Verlander The Practice of Professional Consulting

1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-1-118-28311-0
Verlag: John Wiley & Sons
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 320 Seiten, E-Book

The Practice of Professional Coaching
Change is the life-blood of consulting just as organizations endure only through successful change. The reality of this mutual need lies at the heart of what consulting is all about. Consultants solve problems created by the powerful forces of change in an organization's environment and in so doing, create change themselves.
The Practice of Professional Consulting is a comprehensive examination of what has been called "the world's newest profession." In this practical resource Edward Verlander offers an overview of the industry and includes the most useful processes, tools, and skills used by successful consultants to produce solutions for their clients. The book also reveals why consulting is a growing and attractive career option.
The best practices used by leading consulting firms are included in the book as well as the capabilities skillful consultant use in each stage of engagement. Verlander also recommends ways to ensure a consultant can solve a client's problems in a systematic, professional way. At the very heart of the book is the emphasis he puts on what is needed to become a truly trusted consultant.
Filled with a wealth of must-have information from a wide range of consulting professionals, the book includes: a model of the consulting cycle; a diagnostic instrument for assessing consulting roles; ideas of how to develop political intelligence to navigate client organizations; tools for managing consulting meetings, risk assessment, and skills transfer; techniques in communications, emotional intelligence, presentations, and listening; and much more.
Written for anyone wishing to start a consulting business, new employees at established consulting firms, facilitators of consulting training programs, and faculty at business schools, this important resource provides an easy way to understand the stages, roles, and tasks of consulting found in any type of consulting and it provides simple and easy-to-use techniques and templates for implementation.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Verlander, Edward G.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface
Acknowledgments
PART I SETTING THE STAGE
CHAPTER 1 THE NATURE OF CONSULTING
It's an Industry
Types of Consulting
Trusted Consultant and Advisor
Consultants Qualifications
What is Professional Consulting?
CHAPTER 2 WHY COMPANIES HIRE CONSULTANTS
Why Consultants Are Needed
Fast, Bigger, Better, Cheaper Outcomes
Forces That Drive Business Consulting
Expectations of Consultant's Service
Changes in Client's Business and Organization Needs
Future Challenges
CHAPTER 3 A MODEL FOR PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING
What Do We Mean by process
A Framework for Consulting
The Four Stages of Consulting
The Four Roles of Consulting
Consulting Competencies
PART II APPLYING THE MODEL
CHAPTER 4 STAGE ONE: THE DEVEOLPING AND DESIGNING PROCESS
Stage One Competencies - Winning Business
Understanding the Client's Business and Industry
Making A Good First Impression
First Meeting Dynamics
CHAPTER 5 STAGE ONE, CONTINUED: ASSESSING CLIENT NEEDS AND MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
The Purpose of Conducting a Needs Assignment
Types of Questions - The Fundamentals
Conducting A Needs Assessment - A Question Strategy
Needs Assessment--Listening Actively
Proposal Development Process
Managing Expectations
CHAPTER 6 STAGE TWO: THE MOBILIZING & ALIGNING PROCESS
Stage Two Competencies: Mobilizing and Aligning
Work and Project Plan Reviews
Risk Assessment
Project Launch Meetings
CHAPTER 7 STAGE TWO, CONTINUED: TURNING CONSULTING GROUPS INTO TEAMS
Defining a Team
Stages of Team Development
Diagnosing Group Performance
How Team Building is Conducted
Special Problems in Team Building
Characteristics of High Performing Teams
Project Leader Style Needed for Team Building
CHAPTER 8 STAGE THREE: THE BUILDING & PRODUCING PROCESS
Stage Three Competencies--Building and Producing
Data Gathering
Performance Management and Coaching
Coaching Consultants
Motivating Consultants
Progress Review Meetings
Navigating Organization Politics
Project Management Issues
CHAPTER 9 STAGE FOUR: THE IMPLEMENTING & DEPLOYING PROCESS
Stage Four Competencies--Implementation and Deploying
Managing Change
Implementation Strategies
Skills Transfer
Measuring Customer Satisfaction.
PART III THE BIGGER PICTURE
CHAPTER 10 IMPROVING CONSULTING AS A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
A Reality Check About Consulting
Need to Professionalize Consulting
Professional Capabilities of Consultants
Building Block One: Business Focus
Building Block Two: Business Management
Building Block Three: Technical Requirements
Building Block Four: Inter-personal Attributes
Building Block Five: Effective Leadership
CHAPTER 11 LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE
How to Grow in Professional Capability
Lessons from McKinsey
The Pain and Joy of a Consulting Career
Professional Proficiencies in Consulting
Trends for the 21st Century
APPENDIX
A. CONSULTING ROLE PREFERENCE INDICATOR
B. GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESSFUL CONSULTING
C. THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF CONSULTANTS
D. CONSULTING CASE APPLICATIONS
E. DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES AND INSTRUMENTS FOR CONSULTING TEAMS
F. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

Über Autor(innen)

THE AUTHOR
Edward Verlander is chairman of Verlander, Wang & Co., LLC, an international management consulting firm that delivers services in strategy, organization change, leadership development, and executive coaching. Clients are world-wide and embrace the Fortune 500, numerous European technology companies and, most recently, the public and private education sectors in China. He also teaches MBA-level business consulting at Long Island University and has taught management at Columbia and Hofstra Universities, as well as in the business schools at Jilin University and Nanjing University in China.