Some opportunities are best left for someone else. Consider that if your buyer makes any of these comments: We asked the budget committee to put this project on the agenda for the next meeting, so I need your proposal right away. My preference is a for fixed-fee, fixed-schedule project. If you really want to work [...]
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Before you conduct any client interview, be certain about what you must learn by the time the meeting ends.
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“Consulting cannot be done without genuine caring for the client, and the challenge is to find ways to embody our care in the way we do the work.” I had an opportunity to talk with Peter Block, author of the landmark bestseller, Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used. For many of us, [...]
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I interviewed David Maxfield, co-author of Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success, for Management Consulting News. Maxfield is vice president of research at VitalSmarts, a corporate training company that helps clients with operational improvements. The team at VitalSmarts also wrote the bestsellers, Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations. Maxfield and his team studied the [...]
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For the last few years, consultants at many firms were barely hanging on. Some dodged layoffs, survived cost-cutting measures, and withstood client pressure for fee concessions. Now, many of them think it’s time for firm leaders to recognize their sacrifices. In their report, Professional Service Firms–Re-engaging and Retaining Employees, researchers at Towers Watson have some [...]
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In the latest episode of our animated series, (Mis)adventures in Consulting with Stanton Newhouse III, our Clueless Consultant decides to write a book on leadership. Apparently, there just aren’t enough of those on the market. Click here to see this video and the other four in the series. Each one is just a couple of [...]
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If you don’t paint a vivid picture of the future your client can expect, it won’t matter if you’ve got the best methods, tools, or approaches to completing the project.
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Here’s a brief roundup of links and news from around the services industry. New Kellogg/Northwestern research: Visionary leaders attract more followers, especially in times of crisis. A jab at outsourcers: 77% of IT staffers say that outsourcers invent work just to make more money. Consultants get a Showtime “comedy” series: House of Lies is likely [...]
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Michael McLaughlin is an advisor to organizations and individuals who offer high-value services to their clients. Read more.. |
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