Management Consulting

How do you know if your consultant’s proposal is reasonable?

July 1, 2019

In the tech world today, there are many senior executives who have had successful careers and as a transition into retirement offer their services as a consultant or advisor. Many have a wealth of experience and wisdom to share, but many are also learning the craft of consulting as they go. A few weeks ago, ...

Where is the line? – the ethics of social media content creation.

September 7, 2016

I was approached by a young intern for some advice. He had been asked by a manager in his company to research a topic and write a blog for the manager so that the manager could post it to their LinkedIn profile as their own work, with no accreditation to the intern as the author. ...

Five Lessons learned from starting a consulting business

April 18, 2015

Somehow in the past few years, I have become a go-to-person for people looking for advice on starting their own consulting business. This became obvious to me when I realized that my advice now rolls off my tongue as effortlessly as a rehearsed presentation. My advice isn’t rocket science, in fact some of it is ...

The Value of an Apology

January 29, 2014

One of my clients hit a bit of rough water in their business a few months ago. The problem was serious, not fatal, but probably could have been avoided. During the lead up to the rough patch, they had been getting advice from another adviser in areas of their business where my expertise and experience ...

If you can’t manage your inbox, why would I trust you to manage anything for me?

January 24, 2014

Maybe I am old fashioned and expect a different level of business etiquette or maybe it is a generational thing, but I have a pet peeve with people who don’t or can’t manage their Inbox. Folks, we are not talking about cutting edge technology here. My first email account was set up circa 1985. In ...

What is it that I do?

December 20, 2013

One of the toughest questions that I struggle to succinctly answer is: What do I do? The reason for this is that I am a generalist. Unlike many of my peers, I don’t have a detailed, specific practitioner level knowledge or certifications in accounting, finance, law, supply chain, marketing, project management, technology or human resources. ...

Giving Advice

November 22, 2012

A few weeks ago, I met with a friend for a catch-up meeting. He is a senior, experienced, multi-time successful entrepreneur whose opinions are worth heeding. During the catch-up, we started talking about some of the work that I am doing and in particular a couple of companies with whom I am working. He weighed ...

Using labeling to productize; Then merchandise your services.

April 1, 2012

A few months ago,I wrote about a client who I helped to create a sales methodology to speed up their sales cycle by developing and selling front end services that substitute consulting revenue for free pilots. Their product was too complex for a simple download and free trial so they were being forced to offer ...

Labeling a service business

March 10, 2012

My last blog was a cautionary tale warning senior people not to become their own worst enemy when looking for their next job. Many describe themselves by the emphasizing the breadth of their experience and their flexible qualifications across many roles, company types and industries in order not to miss out on an opportunity. My ...

Labels

March 6, 2012

Why do so many companies make it so hard for their customers to buy? They try to be all things to all people and end up confusing the hell out of everyone as to what they are, what they do, why they are good at it and what is their value. Sound familiar? I have ...

Category: Management Consulting