performance for your clients? Weave your answer into your elevator pitch, marketing materials and bios or profiles.
Meet Your Board of Directors
Visit the Board page on IMC USA’s website in the About section. You’ll see photos, names and titles and be able to read the biography of each Director on the Board. All Directors on IMC USA’s Board are Certified Management Consultants® (CMCs). CMCs have proven that they meet and exceed the highest professional standards for technical competency, ethics, and global consulting competencies. They have proven that they have successful consulting methodologies and satisfied clients. Most importantly for our Board, they work from the same framework of consulting, follow the Code of Ethics and Code of Conduct, which puts them on the same playing field.
The Board meets regularly to define and refine IMC USA strategy and implement initiatives that benefit and grow the health of the organization and its members.
The Chair, Immediate Past Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer form an Executive Committee that keeps close watch on the day-to-day operational activities of IMC USA.
Action Item: Reach out to a Board member to introduce yourself via email or on LinkedIn. You’ll widen your network of contacts and learn something about another IMC USA member and a leader of the organization. You might also thank them for their service. They are all volunteers who do not get paid for the extensive time they spend directing the operations of IMC USA.
Read and understand the IMC USA Code of Ethics
All members of IMC USA are expected to adhere to its Code of Ethics. In summary the code provides a guide to ensuring that consultants in IMC USA:
- Accept only those consulting assignments for which they are qualified.
- Render impartial, independent advice and avoid conflicts of interest.
- Safeguard confidential information of their clients and colleagues.
- Agree in advance with the client on the basis for their fees.
- Develop realistic, practical and sustainable solutions for clients.
Action Item: Read the complete Code of Ethics for consultants in IMC USA. Note that IMC USA does enforce the code of ethics with formal systematic reviews. To further your understanding of ethical issues in consulting, IMC USA offers training and programs about Ethics in consulting and publishes ethical consulting case studies for you to use to self-evaluate your knowledge of ethics in consulting.
Read and understand the IMC USA Consulting Code of Conduct
The IMC USA Code of Conduct serves as guidelines or “rules of engagement” for our behavior as one goes about the practice of consulting.
The Code of Conduct guidelines require that consultants including:
- Serve the interest of clients, making sure your advice is relevant, objective, professional.
- Serve the interest of society, ensuring your work follows laws and regulations, in keeping with social, environmental and wider corporate responsibility as well as current cultural norms. Ensure your consulting deliverable is sustainable.
- Serve the interests of the organization you work for, safeguarding its reputation and assets, follow procedures and represent the organization in a lawful and proper manner.
- Serve the interests of your colleagues, ensuring all receive fair treatment and opportunities in the workplace and all are individuals that deserve respect.
- Serve the interests of the Consulting Industry by respecting and promoting the profession to consultants, clients, your community and professional leaders.
Action Item: Review the consultants’ Code of Conduct and assess your level of compliance. What situations might you have encountered that did not follow this Code? What behaviors might you focus on to better support the above interests?
Our next Membership Matters articles will delve into the topics of the value of getting certified in IMC USA, how to learn more about the consulting industry, how to leverage educational opportunities from IMC USA, and the power of volunteering and networking to add more value for your membership.
Stay tuned, and thank you for being a member of IMC USA!
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