Each year, thousands of consulting contracts are awarded by organizations to experts who help them with challenges involving people, processes, technologies, goals, resource allocation, decision making, problem solving, and more. These experts - consultants - diagnose problems, recommend solutions, facilitate interventions, and evaluate outcomes that are often related to human communication. Some consultants are academicians skilled in both doing and interpreting research for clients; others are practitioners with little use for research and theory. Driving all of the ideas showcased in Consulting That Matters: A Handbook for Scholars and Practitioners is the premise that sound theory and research are critical to consulting success, and should be the blueprints for successful organizational transformation. Thus, this book is for all types of consultants, including the very best who are at the top of their games and those who believe theory and research belong in ivory towers, not business settings. Featuring a "who's who" of preeminent communication scholars/consultants, each author shares frameworks, strategies, and examples from their own diverse experiences, all grounded in rich, substantive theory and research. The volume offers even the most skilled and experienced consultants a range of alternative approaches, paradigms, and competencies to build their credibility and make them more valuable to their clients in a dynamic, ever-evolving business climate.

Consultants are called upon more and more to help implement needed organizational changes, fill gaps in workforce capabilities, and solve significant business problems. As the demand for consultants increases, it is critical that practitioners differentiate themselves and understand how they can be most successful, for themselves and their clients. The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting details what effective consultants do and provides a step by step process of just how they do it. The Second Edition of The Basic Principles of Effective Consulting is fully updated with real-life cases. End-of-chapter summaries foster both mastery and engagement, as well as providing a quick reference throughout a consultant's career. In addition, each chapter includes a section "From the experts" written by successful consultants and users of consultants' services. These experts share ideas and tips about their own consulting experiences that relate to chapter material. The book is written for entry level and seasoned consultants, project managers, staff advisors, and anyone who wants to learn (or be reminded of) the basic principles of effective consulting. The book is well suited as an excellent textbook for college courses on consulting, organizational training, and a lifetime go-to consultant's resource.

Avoid costly litgation!

You'll want to keep this user-friendly overview of legal issues on your desk at all times! This is the only complete "how-to" guide and overview of legal issues you face as a consultant. You'll learn how to make sense of legal jargon and a variety of contracts as well as learn when to seek out the advice of legal counsel and when to walk away from losing relationships. This book isn't intended to replace competent legal advice-rather it is a time- and cost-effective means to understand legal issues before pursuing legal.

Includes a diskette with useful tools, sample forms, checklists, and links to technology-based resources.

"I beg you, do not start your own consulting business without first reading The Consultant's Legal Guide. And if you already have, read it now! I assure you that when you put into practice the sound advice of Elaine Biech and Linda Byars Swindling you will save yourself the heartache and headache of needless legal hassels...The Consultant's Legal Guide will help you every day of your business life."
--James M. Kouzes, chairman, Tom Peters Group/Learning Systems, co-author of The Leadership Challenge and Encouraging the Heart

"A great flight plan to avoid turbulence...Whether you are a consultant or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, this book should be on your desk for a reference in so many areas."
--Howard Putnam, Former CEO, Southwest Airlines and Braniff International, author of The Winds of Turbulence

"A well thought out, practical approach to dealing effectively with lawyers and other consultants. If followed, it should help all parties be better prepared and do a better job."
--Rita Reuss, attorney, former vice president, Land O' Lakes

"The Consultant's Legal Guide is better than an MBA in business relationships. Clear, concise, thoughtful and thorough. . .after reading this book, consultants will sleep better at night!"
--Pamela J. Schmidt, vic

In this comprehensive, step-by-step guide, author Sandy Bradley draws on her many years of experience as an organizer and auctioneer for nonprofits and arts organizations. Learn how to
- determine what kind of event is best for your organization
- find an ideal location
- hire an effective auctioneer
- develop a strategy to get your supporters to attend
- solicit donations of good and services to sell
- generate a catalog and bid sheets
- train volunteers so the event will run smoothly
- set up your event for maximum profits
- wrap up for guaranteed success at your next auction

The Consultant’s Manual If you’re serious about starting your own consulting practice, there’s something you should know … … No matter how knowledgeable you are in your field.… No matter how expert your advice or impressive your credentials.… If you don’t bring an air of consummate professionalism to every phase of your practice—from proposal-writing and fee-setting, to drawing up contracts and issuing reports—you’ll almost definitely lose out to the professional who does. But don’t worry, because with Tom Greenbaum and The Consultant’s Manual in your corner, you can make sure that never happens! Growing out of the author’s Harvard consulting course, this book offers level-headed, expert advice on virtually every practical aspect of starting, building, and marketing your consulting practice. Centered around the theme of developing and working an exhaustive business plan for your firm, it leads you step-by-step through the research, planning, and problem-solving stages. Positioning your firm, giving it a name, targeting your market, establishing a sales culture, maintaining top-flight customer service, cash flow, billing, and fee setting … it’s all in here, and much more.

This new edition gathers more than 22 experts to outline the theory behind consulting, providing insight into change processes and management issues in the field. The business of consulting has grown faster than most other businesses, due not only to increased demand by clients, but also to the innovative capabilities of numerous consulting firms as they develop new services. Divided into six parts, the book introduces readers to the consulting industry, addressing the major practice areas, contexts, and implementations of the field. Significant updates detail the effect of the economic troubles between 2004 and 2010 and then 2010 and now; analyze the market response to consulting in recent years; and provide a more thorough understanding of how consulting is applied in the different areas of a business, such as operations, marketing, and finance. Introductions written by the editors offer further insight into the themes and learning goals of each section, helping readers to recognize the elements of a successful consultation, and utilize their new skill set. The text concludes with a look at the future of consulting with regards to ethics standards and how strong manager-client relationships contribute to financial growth. Readers will also learn how the developing field of entrepreneurship creates new economic structures and job opportunities. Practitioners, consultants, clients, faculty, and students of business and management will learn not only how to consult, but also gain the skills needed to adapt to and lead organizational change, giving them a competitive edge when they enter the field.

The real-world guide to successfully funding your nonprofit program The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management is the comprehensive handbook for successful fundraising, with a practical focus that applies across the nonprofit sector. With a focus on planning, self-assessment, continual improvement, and high-payoff strategies, this book provides more than just ideas it shows you the concrete, real-world actions that make it all happen, and gives you the tools you need to bring these concepts to life. This new fourth edition features the latest information about social media campaigning, internet fundraising, crowdfunding, and more. Timelines, checklists, and forms help you streamline management tasks to focus on effective development, and updated sample reports and budget information help you begin implementing these approaches quickly. The nonprofit world is becoming increasingly competitive in terms of funding, and fundraisers are being asked to perform miracles more than ever before. This book offers a time-tested framework for fundraising success, with step-by-step guidance through the entire process from prospect to program. * Understand and apply the major principles and best practices of fundraising * Manage information, resources, development, and volunteers * Adopt new approaches to relationship-building and prospect identification * Write grants and fundraising materials that make a rock-solid case for support There is never enough funding to go around. To survive and thrive, nonprofits must revitalize interest and generate more support. Gone are the days of door-knocking and bake sales; strategy is critical, and execution must be top-notch. The Complete Guide to Fundraising Management shows you the real-world strategies that get your programs funded.

Leadership is currently one of the most hotly discussed topics in business. This is the first book to not only identify the characteristics of successful leadership but to show how these qualities can be developed. The Reflecting Glass surveys the field of executive coaching, including its origins, the theoretical framework underpinning it, the forms it can take and the value it adds. Based on the experience of two leading practitioners and with contributions from other key players it provides a detailed methodology for working one-to-one with people at the top of organisations in order to help them become fully effective. Executive coaching has experienced exponential growth over the last five years but as yet there has been little critical appraisal of the activity. This book provides that critique. By describing and benchmarking good practice, The Reflecting Glass will be a valuable tool for those in leadership positions considering executive coaching for themselves, as well as the HR professional.

Management consultancy practice is particularly concerned with helping clients implement strategic organisational change. But what exactly are organisations, and management consultancy interventions in them? Management consulting is said to be a knowledge-intensive industry. But what kind of knowledge do management consultants possess, and how far can we rely on it? Management consultants are often criticised for unethical exploitation of their clients. But how ought management consultants to behave in order to meet acceptable ethical standards? These are questions about the philosophical topics of ontology, epistemology and ethics. The ancient Greek philosophers thought deeply about these topics, and their ideas remain fresh and relevant even to so modern a subject matter as management consulting. Writing between the end of the sixth and the end of the fourth century BCE, these philosophers were drawing upon an intellectual tradition that was very different from our own, and were responding to social and economic conditions that were wholly unlike ours. Approaching these philosophical questions from a perspective that is radically different from our own, their work provides a rich resource for novel thinking about management consulting. From the speculations of the Presocratic philosophers Heraclitus, Parmenides, Leucippus and Democritus about the nature of the universe to the thought of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle about the nature of human beings, this book uses the work of these great thinkers as a lens through which to study major philosophical questions about management consulting. Examined in this way, many established assumptions and principles of management consultancy practice seem questionable, and new ways of thinking possible.

Die positive Entwicklung des Inhouse Consulting ist, vielen Prognosen externer Berater zum Trotz, nicht aufzuhalten. Dennoch ist dieses Geschaftsfeld nach wie vor sehr volatil, da es nicht zum Kerngeschafts eines Unternehmens gehort und deshalb von der Kontinuitat und Verbindlichkeit des Zielsystems der Unternehmensleitung oder einzelner ihrer Mitglieder abhangt. Die Autoren stellen in diesem Buch eine Auswahl nachhaltiger Inhouse Consulting Modelle vor, die inzwischen in ihrer Branche und bei Marktstudien als Benchmark gelten."

This book seeks to explain why the changes produced by the new managerialism have been more radical in some countries than in others. Saint-Martin shows that the reception given by states to managerialist ideas depends on the openness of policy-making institutions to outside expert knowledge and on the organization, development, and social recognition of management consultancy.

In diesem Lehrbuch sind Beitrage zu den Kernthemen des Consulting zusammengestellt worden. Es ist eine Fundgrube fur Anfanger und Fortgeschrittene und stellt eine optimale Erganzung zu den bereits beim Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag in der Edition Consulting erschienenen Lehrbuchern dar."

While family businesses have existed for millennia all over the world, it is only in the past few decades that professional consultants have been utilized to help them function more effectively. This engaging, up to the minute volume explores the varied and complex world of family enterprises as they now exist in the third decade of the 21st century. Attention is given to the factors unique to family businesses in their attention to perpetuating family values, traditions, loyalties and their legacy to future generations. Consultants may be drawn from law, finance and accounting, organizational psychology, or family psychology (with its special emphasis on understanding the family relationship system). The book describes methods of assessment and how to effectively communicate the results as well as techniques of consulting and provides an invaluable description of what is necessary to be and become a family business consultant. Readers will benefit from explorations of A new model featuring 8 inter-related business domains Cybersecurity issues and how to handle them Working collaboratively with financial and legal professionals Comprehensive coverage of research based assessment instruments Given that over 85% of the businesses in the world, from small to multinational in size and scope are family businesses, the enormous amount of information conveyed in this volume can be extremely valuable to professional consultants and those in the C Suite (CEO's, CFO's, COO's) in helping businesses operate at maximum efficiency, productivity, profitability and satisfaction to all involved. "Throughout this well organized and well written book, the authors raise the pivotal questions that form the basis for becoming and being an exceptional family business consultant. Psychologists can learn to transform family business conundrums into healthy interactions between the family members of the enterprise before, during, and after transitions of the company. The various aspects of serving as a consultant are fleshed out in the carefully-researched chapters. Case studies show the patterns of behavior that can lead to continuing multigenerational successes or hard dissolutions. Their new model entitled "The Dynamic Interactive Multifactorial Family Enterprise Ecosystem Model" constitutes a major contribution to the field. The best part of the book remains its celebration of the importance and richness of family businesses across generations that will inspire any reader." G. Andrew H. Benjamin, JD, PhD, ABPPPast President, American Academy of Couple & Family Psychology Past President, American Board (ABPP) of Couple & Family Psychology Clinical Professor of Psychology & Affiliate Professor of Law, University of Washington

Written for the business manager of middle or senior rank who is contemplating a career move from corporate to self-employment this book describes how to set up a consultancy practice with little financial outlay and take advantage of a growth market. Emphasis is given to low cost promotion and the creation of a client base. The preparation of proposals, the conduct of assignments and the importance of presenting subsequent recommendations that will satisfy client needs and lead to recommendations and referrals is discussed.

Das Thema "Internes Consulting" ist in Deutschland hochaktuell. Immer mehr Unternehmen und Konzerne grunden interne Consultingeinheiten, um bei wiederkehrenden Problemstellungen vom externen Beratermarkt unabhangiger zu werden und Beratungs-Know-how im eigenen Unternehmen zu entwickeln und zu halten. Aus dem Inhalt: Grundlagen. Praxisbeispiele. Spezialthemen."

Even though corporate clients continue to spend millions of dollars on consultant-based solutions, the success rate of these high-priced remedies is far from what it should be. No matter how wise and creative the input of a consultant, says Robert H. Schaffer, it will pay off only if the client does what is necessary to benefit from the advice. But often there's a big "implementation gap" between what client's must do to make a project succeed and what they are actually able and willing to do.
In this new and revised edition of the landmark book "High-Impact Consulting," Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies-- Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, The World Bank, and other successful organizations-- Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design?particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success.
The author explains the importance of accomplishing results quickly and then using these "rapid-cycle wins" as vehicles for sharpening management skills, strengthening work disciplines, and introducing new technology. In addition he tells managers and consultants how they can build on these early successes and tackle larger accomplishments and organization wide improvements.
This thoroughly updatededition features valuable new insights and illustrative cases. It also includes a wealth of practical new tools that make the book a user-friendly, quick reference for both client managers and their consultants.

Fur Unternehmensberater gibt es kein Berufsgesetz und damit weder ein Berufsbild, noch Qualifikationsvoraussetzungen oder Eintrittsbarrieren in den Beratungsmarkt. Fur das nachhaltige und erfolgreiche Uberleben in diesem Marktsegment ist jedoch eine Vielzahl von Voraussetzungen notwendig, die in diesem Band definiert und dargestellt werden. Spezialisten aus den Fachgebieten der Grundung, des Aufbaus, der Fuhrung und der Nachfolgeregelung von Beratungsunternehmen machen sowohl Berufsanfangern als auch der zunehmenden Zahl von Quereinsteigern mit Management - Erfahrung den Lebenszyklus eines Beratungsunternehmens mit allen Rahmenbedingungen und rechtlichen Implikationen transparent und leisten damit konkrete Praxishilfe."

This book provides a new perspective on innovation in consultancy firms. Focusing on how consultancy firms can innovate in the modern era, it exposes and discusses key drivers for innovation in the industry. These are broken down into 5 dimensions - or 'Poles' - relating to forms of capital (human capital, social capital, and three types of organizational capital) that consultancy firms can use in order to innovate, both for themselves and for their clients. Readers of this book will not only gain insight into the "innovative consultancy" from the perspective of each of these Poles. They will also discover how consultancy firms need to find the right way of connecting these Poles together in order to produce the desired innovation. Readers will learn about the dangers of misaligning the Poles, as well as implications of innovative consultancy for ethics, academic research in the field of consultancy, and for careers. In addition to the academic literature, the book draws from real-world examples, cases and practice insights from various parts of the world. This book will be of great use to those interested in pursuing a career in the consultancy industry, whether they are undergraduate and postgraduate Business & Management students, students not necessarily studying in Business Schools, or others seeking a career move into consultancy. It will also be valuable to seasoned consultants and managers of consultancy firms seeking new ideas on how to develop innovative capabilities in an increasingly competitive industry.

In keinem anderen der wirtschaftsberatenden Berufe ist individuelles Wissen und ein entsprechender Qualifikationsnachweis so Existenz entscheidend wie bei Unternehmensberatern, die nicht den Vorteil eines rechtlichen Schutzes ihrer Berufsbezeichnung geniessen. Nur durch fachliche und soziale Kompetenz kann man die Spreu vom Weizen unterscheiden. Voraussetzung fur eine kompetente und erfolgreiche Berufsausubung ist deshalb eine Aus- und Weiterbildungskonzeption, die umfassend Antwort gibt auf die Frage "Was mussen Berater wissen und konnen?." Das Rahmenmodell einer solchen Konzeption mit den einzelnen Trainingskonzept Modulen, ihren Inhalten, den jeweils einzusetzenden didaktischen Methoden und der unterstutzenden Literatur wird in diesem Werk vorgestellt. Es ist sowohl im Hochschulbereich als Studiengangskonzeption (dafur werden Hinweise zum Curriculum Management gegeben) als auch in der Praxis fur das Training interner Berater und Manager aller Ebenen anwendbar, denn Problemlosungswissen ist in jeder Fuhrungsposition und jeder Branche notwendig und von hochstem Nutzen."

The Principles of an Unstoppable Family-Business is all about building a family-based business on a set of specific principals that are absolutely necessary for it to survive. It's an enormous challenge to be in business with kin and actually make it work. Family-business consultant Bryan Dodge goal is to provide the best practices and key elements needed for a solid foundation. It's all about making something very challenging into something very rewarding with this go-to resource for understanding the key concepts behind a successful family-business.

No matter whether you are approaching public or private sponsors, this thorough and detailed step-by-step guide will enable you to plan and write winning proposals. Grantseeking is always a competitive process. As organizational needs outstrip resources, groups turn to grants as a means of strengthening their financial footing while pursuing their missions. This book draws on the authors' three decades of grantseeking experiences in writing successful proposals, conducting grant workshops nationwide, reviewing government and foundation proposals, and critiquing application guidelines for grantmakers to lead readers through the process of planning and writing successful proposals. The authors first provide practical strategies for project planning, including identifying sponsors, matching grantseeker needs to sponsor priorities, and qualifying prospects through pre-proposal contacts. The authors then guide users systematically through proposal writing, including introducing a template for letter proposals to private foundations and corporations, describing the primary elements of government proposals, and providing tips for constructing a realistic budget. This advice as well as the key questions to answer before you begin writing; actual proposals that were declined, with rejection reasons; and complete sample letter proposals comprised in this volume will help both beginning and experienced grantseekers to better plan and develop fundable projects. Discusses resources to identify the tens of thousands of grantmakers that award more than $350 billion in philanthropic funds annually Provides a time-tested template to write proposals for private foundations and corporations, with samples to illustrate how the template can be used in different grant writing situations Features new examples of and strategies for increasing the overall quality and competitiveness of grant applications Addresses sponsors' increased attention to evaluation and their desire to move beyond counting participants and activities to measuring a project's impact Looks at different types of sustainability and interrelationships among grant proposal narratives, logic models, and budgets Offers new strategies for engineering and reverse engineering budgets to help maintain alignment between costs and activities and insulate against potential requests for budget reductions

"I had the privilege of working closely with Marvin and McKinsey for many years. This book makes Marvin come to life and perpetuates him as a role model."
-Peter F. Drucker
"A wonderful book about a wonderful man. In many ways, Marvin's McKinsey framed the hypotheses in our own search for excellence-for example, passion for values, belief in people as the prime resource, and willingness to let people experiment. As well as I thought I knew Marvin, however, this remarkable book, drawing on the collective memories of those who worked most closely with him, taught me a ton about how extraordinary the man really was and what made him that way. Many have called Drucker the man who invented management; I think history will conclude that both he and Marvin Bower share that pedestal."
-Bob Waterman, coauthor of In Search of Excellence
"Marvin Bower became a legend, not just within McKinsey & Company, but within professional services and the business world more broadly. In everything he did and said, he embodied the professional approach and the importance of values. This book sheds remarkable insight on a remarkable man and on the power of constancy of purpose."
-Ian Davis, Worldwide Managing Director, McKinsey & Co.
"It is as Marvin would have wanted it-simple, honest, fact-based, wonderful stories with a long-term perspective. An insightful read about the father of management consulting."
-Lois Juliber, retired COO, Colgate-Palmolive
"This book provides fascinating insight into the early days of modern management consulting. It is an extremely enlightening look at the origin of one of America's most important professions and one of America's most innovative leaders."
-Thomas H. Lee, founder, Chairman, and President, Thomas H. Lee Partners L.P.

The world of M&A has always been complex and nuanced. Corporations encounter their toughest business problems during a divestiture or a merger. At the same time, optimal execution of divestitures can also create high value for the seller as well as the buyer. This book is a collection of leading practices on Divestitures and covers end to end transaction life cycle from readiness through execution including post deal transformation. It contains the synthesis of experiences across a wide array of clients across industries, ranging from $500 million to $100 billion in revenue. Each chapter in this book can stand on its own as an authority on leading practices related to the topic it presents, and together, these chapters provide a comprehensive set of perspectives needed to successfully complete a divestiture. The highlight of the book is valuable real-life examples and references that a business can benefit from, when it is considering, analyzing or implementing a divestiture.