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Collaborative Group Working

Posted At : June 3, 2009 3:53 PM | Posted By : Fran Wilkinson

As part of the CDC’s Learning & Development programme, I recently attended the ‘Collaborative Group Working’ (CGW) course, which I’d highly recommend to anybody.

Collaboration is at the heart of Capgemini’s methodology and centres on working with the client every step of the way. The CGW course teaches you to put into practice the different core consulting tools and techniques, learning how to use them creatively through behaviour and use of space to encourage collaboration.

Using psychoanalytical assessments such as Belbin and Coloured-Thinking, we were each informed of our strengths and potential weaknesses in a team environment. Over the next two-days, as well as playing to our strengths, we also strove to step out of our comfort zones and build our confidence in less familiar team roles.

We also learnt how to facilitate workshops, in order to draw out information from a range of stakeholders, without influencing the outcome. This is a key skill that will prove invaluable throughout your career in Capgemini, especially in roles at the Accelerated Solutions Environment (ASE).

CGW is a really action-packed and interactive couple of days. All attendees are encouraged to put their new skills into practice, and given the opportunity to offer and receive feedback. In the spirit of feedback, I’d say this course is excellent and really helps you to discover a lot about yourself.

Frances Wilkinson is an Associate Consultant who joined the CDC in September 2008. She is currently working on a major bid.

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We are in the people business

Posted At : June 1, 2009 7:17 PM | Posted By : Justin Chin

Whereas other industries use the latest technologies, methodologies and tools to develop solutions, consulting engagements rely on the developing trusting relationships with people (clients and colleagues alike). The ability to listen to what is said and what is not said is vital to develop trust with people.

On Capgemini’s graduate scheme, you have numerous opportunities to work in different industries and client sites to learn and understand different people’s motivations and aspirations. Understanding their differences and adapting accordingly is always a challenge, and a great way to learn how to work and interact with people.

In the last year, I have had the fortuity to work on several varied client projects, from creating a communications plan for a public sector education organisation, running team building event days, to supporting the project management office of a large government change project. In each and every engagement, I had to understand why people were motivated to work the way they do, and to develop effective solutions to get them where they wanted.

I am interested in understanding how people interact with each other. Consulting is a people business and with the opportunities available, this is why I chose a career in consultancy at Capgemini.

Justin Chin is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in March 2008. He is currently working on a process mapping deliverable for a public sector organisation in London.

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The start of my consulting career…

Posted At : May 27, 2009 8:24 PM | Posted By : David Kunzmann

After returning from my travels earlier this year, it was finally time to kick-off my consulting career with Capgemini. New joiners take part in a two-week induction programme, ran by members of the Consulting Development Community (CDC). You stay away in a variety of pleasant hotels, which gives you a taster of life as a consultant. The schedule included team games, presentations from the leadership team (including Tom Blacksell, CEO), interactive sessions on consulting skills and evening socials, all culminating in a short case study at the end.

All of this sounds quite daunting, but it was a fantastic experience. The induction is run solely for the new graduate intake, and as so it has a great social atmosphere. The evenings provide a chance to relax and get to know your new colleagues, and there is plenty of organised fun as well. I had to organise a Monday Night of Fun, which I did on a “monsters of consulting theme” – all-in-all quite random but very enjoyable.

The sessions in the day start to build core consulting skills such as storyboarding, effective meeting management, presentation skills and strategic analysis. The sessions are run by experts across the business, and as such you get to meet a lot of people in a short space of time. It was incredibly valuable to meet so many people, as building up a network of contacts is important in a consultant’s career.

On the final Friday we were all told where our first project assignments would be. It was time to say some temporary goodbyes as we were all sent to various parts of the country to put the skills that we had learned into practice. After the induction I had made some fantastic friendships and was very excited about getting my career with Capgemini going.

David Kunzmann is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini in March 2009.

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“10 ways to tell you are becoming a management consultant”

Posted At : March 3, 2009 1:14 PM | Posted By : Michael Gardner

Even though I have been with Capgemini for only 6 months, I am beginning to see my own transformation from a student into a fledgling consultant. The following are the signs to look out for:

PowerPoint becomes your baby – You will quickly learn that a consultant’s number one weapon has been laying low on your laptop for years. Your expertise will rocket as you begin to create presentations, displays and reports.
Upgrading your suitcase – Working away from home is a key part of the consultant’s lifestyle. I have spent 2 out of 6 months travelling across the UK, usually from Monday to Thursday. The upside is that you get a chance to socialise with your team and see new places.
Brown paper will be a mystery no more! – As a graduate, you will be involved in preparing and running workshops. You will quickly learn how to create presentations using large rolls of brown paper, used as a tangible means of working through client problems.
You become more insightful into Global business – As you work on roles across private and public sector clients, your knowledge of business and current market issues will broaden. For me, working for a large retail client at the height of the downturn gave me an insight into how our economy is making an impact.
You can remember the train timetable – You will spend more time on trains and tubes than ever before. Try and think of something to pass the time – I like to either watch a video on my laptop or have a browse of the Metro.
More points please! - Seeing as you stay in hotels, it’s always a good idea to get the points and air miles too. I chose to build up my air miles and within 6 months have enough for a return flight to Spain, Ole!
Aiming high – You will be working with like minded individuals who are constantly searching for the next adventure. Whether this involves trekking across South America to running mini entrepreneurial projects, you will feel inspired to get more out of life.
Out of the box business – At Capgemini, we pride ourselves on our charity work. We currently have teams involved with the Prince’s Trust getting ready to traverse Borneo. Someone even set up a charity, the Naandi Foundation which supports Indian girls education.
Get a new watch – When at university, wearing a watch was never the top priority. As a consultant you will learn and master time management, being on the ball and meeting deadlines on a daily basis.
A second tongue – Consultants are renowned for using business jargon like ‘blue sky thinking’ and ‘Al Desco’ (lunch at your desk). However, over time you will pick up a fluency in the more common everyday vocabulary used across businesses.

Michael is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in September 2008. He is currently working in the Department for children, schools and families.

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“Don’t you just do IT consulting?”

Posted At : February 20, 2009 5:52 PM | Posted By : Matthew Ford

“One of the world’s largest information technology, management consulting, outsourcing and professional services companies”, claims Wikipedia.

“An implementation-focused management consulting and Information Technology services group”, states our own website.

In response to one of the questions I’m repeatedly asked – “Don’t you just do IT consulting?” – the answer is simply, well, no…

As mentioned in the previous blog, many of the projects undertaken by Capgemini do have an IT or technology focus. This could involve designing the process requirements for a new ERP system for instance or helping to manage a client’s transition to a new intranet system. However, having just recently completed my second project since joining in September 2008, I can safely say that at Capgemini Consulting, we work on a wide variety of different types of project, ranging from designing a new business strategy for a Government Department to implementing a large-scale transformation programme for a major utilities company.

Capgemini Consulting’s major service offering is end-to-end transformation consulting – from strategy to execution – which is extremely different from just IT consulting. The skills required to be a good consultant at Capgemini Consulting include strong analytical, interpretation, presentation and inter-personal skills, not, as some people believe, knowledge of IT systems or enterprise applications. My academic background, for instance is in History, not Computer Sciences.

So for all those people out there whose technology skills, like my own, don’t stretch much further than PowerPoint and Excel, Capgemini Consulting is an ideal place to start your management consulting career. If you want to work in a challenging, cutting edge (and also fun) environment, then a career in consulting at Capgemini could be just for you…

Matthew is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in September 2008. He is currently working on an Analysis & Design project for a major transportation company.

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Technology savvy..? No, me neither!

Posted At : February 15, 2009 8:38 PM | Posted By : Jessica Childs

Many people think of Capgemini as a technology company. Although it is highly likely that you will be placed on project roles that are IT related, it is reassuring to know that you don’t need to be technologically gifted to participate fully in project life. All you need is a lot of common sense, great people skills and the capacity to learn quickly.

Since November, I have been on a highly technology based project: the last place I thought I would end up for my first main role. I was pretty apprehensive at first, however the support has been fantastic and we have had daily training/catch up sessions to ensure none of the team feels out of their depth.

In short: the project I am working on is introducing a brand new IT solution into a large Government Department. I have personally been the face-off to ten of the clients for the project (which has been great exposure and the kind of responsibility you can expect to encounter very early on in your career at Capgemini). I have had to communicate frequently and in a clear, concise manner, the technology requirements and propositions of the project. This has been a great learning process as I have been required to quickly understand technology terms, concepts, etc and then relay these messages back to the client side.

My role so far has been to make this seemingly technology based project as humanly friendly as possible so that those on the client side can embrace the change. This approach seems to encompass a lot of the projects at Capgemini: so, if you had any worries that this company is too technologically focused for you: think again! Capgemini welcomes graduates from all kinds of degree backgrounds with all kinds of different skills and this is what makes it such a great place to work.

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But I didn't do business at uni...

Posted At : February 10, 2009 10:23 PM | Posted By : Megan Russell

…nor did the other four graduates at my assessment day. Most of my intake didn’t either. So what is it that makes us Capgemini material? To me, it isn’t the grades and qualifications that set us apart, but the fact that my colleagues’ pasts range from caring for cheetahs in Africa to performing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Don’t get me wrong, rearing wild animals does not quite bear resemblance to my day to day life in the CDC. What I mean is that the people I have met here share the ability to embrace a challenge. Be it flying around the world hosting workshops for a month to racing through London dressed as Superman as part of the CDC Induction, everyone here can step out of their comfort zone and welcome new experiences.

And you won’t have to play the trumpet in front of a thousand strangers either; it just helps to be passionate about what you do and what you can achieve. One colleague created her own role within Capgemini’s Corporate Social Responsibility stream, introducing a new charity into the company to help educate young girls in India.

So what does make you Capgemini material? The answer is as simple as there is no stereotypically perfect consultant here; Capgemini material is having the personality to make your mark within the company.

Megan is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in September 2008. She is currently undertaking a Transformation role for an intranet project in London.

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The ASE & Me

Posted At : February 6, 2009 1:08 AM | Posted By : Nicholas Ashford

One of Capgemini’s unique selling points that differentiates itself from the competition is the ASE. Which is an acronym and doesn’t give much away. What it stands for is Accelerated Solutions Environment. The clue is in the title. In a nutshell, the ASE is about solving complex problems and driving out critical decisions from the very top of organisations.

I’m about a year into the Capgemini graduate scheme (CDC) I have spent the last four months on secondment in the ASE. Everyone has a unique journey through the CDC. My time in the ASE can certainly been a very different experience to any other type of consulting you can imagine - think movable walls, world class facilitators, the latest in audio-visual and technical equipment for starters – each event is both unique and bespoke, tailored exactly to the clients needs. Having worked with over 1 in 3 of FTSE 100 companies for the last 15 years, the ASE has consistently proven itself to be at the very top of the game.

So what has that meant for me? I have spent time working with the highest level management of both public and private companies whilst being coached by some of Capgemini’s most senior and talented people. The level of exposure to some of the country’s top CEOs is astounding and the training you receive in facilitation is second to none.

Hours are up and down, you could find yourself working 9am-5pm, working from home or working 6am-1am, but the payout is huge. When you solve a problem that a client has been wrestling with for 6 months in 3 days and their gratitude is proportionate, you get a buzz that lasts for days.

A unique place, with unique opportunities, what I have learnt is how to get the very best out of people in a very short space of time. And that has to be a good thing.

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Induction

Posted At : January 28, 2009 8:34 PM | Posted By : Jennifer Gordon

Preparations are currently underway for the March 2009 intake induction programme. I joined Capgemini in September 2008 with 25 other CDCers and found the programme to be a great introduction to Capgemini Consulting and our new colleagues. The induction was a two week residential programme split between Woking and London and based around an architecture theme. It was designed and facilitated by two fellow members of the CDC who really made us feel at ease because they had been through it all before. They were always on hand to offer us support and answer any questions we had and they ensured that the induction was really fun.

The time was focused on getting to know each other and how things work in Capgemini Consulting. Each day was intense but great fun, consisting of presentations from various people from Capgemini, case studies, games and workshops. As well as the formal presentations and exercises we also learnt a lot about life as a consultant: living out of a suitcase, hotel life, long days, little sleep and early morning train journeys. Every evening we had a meal together, taking it in turns to fulfil the role of “master of fun” and organise the evening’s games. Who knew you could have so much fun with pipe cleaners? We also partook in some more adventurous activities including go-carting and laser quest.

We attended dinners, drinks and events to get to know other people in Capgemini Consulting. I don’t think I had met so many people in such a short space of time since Fresher’s week. It was a struggle to remember where 25 other people came from, went to university, travelled to and worked at before they started at Capgemini. And there were also buddies, reviewers, management and the rest of the CDC to get to know. One of the highlights was ”the London Rush”, a treasure hunt across London, introducing us to our CDC families.

I learned so much on my induction and it was definitely one of the best training courses I have ever been on. At the end of the fortnight I felt exhausted but happy to have met so many great people and excited about starting work at Capgemini!

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Plenty of events + regular catch ups = happy consultants

Posted At : January 22, 2009 7:46 PM | Posted By : Sian Joseph

It's a very simple idea and Capgemini Consulting does it very well; by having regular events and lots if interaction the CDC maintains its sense of community, enables great friendships to form and makes Capgemini a more enjoyable place to work. As event stream lead I have been responsible for organising the events during the last four months ensuring that the CDC continues to achieve the above mentioned objectives. There is steering from management, but the fact that we organise the events for ourselves means that we create events that we would want to attend and ensures they are successful. There are three types of events and they can take on different forms as appropriate.

1. The highlight of our events calendar are the quarterly CDC meetings which are arranged to coincide with the induction of the new intake, giving everyone the opportunity to get to know each other right from the beginning and get networking. As well as the fun part at each meeting we get updated on how well Capgemini is doing in the market, how we as the CDC are contributing to this and also receive skills updates to help us develop. Previous meetings have included a massive treasure hunt across London (a big family competition which was competitively fought) and at venues including Imperial War Museum and HMS Hispaniola on the Thames.

2. Each month we organise a "Thursday Night of Fun (TNF)"; these are designed to be really informal and are scheduled to make sure that those on client site out of London can get back and catch up with everyone (including management).

3. As well as this we set up "Dial Deborah" teleconference calls during which CDCers can ask Deborah, the CDC Manager, any questions and raise concerns. CDCers raise questions anonymously (through the events stream) which avoids the possibility of having any "unaskable" questions and lets queries get solved giving everyone peace of mind.

Because we have so many chances to catch up it means we get to know our work colleagues really well, have lots of fun together and become friends. This not only creates a much more enjoyable place to work, but also ensures that there are plenty of people we feel comfortable in turning to for support or advice should it be needed. This makes us happy consultants.

Sian is an Associate Consultant who joined Capgemini Consulting in March 2009. She is currently undertaking a transformation role for an education based public body.

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