A Week in the Life of a Modern Work Management Consultant

In today’s fast-paced business environment, organisations are constantly seeking ways to streamline processes, improve project outcomes, and maximise productivity. This is where a Modern Work Management Consultant steps in. As someone who plays a pivotal role in transforming how businesses manage their projects, programmes and portfolios, my week is as dynamic as the challenges I help solve. Here’s a glimpse into a typical week in my role, shedding light on what it means to be at the forefront of modern work management.

The Morning Kick-off

Like most professionals, my day begins with catching up on emails and Microsoft Teams messages. This is a crucial step to ensure that no client request, colleague query, or project update goes unnoticed. Once I’ve cleared my inbox, I prepare for the first of many touchpoints, the daily stand-up.

These short meetings are a cornerstone of agile working, allowing the team to sync up, share progress, and address any blockers. It’s also a chance to outline the day’s priorities, ensuring alignment across ongoing projects.

High-Level Workshops: Setting the Vision

One of the primary responsibilities of my role is facilitating high-level workshops. These sessions are all about understanding a customer’s current project delivery process their ‘as-is’ state, then exploring where they want to go, their ‘to-be’ state.

Today’s high-level workshop is with a client embarking on a project management transformation journey. We discuss their workflows, pain points, and aspirations. By mapping out their current processes, we uncover gaps and identify opportunities for improvement. This session is not about diving into the technical details but rather focusing on strategic goals and aligning them with practical solutions.

Low-Level Workshops: Diving into the Details

Once the high-level objectives are clear, it’s time to delve deeper. The low-level workshops focus on granular details, such as designing a bespoke solution within Microsoft Project for the Web.

For instance, I may collaborate with stakeholders to define custom fields, workflows, and user roles. These workshops also explore how supporting technologies within the Microsoft technology such as Power Automate, Power BI, SharePoint, and Teams can enhance their solution.

In today’s session, we brainstorm a Power Automate flow to streamline project approval processes. By automating notifications and approvals in Teams, the client can eliminate delays and improve communication efficiency. These deep-dive workshops are highly interactive, ensuring that every feature aligns with the client’s needs and ways of working.

Building the Solution: From Vision to Reality

The second part of my role is all about development. Once the discovery phase is complete and the requirements are well-documented, I start building the solution within the Microsoft Power Platform.

This can involve:

· Designing a model-driven application using Project for the Web, complete with custom tables, fields, and business process flows.

· Creating complex Power Automate flows to automate routine tasks, such as triggering notifications, synchronising data, or updating SharePoint lists.

· Developing insightful Power BI reports that pull real-time data from the application to provide a single source of truth for project metrics and performance tracking.

· Configuring security roles within an environment to ensure users have the appropriate access levels for their roles.

This hands-on work demands both technical expertise and a strong understanding of client requirements.

Training and Empowerment

A key part of my role is ensuring that customers can confidently use and maintain the solutions I deliver. This involves conducting training workshops for both administrators and end-users.

For example, I might run an administrator training session to equip IT teams with the knowledge they need to manage the Project for the Web instance, handle user permissions, and troubleshoot common issues.

Additionally, we run user training workshop with a groups of project managers. These session focuses on how to navigate the application, create and manage projects, and leverage reporting tools for better decision-making. It’s immensely satisfying to see users embrace the system and understand how it can make their jobs easier.

Customer Engagement and Support

As a consultant, building relationships with clients is vital. Throughout the week, I may join calls with new customers to demonstrate our solutions and discuss their goals. These conversations often uncover pain points we can address, setting the stage for future engagements.

I also provide go-live support, which can involve virtual or physical floor walking to assist users as they adopt the new application. This hands-on guidance is invaluable for driving adoption and ensuring a smooth transition to the new system

Staying Ahead of the Curve

The world of modern work management is constantly evolving, and staying current is essential. I dedicate part of my week to professional development, whether that’s exploring new features within the Microsoft Power Platform, attending webinars, or reading industry blogs.

By continually honing my skills, I can bring fresh insights and innovative solutions to my clients, ensuring they remain ahead of the competition.

This blog provides just a snapshot of what my role entails. If you’re curious about modern work management or have questions about how we can help your organisation, feel free to reach out—we’re always excited to share our expertise and help you achieve your vision.