Consulting requires a lot of skills that are apparently absent in the workforce today. Or, if they are not fully absent, then they are slowly vanishing. Communication? Gone. Creative? Too scared to be unique. Leadership? That might be a bit above your paygrade.

Indeed, many of the attributes, skills, and tools necessary for consultants today are missing in action elsewhere. That’s no excuse why you, as a consultant, do not have them.

So, what are they? Here are the nine best consulting skills to succeed at your job:

1. Communication Skills

Communication is one of the essential consulting skills in the business world, particularly when you’re in consulting – both verbal and written. These consulting skills are essential for when hosting interviews, managing the team, composing business reports, and, of course, delivering presentations. Without it, you will not be good at your job, even if you use jargon, acronyms, and hand gestures.

Ultimately, strong communication is effective communication and your project will not fall apart.

2. Problem-Solving Skills

The whole point of a consultant is to identify the problems a company is facing and what the solutions are. You cannot just say, “Here’s an idea: Throw money at the problem.”

Your consulting firm needs to learn the ins and outs of the company, speak with a wide variety of people, and learn what the key issues the business faces. Once you have done this, then it is your time to propose a number of suggestions to remedying the setbacks that have impacted the enterprise’s bottom line. Problem-solving is key.

3. Creative Skills

Being creative isn’t just for an art career. Creativity is essential for pretty much every position in any field.

Indeed, a creative persona will ensure that you can think outside the box, see around corners, and see between the lines. There are too many consultants today who stick to the book and apply the same ostensible solutions to varying problems. You should never become that person or firm.

Remember, being creative also means being original. You might have ideas that others have not tried before. And that’s a good thing!

4. Tech-Savvy Skills

Let’s be honest: If a business is not using the latest technology, then it will not be competitive. Most companies today – large or small, seasoned or startup – are taking advantage of computers, the Internet, mobile devices, applications, software, and the list goes on.

It is your job, as someone who is excellent with technology, to show clients how critical is to have technology serve as an important element of their business models. Also, we are talking real tech-savvy, not just someone who knows how to tweet, check email, and compose documents on Word.

5. Leadership Skills

To be a consultant, you need to a leader. You can’t just be a follower or a yes man. Otherwise, you will never conjure up real solutions to big problems. You will only spout the same old clichés that do not mean anything anymore.

• “Synergy is the way forward.”
• “It is a low-hanging fruit that is affecting the business.”
• “You need to be data-driven!”
• “Let’s circle back to what made you worried in the first place.”
• “That’s a $64,000 question, so we need more time and money.”

Sorry to say, but leaders do not utter such nonsensical tropes.

6. Commercial Awareness

Management consultants need to know about business environments, industry trends, and where other businesses specializing in this niche are heading. Having your hand in the sand and only popping up when someone is calling your name will not get you very far. And, you know what? It will eventually show because you will not produce any results.

Whether you work in finance or marketing, you always need to keep an eye on what is going on around you.

7. Teamwork

Do you think consultancy means you’re a one-man band? Hardly. In consulting, you will be working with a roster of experts and veterans, skilled and rookies. Moreover, your firm will also be collaborating with team members from the company that hired you. All of this requires teamwork and the ability to function well as a unit.

Remember, you are all on the same team and have a common goal: Grow the business.

8. Organization Skills

Unfortunately, organization is one of those consulting skills sorely lacking in every industry, even though the tools are there to help you out. That said, being organized is a must-have attribute in consulting because you need to manage employees, keep records, update documents, collect data, and work with spreadsheets and charts.

If everything is all over the place, then you will lose track of the main goal.

9. Flexibility

An emergency meeting on a weekend? A sudden change of plans in the middle of the afternoon? Clients are only available on weeknights? An employee needed to take two days off because he or she is sick? These do sound like undesirable situations, but this is what being flexible is all about.

So, you need some consulting? OK. Let’s hire a consultant you on your consultant’s consulting while your consultants are consulting. Does that sound reasonable? Of course not! Consultants get a bad reputation. Some of it is deserved, some of it is not. But you can contribute to a world where consultants are not vilified, scorned, and outright disrespected. Can you do it? Well, if you have the skills, then you certainly can.