Richard A. Balang did not begin his career with the title “management consultant.” He began as an educator, a trainer, a campus minister, and a youth formation worker. Over time, those experiences quietly shaped the foundation of a consulting career that would span more than two decades and touch organizations across education, government, corporate, and faith-based sectors.
Today, Richard Balang is the owner of a training company and its lead trainer, and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC®). But his journey into consulting started in a modest way.
“My first consulting role was in 2002, when a private school in Alabang asked me to review their non-academic and development programs for students,” he shared. “Though small in nature, it started my journey in getting involved in different organizations as a learning service provider, organization development practitioner, and management consultant.”
From that early project, his work steadily expanded. Over the last 23 years, he has served schools, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), national departments, religious organizations, and private companies. Each sector added a new layer to how he understood organizations.
“Flexibility and sensitivity to organizational contexts are two things that I believe were shaped by my experience,” he explained.
Rather than relying on a single formula, Balang learned to adapt his approach to the culture, leadership style, and realities of each institution. That adaptability became one of his defining strengths as a consultant.
A mentor also played a key role in shaping his path.
“Having a mentor paved the way for me to get interested in a consulting career,” he said. “Through this person, I got exposed to different projects that cater to various organizations. I developed the passion to help leaders who ran companies and the skill of facilitation, which motivated me to pursue it as a professional career.”
Over time, his role evolved beyond short-term advice. Many of his engagements became full-cycle transformation projects.
“As a management consultant and organization development practitioner, I have conducted many full-cycle projects that benefited different organizations,” he shared. “On many occasions, diagnoses lead to interventions and evaluations. I journey with my client organizations until the full implementation of the change process.”
One example was an academic institution in the Bicol region, where he conducted a full organizational diagnosis followed by targeted interventions.
“This led to some leadership and management strengthening, revision of policies, structures, programs, and change management plans of their organization,” he said.
For Balang, consulting is not only about technical frameworks or business models. It is also about relationships.
“Consultants must be open-minded and show flexibility,” he said. “Relationship with clients must also be established and should not only be seen as a source of profit.”
He believes sincerity and purpose matter just as much as expertise.
“Sincerity, a sense of purpose in what they’re doing, and passion in helping people are things that consultants must also practice.”
As the consulting industry continues to evolve, he sees clear changes in how the profession operates.
“Consultancy businesses are now more grounded in research and not just simply relying on theories,” he explained. “A multi-disciplinary approach is also observed now. One cannot simply be loyal to one’s own discipline.”
For him, modern consulting requires integrating management, psychology, data analysis, education, and organizational development.
“Our practice must be accompanied by different disciplines to give us more perspectives that could help us better understand organizations.”
After more than two decades in the field, Richard Balang views consulting not simply as a career, but as a long-term partnership with organizations seeking growth.
His work continues to be guided by one consistent principle: meaningful change does not happen through reports alone, but through trust, patience, and walking with leaders through difficult transitions.
