The Consultant's Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You Do, New and Revised (Paperback)

by Geoffrey M. Bellman (Author), Geoffrey Bellamn (Author) "As consultants, we have critical choices to make about when, where, and how much to work..." (more)
Key Phrases: consulting profession, positive assumptions, Avoiding Painful Partnerships

Editorial Reviews

Review
Praise for the First Edition

"Taps into our feelings about our work, but it also makes definite suggestions to improve our craft as consultants. It helped me, even though I have twenty-nine years of experience as a consultant."
— Journal of Management Consulting

"The best book for [people who are trying to determine whether] consulting is for them."
— T & D

"A triumph of goodwill, wisdom, and a kind of humble Midwestern practicality. If Will Rogers had given attention to the consulting profession, this is the book he would have written."
— Peter Block, author of Flawless Consulting

"I must have a couple of dozen colleagues who shouldn't go another day without this book. Bellman has found a way to portray consulting as a way of life rather than just an abstract function. Here it all is-what we enjoy and exult in, and what we ponder, anguish, and whisper about. You will already know Geoff-the-Consultant: He is yourself."
— Peter Vaill, author of Managing as a Performing Art

"A wonderful book for people who want to test the waters of consulting, as well as for those who are looking to affirm their role as consultant but want to enhance their impact with clients and their own lives."
— David B. Wagner, Mercer Delta Consulting

"All my life, as a girl, as a professional consultant and now a retired elder I have shaped myself to be able to answer the internal question: Am I truly making a difference in the world? Am I truly living my beliefs through the contributions? And one day, some years ago I found Geoff Bellman and The Consultant's Calling. I wanted to shout out loud in my room, 'Yes that's it! That's what it's all about!' It affirmed for me everything I believed . . . .and we need affirmation with regularity, because it's often lonely out there. This book has been an inspiration for me and the most important part of reading it over and over is that it affirms what's best in me and my work. Thank you for being there, Geoff."
— Kathie Dannemiller, consultant and author of Collaborating for Change

"Geoff Bellman, you wrote my song! I laughed and cried and hummed as I sang The Consultant's Calling. It left me feeling affirmed for who I am, empowered with what I could be, guilty for what I choose not to face, skilled with what I can now do, and clearly convinced that I am living my work on purpose."
— Chip Bell, management consultant and author of Clients and Consultants

Product Description
A classic revised and updated for the twenty-first-century consultant
Revised and updated for consulting in the twenty-first century, this new edition is for anyone who wants to know what consulting is really like as a career, as a living, and as a life. Geoffrey Bellman reveals how to make the job rewarding both financially and personally as he examines the practical issues of managing time, clients, and money as well as such broader concerns as how to balance work with family life. At once practical and personal, this book is for all types of consultants, all those who work with consultants, and all those who dream of being consultants.
Geoffrey M. Bellman (Seattle, WA) has consulted to organizations of all sizes, from the inside and outside, including numerous Fortune 500 companies. He is the author of several well-received books, including Getting Things Done When Youre Not in Charge the bestselling book that has sold more than 80,000 copies.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; Revised edition (October 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787958476
• ISBN-13: 978-0787958473
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for service professionals, January 30, 2003

By	Colleen Cayes "tallredhead" (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you "help others with what they need and want," you will treasure this book and re-read it every year for a "tune-up." How do you create integrity in your work, bring honor to the profession, and gain your client's trust and gratitude? The author believes our best service to clients is accomplished through consciousness of self, and he calls on those of us with "radical hearts and pin-striped suits" to lead clients by our example to have the courage to implement our recommendations and thereby fulfill their organization's needs and our own. He says we must make our "values and viewpoints" evident to clients so they know they're buying a human being's integrity and expertise, and he walks his talk on every page. Most valuable to me is his clear insight into the mind and heart of the client, the person across the table who's hiring me. I have 10 years of consulting experience and am now building a practice in a new area, and this book gave me (1) practical advice on getting clients and making money, updated for today's marketplace and client expectations; (2) an inspiring reminder of how valuable I am to my clients and (3) a role model for creating a life for myself with contribution, friendship, and integrity at its center. Read this book if you are a coaching professional, management consultant, dentist, attorney, financial advisor, personal trainer, or any other client-focused service professional.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful book on consulting as a life mission, July 15, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: The Consultant's Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You Do (Jossey-Bass Management Series) (Paperback)

Best book on consulting I've read; it helps frame what one can bring *as a person* to a consulting career. Completely different context then the usual "make $200k a year as a consultant from your own home" books. I'm buying a copy for me, and one for a friend who is just entering the field.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Significantly fresh and new. Affirming and Inspiring !, December 20, 2001

By	Kathie Dannemiller (Michigan, author of Whole Scale Change (TM): Unleasing the Magic in Organizations) - See all my reviews

"All my life, as a girl, as a professional consultant and now as a retired elder I have shaped myself to be able to answer the internal question: 'Am I truly making a difference in the world? Am I truly living my beliefs through the contributions?' And one day, some years ago I found Geoff Bellman and The Consultant's Calling. I wanted to shout out loud in my room, " Yes, that's it! That's what it's all about!" It affirmed for me everything I believed... and we need affirmation with regularity, because it's often lonely out there. This book has been an inspiration for me and the most important part of reading it over and over is that it affirms what's best in me and my work. It was relevant and spoke to me then as it does now. Reaquaint yourself with the new edition of Consultant's Calling. It's a gem."