ChatGPT Prompts for Consultants

Conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis for my consulting client.

Client's business: [describe the client's company, industry, and size]
Current strategic challenge: [the problem they hired you to solve]
Key competitors: [list 2-3 main competitors]
Recent developments: [any market shifts, leadership changes, or new products]

For each quadrant, provide 5-6 specific, evidence-based findings:

**Strengths**: Internal advantages — assets, capabilities, brand equity, talent, IP, market position
**Weaknesses**: Internal gaps — resource constraints, skill deficits, process inefficiencies, technical debt
**Opportunities**: External tailwinds — market trends, regulatory changes, unserved segments, technology shifts
**Threats**: External headwinds — competitive moves, economic factors, supply chain risks, disruption potential

Then build a prioritized action plan:
1. Rank each finding by impact (high/medium/low) and urgency (immediate/near-term/long-term)
2. Create 3 "quick wins" that leverage strengths against immediate opportunities
3. Identify the single biggest threat-weakness intersection and recommend a mitigation strategy
4. Suggest 2 metrics to track progress for each quadrant

Format the output so it can be dropped directly into a client presentation slide deck.

Create a structured stakeholder interview guide for a consulting engagement.

Engagement context: [describe the project — e.g., digital transformation, org restructuring, market entry]
Client organization: [company type, size, industry]
Interviewee role: [e.g., C-suite executive, department head, frontline manager, external partner]
Key hypotheses to test: [what you believe the core issues are]
Interview duration: [30 min / 45 min / 60 min]

Build a complete interview guide with:

**Opening (2-3 minutes)**:
- Warm-up question that establishes rapport and signals you've done your homework
- Brief framing of the conversation's purpose without leading the interviewee

**Core questions (organized by theme)**:
- 4-5 open-ended questions about the current state and pain points
- 3-4 questions that probe root causes (use the "5 Whys" technique)
- 2-3 questions about attempted solutions and why they didn't work
- 2 forward-looking questions about the interviewee's vision for success

**Probing follow-ups**: For each core question, include 2 follow-up prompts to go deeper

**Closing (3-5 minutes)**:
- "What haven't I asked that I should have?" question
- Request for any documents, data, or other stakeholders to speak with

**Interviewer notes section**: Include a structured template to capture key themes, surprises, and quotes during the interview.

Also provide a 3-sentence email template to send before the interview to set expectations.

Help me decompose a complex business problem into a MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) issue tree.

The problem: [state the core question — e.g., "How can Company X grow revenue by 20% in 18 months?"]
Client context: [industry, current revenue, business model, key constraints]
Work done so far: [any initial findings or hypotheses]

Build a 3-level MECE issue tree:

**Level 1**: Break the problem into 3-5 mutually exclusive branches that together cover all possible drivers
**Level 2**: For each Level 1 branch, decompose into 2-4 sub-issues
**Level 3**: For each Level 2 sub-issue, define the specific analytical question to answer

For each Level 3 item, also specify:
- The data source needed to answer it (internal data, customer surveys, market research, interviews)
- The analysis method (quantitative modeling, benchmarking, regression, qualitative coding)
- An initial hypothesis (what you expect to find and why)
- Priority tier (must-answer / nice-to-have / park-for-later)

After building the tree, identify:
1. The 3 branches most likely to yield the biggest insight (your "80/20" focus areas)
2. Any branch where you suspect the client already has strong data
3. Potential blind spots — areas the tree might miss

Format the tree visually using indentation and numbering so it's clear and presentable.

Help me write a winning consulting proposal for a prospective client.

Prospective client: [company name, industry, size]
The problem they want solved: [as described in the RFP or initial conversation]
Your firm's relevant experience: [past projects, industry expertise, team credentials]
Engagement timeline: [expected duration]
Budget range (if known): [approximate budget or "to be proposed"]
Competitors likely bidding: [who else might be pitching]

Write a complete proposal with these sections:

**Executive Summary** (1 page):
- Restate their challenge in language that shows you understand their specific situation, not just the category
- Your recommended approach in 3-4 sentences
- Expected outcomes with measurable targets

**Situation Assessment** (1-2 pages):
- Demonstrate understanding of their business context, market dynamics, and internal factors
- Reference specific industry trends or benchmarks relevant to their challenge
- Articulate the cost of inaction — what happens if they don't address this

**Proposed Approach** (2-3 pages):
- Phase-by-phase work plan with clear deliverables at each stage
- Methodology — frameworks and analytical tools you'll apply
- Team composition — who will work on this and why they're the right people
- Client involvement requirements — what you need from them

**Expected Deliverables**:
- List each deliverable with description and delivery date
- Include interim check-ins and decision points

**Investment & Timeline**:
- Fee structure (fixed, T&M, retainer, or hybrid)
- Payment schedule tied to milestones
- What's included and what's out of scope

**Why Us**:
- 2-3 relevant case studies with measurable results
- Differentiators specific to this engagement

Close with a clear next step and specific proposed meeting date.

Build a comprehensive competitive landscape analysis for my consulting client.

Client: [company name, what they do]
Industry: [sector and sub-sector]
Client's market position: [market share, revenue tier, geographic focus]
Known competitors: [list 4-6 competitors with brief descriptions]
Strategic question: [what the client wants to understand — e.g., "Where should we compete next?" or "How do we defend market share?"]

Produce the following analyses:

**1. Competitor Profiles** (for each competitor):
- Business model and revenue streams
- Target customer segments
- Key differentiators and value proposition
- Recent strategic moves (acquisitions, product launches, partnerships)
- Known strengths and vulnerabilities

**2. Strategic Group Map**:
- Suggest the two most meaningful axes for mapping (e.g., price vs. breadth, innovation vs. scale)
- Plot all competitors and identify clusters
- Highlight white-space opportunities

**3. Porter's Five Forces Assessment**:
- Rate each force (high/medium/low) with supporting evidence
- Identify which force most constrains profitability in this industry

**4. Competitive Response Modeling**:
- For 2-3 strategic moves the client might make, predict how each competitor would likely respond
- Assess the risk of competitive retaliation for each move

**5. Recommendations**:
- 3 strategic positioning options with pros, cons, and required capabilities
- The recommended positioning with a clear rationale
- Key capability gaps the client would need to close

Format all tables and matrices so they can be used directly in a client presentation.

Design a comprehensive change management plan for a consulting engagement.

The change: [describe the transformation — e.g., ERP implementation, org restructuring, new operating model]
Client organization: [company size, industry, culture description]
Scope of impact: [how many people affected, which departments, which geographies]
Timeline: [when the change needs to be fully implemented]
Executive sponsor: [who is championing this internally]
Known resistance points: [where you expect pushback]

Build a change management plan using Kotter's 8-Step framework:

**1. Create Urgency**: Draft the "burning platform" narrative — why the status quo is untenable
**2. Build a Guiding Coalition**: Identify the 8-10 key influencers across the organization who need to champion this. Map them by influence level and current sentiment (supportive/neutral/resistant)
**3. Form a Strategic Vision**: Write the 2-sentence change vision and the "from → to" statement
**4. Enlist a Volunteer Army**: Design 3 tactics to create grassroots momentum beyond the formal champions
**5. Enable Action**: Identify the top 5 barriers (process, technology, skills, incentives, culture) and a plan to remove each
**6. Generate Short-Term Wins**: Define 3 measurable quick wins achievable in the first 30 days
**7. Sustain Acceleration**: Plan for months 2-6 to maintain momentum after initial excitement fades
**8. Institute Change**: Embed the change into performance reviews, hiring criteria, and operating procedures

Also include:
- A stakeholder communication calendar (who hears what, when, and through which channel)
- A resistance management plan with specific tactics for each resistant stakeholder group
- 5 KPIs to measure adoption and sentiment throughout the process
- Risk register with the top 5 change management risks and mitigations

Help me map and improve a client's business process using Lean and Six Sigma principles.

Process to improve: [describe the process — e.g., "customer onboarding," "invoice-to-cash," "product development cycle"]
Current performance: [cycle time, error rate, throughput, cost per transaction — whatever metrics exist]
Target performance: [what the client wants to achieve]
Number of people involved: [team size and roles]
Known bottlenecks: [where delays or errors occur most often]
Systems used: [tools, software, databases involved in the process]

Produce the following:

**1. Current-State Process Map**:
- List every step in sequence with the responsible role, estimated time, and handoff points
- Classify each step: value-adding / necessary-but-non-value-adding / waste
- Identify the 8 wastes of Lean (defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, transportation, inventory, motion, extra-processing) present in this process

**2. Root Cause Analysis**:
- For the top 3 bottlenecks, build a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram covering: People, Process, Technology, Policy, Measurement, Environment
- Apply the 5 Whys technique to the single biggest bottleneck

**3. Future-State Process Map**:
- Redesigned process with waste eliminated and bottlenecks resolved
- New estimated cycle time, error rate, and throughput
- Technology or automation recommendations where manual steps can be eliminated

**4. Implementation Roadmap**:
- Phase 1 (Week 1-2): Quick wins requiring no technology changes
- Phase 2 (Week 3-6): Process changes requiring training or minor tool adjustments
- Phase 3 (Week 7-12): Technology or structural changes
- For each phase: specific actions, responsible parties, success metrics

**5. Measurement Plan**:
- Control chart recommendations for ongoing monitoring
- Leading and lagging indicators
- Review cadence (daily/weekly/monthly) for each metric

Write a compelling executive summary that distills my consulting findings into a clear, actionable narrative for senior leadership.

Engagement context: [what you were hired to do]
Client audience: [who will read this — CEO, board, leadership team]
Key findings: [list 4-6 major findings from your analysis]
Data points: [the most compelling statistics or evidence]
Recommendations: [your top 3-5 recommendations]
Expected impact: [quantified business outcomes if recommendations are implemented]
Timeline: [recommended implementation timeline]

Write an executive summary (1.5-2 pages) structured as:

**The Challenge** (2-3 sentences):
Frame the strategic question in terms the audience cares about — revenue, market share, risk, or competitive position. No jargon.

**What We Found** (4-6 bullet points):
Each finding stated as an insight, not just an observation. Lead with the "so what." Use the format: "[Insight] — [evidence]. This means [implication]."

**Our Recommendations** (3-5 numbered items):
Each recommendation should be:
- Specific and actionable (not "improve customer experience" but "implement NPS tracking at 3 touchpoints")
- Linked to a finding
- Quantified in expected impact
- Assigned a priority level and rough timeline

**The Business Case** (1 paragraph):
Total expected impact vs. total required investment. Include the payback period.

**Immediate Next Steps** (3 items):
What needs to happen in the next 2 weeks to begin capturing value.

Also provide:
- A one-sentence "elevator version" of the entire summary
- The single most compelling data visualization to include (describe what chart type and what it shows)
- 3 likely questions from the audience and prepared responses

Design a structured workshop plan for a client strategy session.

Workshop purpose: [e.g., "align leadership on 3-year strategy," "prioritize digital transformation initiatives," "define target operating model"]
Participants: [number, seniority levels, departments represented]
Duration: [half-day / full-day / 2-day]
Venue: [in-person / virtual / hybrid]
Pre-existing tensions: [any known disagreements or political dynamics to navigate]
Desired outputs: [what specific deliverables should come out of the workshop]

Create a detailed facilitation plan:

**Pre-Workshop** (1-2 weeks before):
- Pre-read materials to distribute (what to include, max page count)
- Pre-workshop survey or input gathering (3-5 questions to send participants)
- Room setup or virtual platform configuration
- Materials to prepare (sticky notes, templates, printed frameworks)

**Workshop Agenda** (time-blocked in 30-minute increments):
For each block, specify:
- Activity type (presentation, breakout, full-group discussion, individual reflection, voting/prioritization)
- Facilitator instructions (what to say, what questions to ask)
- Expected output from the block
- Time allocation and transition cues
- Energy management (alternate between high-energy and reflective activities)

Include these key moments:
- An opening exercise that gets everyone contributing within the first 10 minutes
- A "diverge then converge" cycle (brainstorm broadly, then prioritize ruthlessly)
- A structured debate format for contentious topics
- A decision-making mechanism (dot voting, 2x2 prioritization, or forced ranking)
- A closing round where each participant states one commitment

**Post-Workshop**:
- Same-day summary email template
- Follow-up deliverable outline (what you'll produce and when)
- 30-day accountability check-in plan

Include 3 "facilitator rescue moves" for when discussions go off track, one person dominates, or energy drops.

Build an ROI calculation framework to justify a client's investment in a proposed initiative.

The initiative: [describe the project or investment — e.g., "implement a CRM system," "expand to European market," "hire a data analytics team"]
Total estimated investment: [cost or cost range]
Time horizon: [over what period to measure ROI]
Client's hurdle rate or required ROI: [if known]
Current baseline metrics: [relevant current performance numbers]

Build a comprehensive ROI model with:

**1. Cost Analysis (Total Cost of Ownership)**:
- Upfront costs: [itemized — implementation, licenses, hardware, recruitment]
- Ongoing costs: [itemized — maintenance, subscriptions, salaries, training]
- Hidden costs: [productivity loss during transition, opportunity cost, risk premium]
- Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 cost projections

**2. Benefit Quantification**:
For each benefit, quantify using this structure:
- Revenue increase: [source of new revenue, assumption, annual estimate]
- Cost reduction: [what cost decreases, assumption, annual estimate]
- Productivity gain: [hours saved × loaded labor cost]
- Risk mitigation: [probability of risk event × cost of risk event × reduction factor]
- Strategic value: [qualitative benefits that are real but hard to quantify — list but don't force a number]

**3. ROI Calculations**:
- Simple ROI: (Net benefits / Total investment) × 100
- NPV at client's discount rate
- Payback period (in months)
- IRR (internal rate of return)
- Break-even point

**4. Sensitivity Analysis**:
- Best case / base case / worst case for each major assumption
- Tornado chart description: which variables have the biggest impact on ROI
- Break-even sensitivity: how much would key assumptions need to change to make ROI negative?

**5. Executive Presentation**:
- One-slide summary with the 3 numbers that matter most
- Comparison to alternative uses of the same budget
- Non-financial benefits that strengthen the case

Present all calculations with clear formulas so the client can adjust assumptions themselves.

Build a comprehensive risk assessment matrix for a client's strategic initiative.

The initiative: [describe the project, program, or strategic move]
Client context: [industry, company size, regulatory environment]
Initiative timeline: [start to completion]
Budget: [total investment at stake]
Key stakeholders: [who is accountable for success]
Known concerns: [any risks already identified by the client]

Produce a complete risk assessment:

**1. Risk Identification** (identify 12-15 risks across these categories):
- Strategic risks (market changes, competitive response, customer adoption)
- Operational risks (process failures, resource constraints, technology issues)
- Financial risks (budget overruns, revenue shortfalls, currency/commodity exposure)
- People risks (talent gaps, change resistance, key person dependency)
- Regulatory/compliance risks (legal changes, data privacy, industry standards)
- External risks (economic downturn, supply chain disruption, geopolitical factors)

**2. Risk Assessment Matrix** (for each risk):
- Description: One-sentence description of what could go wrong
- Likelihood: 1-5 scale with specific criteria for each level
- Impact: 1-5 scale with specific criteria (financial, timeline, reputation)
- Risk score: Likelihood × Impact
- Risk category: Critical (20-25) / High (12-19) / Medium (6-11) / Low (1-5)
- Velocity: How quickly this risk could materialize (sudden / gradual / seasonal)

**3. Mitigation Plan** (for all Critical and High risks):
- Prevention strategy: What to do now to reduce likelihood
- Contingency plan: What to do if the risk materializes
- Early warning indicators: What signals to monitor
- Risk owner: Who is responsible for monitoring and responding
- Estimated cost of mitigation vs. cost of risk event

**4. Risk Dashboard**:
- Heat map layout (describe the 5×5 grid with risk IDs plotted)
- Top 5 risks summary for executive reporting
- Recommended review cadence (weekly for critical, monthly for high, quarterly for medium)
- Escalation protocol: when and how to escalate risks to leadership

**5. Residual Risk Assessment**:
After all mitigations are in place, re-score the top 10 risks to show the expected residual risk profile.

Create a comprehensive project kickoff meeting agenda and supporting materials for a new consulting engagement.

Engagement: [describe the project scope and objectives]
Client: [company name, industry, key stakeholders attending]
Your team: [who from your firm is attending and their roles]
Meeting duration: [90 min / 2 hours / half-day]
Meeting format: [in-person / virtual / hybrid]
What's already been agreed: [SOW signed, budget approved, timeline set]
Open questions: [what still needs alignment]

Build a complete kickoff package:

**1. Kickoff Agenda** (time-blocked):

- **Introductions & ground rules** (10 min): Team introductions with each person's role and what they'll contribute. Set working norms (communication channels, response times, decision-making process).

- **Project vision alignment** (15 min): Restate the project objectives and success criteria. Confirm everyone shares the same definition of "done." Surface any unstated expectations.

- **Scope & approach walkthrough** (20 min): Phase-by-phase overview of the work plan. Key milestones and decision points. What's in scope and explicitly what's NOT in scope.

- **Roles & responsibilities** (15 min): RACI matrix for key activities. Client-side resource commitments and time requirements. Escalation path for issues and decisions.

- **Data & access requirements** (10 min): List of data, systems, and people the consulting team needs access to. Timeline for each access request. Confidentiality and data handling protocols.

- **Communication & governance** (10 min): Meeting cadence (weekly status, biweekly steering committee). Status report format and distribution. How to handle scope changes.

- **Risks & dependencies** (10 min): Top 5 risks to the timeline and how to mitigate them. Key dependencies on client actions. What could delay the project.

- **Quick wins & early value** (10 min): What can be delivered or improved in the first 2 weeks. How to build credibility and momentum early.

- **Next steps & assignments** (10 min): Action items with owners and due dates. What happens between now and the first working session.

**2. Supporting Materials**:
- One-page project charter to sign at the end of the kickoff
- Stakeholder contact sheet template
- First status report template
- Project Slack/Teams channel naming convention

**3. Pre-Kickoff Email**:
Draft the email to send 3 days before the kickoff, including the agenda, pre-read, and any preparation the client should complete.