CDI is perfect for:

Advisors

Auditors

Board consultants

Business consultants

Change management

Coaches

Educators

Engineering consultants

External consultants

Facilitators

Facilities consultants

Financial consultants

Fundraisers

Generalists

Government consultants

HR professionals

Internal consultants

IT consultants

Leadership consultants

Management consultants

Marketing consultants

Media consultants

Mentors

Nonprofit consultants

Operations consultants

Organization development

Planners

PR consultants

Project managers

Process consultants

Social media consultants

Specialists

Strategy consultants

Technical consultants

Technical writers

Trainers

About CDI

Our Mission: Develop Your Collaborative Consulting Skills

The mission of CDI is to use its virtual courses to:

Provide highly affordable and accessible consultant training and development to all kinds of consultants in all types of organizations
Provide the nuts-and-bolts, comprehensive knowledge that is needed to form a firm foundation for any kind of consulting
Provide practitioners, who focus primarily on one set of skills, the comfort and capabilities to focus on all of the skills needed to successfully work with organizations, including consulting, people, organizational and systems skills
Provide guidelines for consultants to work in an authentic and highly collaborative manner with their clients
Provide a vast range of practical resources that can be used right away in consulting
Provide ongoing guidance and support to actually apply the new learning from the various courses

Virtual Courses Increase Foundational Knowledge (Certificates Available)

A virtual course is a compact and complete learning activity about a certain topic and includes the following well-organized and easily accessible components: a pre-assessment, Learning Journal, video, numerous handouts, sources for additional learning, and a post-assessment.

You optionally can earn a certificate in certain series of courses as evidence of your new learning. It takes usually 60 to 90 minutes to complete the course's minimum requirements in order to earn a certificate in the series that includes that course. (There is a small fee to pay faculty to verify that you have met the requirements for the certificate.) You can take any of the virtual courses at your leisure to lay the necessary foundational knowledge for any type of consulting.

Fee-Based Virtual Interactive Programs Evolve Knowledge to New Skills and Abilities (Certifications Available)

A virtual program is a fee-based, interactive learning activity to evolve your new knowledge into new skills and abilities. Each program is comprised of various modules, with each module having three components, including 1) readings, 2) then a virtual seminar and 3) then a virtual Action Learning-based, peer coaching group meeting. Students complete the program in cohorts of five members each. Seminars and group meetings are scheduled by faculty and cohort members. There are programs about organizational consulting, facilitating strategic planning and facilitating development of Boards of Directors.

1. Module's Readings Give Practical Guidelines, Tools and Templates

Readings are assigned from comprehensive, yet highly practical, texts, guidebooks and articles. Students are reminded of certain virtual CDI courses that are relevant to the module's topic. Self-assessments help you to measure your new learning from the content.

2. Module's Seminar for Sharing Questions, Answers and Real-Life Situations

After getting the content from the readings, you attend a virtual seminar about that content. Faculty and participants share advice, questions and answers to further enhance the learning for each participant. Participants share real-life stories about struggles and learnings in their consulting.

3. Module's Peer Coaching Group Meeting for Individualized Guidance and Support

After the seminar in each module, you attend an Action Learning-based, peer coaching group meeting about the content of the module. In these close, non-competing and confidential meetings, each member typically gets coaching and support from fellow members and faculty to clarify current priorities in consulting, and to identify relevant and realistic actions to address them. All members learn from reflecting on the coaching and their actions.

Ongoing Private Group Emails to Share More Resources and Coaching

These self-paced, just-in-time and peer learning approaches are embellished with ongoing, private email exchanges among your fellow participants and faculty to share highly practical resources, and questions and answers. Exchanges are based on the current content in the program and on any urgent situations that you and your fellow participants might be experiencing.

Each Learner's Ongoing Journaling for Deep Reflections and Learning

One of the most important skills for any consultant is the skill of learning from reflection on experiences. During the courses and programs, you collect your continued reflections and learnings in your Learning and Development Journal that includes questions for reflection before, during and after each course and program. .

To learn even more about CDI and to get answer to various questions that you might have, see our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us.

"I have personally witnessed them act with great integrity and wisdom in the face of challenge; they have pioneered and contributed to both the art and science of our consulting trade."
-- Karen Lanson, M.A., Ed.S, L.P., CEAP,Consultant * Coach * Licensed Psychologist