Practice This

I was reading The Top Ten Lessons Steve Jobs Can Teach Us – If We’ll Listen published on Forbes.com. The further I read it the more I became convinced the lessons are applicable to consulting. So I decided to add a twist and see the applicability of what Steve Jobs could teach consultants.

Consulting Guidelines For High Energy and Burnout Prevention article is out. The article’s objectives:

State the risk of the burnout
Rationalize the need for high energy
List guidelines for maintaining high energy

Here is the abstract:
As a consultant you constantly run a high risk of burnout. Regardless of the billing model – hourly rate, fixed fee, or retainer – the time is your core currency and  it runs against you. Collecting requirements, researching on available technologies, developing proof of concept, fixing technical problems, implementing – that’s technical  part that takes lots of energy. Influencing …

Another article hot off the press – High Impact Results Guidelines For Consultants.
I have distilled key aspects of high impact results when delivering consulting service. It boils down to relevancy, winning Strategy, precise Execution, and relying on your Network.
Relevancy is key, defining relevant results upfront is half path to success. Strategy is about charting your path to the results and making it your brand. Execution is actually delivering on what you have promised. And Network is about having the safety net when in trouble which happens quite often.
Applying these …

I have just posted an article Core Practices Any Consultant Should Master. This is high level overview yet with enough details and examples. It suits both novice consultants who just started or yet to start their consulting practice and those who’s experienced. It’s the balcony view on what to expect and how to behave. It is also suitable for experienced consultants – it’s always good to pause and reflect on how things are done, chances a thing or two can be improved.
The practices I have covered are Planning, Execution, Tracking, …

“Language underlies all other components of customer satisfaction” – Leonardo Inghilleri and Micah Solomon, Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit

They say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. For service delivery the first impression is made based on the language used when delivering the service. No matter what medium is used – in-person, email, or over the phone. It’s about the language. Inghilleri and Solomon suggest practical guidelines how to make sure the language contributes to successful, and profitable, service delivery.