Preconference Learning
Consulting Skills Certificate
Course Info
Use a proven model to partner within an organization to drive results and change through talent development solutions.
Whether you consider yourself a consulting professional or not, chances are you use consulting skills in work projects closely related to your area of expertise. These could include designing a custom training program, or ones not as closely related, such as building and implementing a learning technology system. Regardless of your position, talent professionals must demonstrate strong consulting skills to lead the execution of learning solutions within an organization. You may be a practitioner working inside an organization or an independent management consultant supporting from the outside. Either way, your stakeholders—who your development solutions are intended to support—are your internal clients, and they are looking for your partnership to improve performance and achieve business success.
Practical Skills, Learning Tools, and a Proven Consulting Model
ATD’s certificate for consulting provides you with a five-phase consulting model that you can use to diagnose needs, establish goals, and achieve desired performance outcomes for your learning projects. Rooted in a performance-based approach that prioritizes results over activities, the five phases lay out a practical, step‐by‐step method for the project management of consulting projects, beginning from initial contact through the final step of process improvement.
Strategies to Manage Client Relationships
Together with an expert facilitator and a class of your peers, you will explore how to be a successful business consultant. Collaborating in small groups, you will follow a case study from start to finish, apply skills from each phase of the consulting model to practice consulting scenarios, solve problems, role‐play meetings, try out checklists, and practice making decisions management consultants make every day. You will leave the program prepared to establish strong client partnerships, overcome obstacles and resistance, and build your consulting credibility to influence decision making.
Research-Backed Content: This certificate for consulting is based on the Consulting and Business Partnering Capability of the Talent Development Capability Model™. The concepts covered are reflected in the TDBok™ Guide, Talent Development Body of Knowledge, second edition, the definitive resource for the talent development profession.
Why Should I Attend?
- Move from order taker to true business consultant by applying an ATD-exclusive model, advanced skills, and consulting project management tools to successfully consult with organizations to implement talent development projects.
- Maximize successful management consulting strategies with internal and external clients, including working across organizational boundaries, providing feedback to senior leaders, and gaining buy-in.
- Evaluate your baseline consulting business skills and identify your developmental needs as a consultant.
- Gain access to ATD-exclusive templates and tools to use in your own consulting practice.
- Establish your consulting credibility by earning an industry-recognized certificate for consulting, continuing education credits, and an ATD digital badge to share with your networks.
Dates & Times
Session times listed in Pacific Time.
May 15 – 16, 2026, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Preconference Learning Price
ATD Member: $2,045
Non Member: $2,345
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Mimi Banta
Ms. Banta, a skilled facilitator and organization development consultant, has over twenty years of experience helping organizations implement training and development initiatives that produce results.
Margaret (Mimi) Banta is an independent consultant located in the Washington, DC area. She established her business in 1987 with a focus on developing, implementing, and evaluating competency- based training programs. Projects include designing and delivering learning events spanning a variety of topics including sales, customer service, communication, management and leadership.
She also works with subject matter experts to create programs.
Prior to forming her own business, Mimi spent nine years working in both financial services and telecommunications firms managing training and development functions.
Her consulting practice now offers a full service approach that assists organizations implement strategic initiatives, coach executives, integrate vision, purpose and values with training, and determine strategies that achieve new levels of employee performance.
As an International Facilitator for ATD (Association for Talent Development, formerly ASTD), Mimi conducts Certificate Programs in Delivering Training, Instructional Design, Consulting Skills and Change Management. She serves as a course author for Learning Tree International, affiliates with Netspeed Learning Solutions, and is certified to use CCL (Center for Creative Leadership) 360 feedback instruments.
Mimi received her BA degree in Psychology from Gettysburg College in the USA, completed Masters level coursework in Adult Education, and uses a variety of tools such as the Career Architect, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, “I Speak Your Language”, and Change Style Indicator.
Recent publications include contributions to “90 World-Class Activities by 90 World-Class Trainers”, Elaine Biech, Editor, Pfeiffer publishing, John Wiley & Sons, 2007 and “Motivation: Your Role as a Manager”, April 2009 in Management Insights.
In 2014, Mimi developed the Master Instructional Systems Design program for ATD, the world’s largest association for learning & development professionals.