What Are We Trying to Accomplish Have you ever read an email and gotten upset, thinking the person was being offensive and rude? Then, when you bring it up to a coworker, expecting them to agree, they took the email in a whole different meaning. Communication is hard. We don’t always say what we mean. […]

Most consulting work is project based.  Whether a consultant is in charge of a project or simply a member of the project team, he or she needs to know what to do when a project goes bad to help the client get back on track.  In this week’s podcast, we will discuss the various causes […]

When a consultant begins working with a client, he can face significant resistance to the changes he has been hired to implement.  It becomes a balance of diplomacy and change management when this occurs.  In this week’s podcast, we will explore the types of resistance a consultant can face and some strategies for dealing with […]

One of the age-old debates for a consultant is whether to specialize in certain industries or areas of study, or to be a generalist across many industries and/or technologies.  In this week’s podcast, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach and discuss the balance between them. What are the areas of specialty […]

Fresh off of the last podcast on reporting status to the client, we thought we would delve in a little deeper with the concept of reporting bad news to the client.  There are definitely some dos and don’ts involved with this delicate situation and we will explain it from several vantage points. What are some […]

One of the critical skills a consultant must have is the ability to communicate.  Those skills are put to the test frequently, but rarely as much as when the consultant reports project status to the client.  This week we will discuss some of the specific approaches a consultant should use when reporting status to the […]

Consultants often work with multiple clients at the same time.  Even when they work with a single client, they deal with a myriad of documents information and schedule issues.  In this week’s podcast we will discuss why it is imperative for one’s consulting career to be organized and to stay that way. Is it more important for […]

Looking Back In this episode Lew and I look back over the previous 49 episodes of this podcast sharing some thoughts on the genesis of the program based on my narration of Lew’s Book, Consulting 101: 101 Tips for Success in Consulting and some of the recurring themes that have come up in our consulting […]

As a consultant moves further up the ladder in his or her consulting career, the ability to sell the firm’s services becomes more important.  It’s difficult to develop trusting relationships with potential clients without having spent time getting to know them.  In this week’s podcast we will discuss the importance of developing a professional network […]

In the course of a consulting career, sooner or later you will end up giving a speech or presentation to a group of people – and probably many more after that.  People who work in consulting and professional services increase their chances of success if they have sharpened their skills in public speaking.  In this […]