Customer Reviews

Process Consulting: How to Launch, Implement, and Conclude Successful Consulting Projects (The Ultimate Consultant Series)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
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What does a consultant actually do when he or she is face-to-face with a client? This book tells you precisely what to say and do. It is the most practical, down-to-earth, lively and interesting guide that I have ever read...and I have read all of them! It is based on the author's own success as a consultant, with real live stories and examples of what works and what does not. Alan Weiss increased my vision for my work as a consultant by showing that my job is not simply to solve problems, but to go way beyond -- to raise the bar, to innovate, to take my clients to a higher level. He is a contrarion who challenges everything we take for granted. Take "strategic planning" for example. Weiss puts it down as an oxymoron. Strategy is vision. Planning is organization. Most people mix the two up, forget about the vision and get bogged down with details. Alan Weiss keeps the reader focused on the big picture, the grand objectives. This is the true value that a consultant can bring to an organization. And by delivering this kind of value, the consultant can charge high fees, based strictly on value added. Any intelligent CEO will be happy to pay a higher fee, because the return on investment is clear and quick.

This is the third of Alan Weiss's book on consulting and one that fills in the gaps for me. Alan is a believer in working with the customer and jointly arrive at a solution or a process to implement. This is a key for his success and one that he expounds for all consultants to follow. Most big consulting firms have a canned program to solving the customers "problems" and most of the time, it does not really solve the problem. Alan's approach is one of truly finding the client's needs and then solving it.
Since I never worked as a consultant before, I needed some idea of some of the tools that Alan uses. This book provides his tools which I lacked in reading his first two books, Million Dollar Consulting and Getting Started in Consulting. However, I dont want to be caught up in the mechanics of the process less I fall into the same trap that the big firms are pursuing. Thank you Alan.

This is the first book I know of from Alan Weiss which deals with the methodology of consulting. It applies to both internal and external consultants, and covers areas including focus groups, coaching, workshops, observation, facilitation, change management, and most of the basic consulting methods. Although best known as a marketing expert for consultants, Weiss has built his career on consulting for major organizations, such as HP, Merck, and Mercedes, and reveals how to successully launch and conclude projects. Note that this is not a book about human resources management, and Weiss is often disdainful of the HR function, but this is nonetheless a pithy, practical approach for even experienced consultants.

Where Alan Weiss other books deal with the business side of consulting, this one is a collection of hands-on tools every consultant needs to have in his set. Among topics treated are information gathering, coaching, culture change, and leadership. Ever mindful of the need to create value, the book also teaches you to create conditions for a successful consulting assignment by dealing with the key players and avoiding political landmines within the client organisation, avoiding intimidation and pushing back when you have to.

The numerous case studies further bring the tools and their correct application into sharper relief.

There are a LOT of essentially useless, empty, vague or impractical books about "how to be a consultant" out there. Process Consulting by Alan Weiss is NOT one of them.

This volume is appropriate for both internal and external consultants, and Weiss's guidelines are applicable across a broad range of consulting industries - not just corporate or management arenas.

Process Consulting shows how to:

~ create the environment for a successful intervention
~ gather the right information effectively & efficiently
~ create dynamic interventions that yield measurable results
~ coach key players and overcome resistance to change

Whether you're a long-time consultant or relatively new to the field, Process Consulting belongs on your bookshelf. It will not disappoint!

I have given high marks to all AW books, which I have read. I like the style as find that each book is well worth the price. This book more than others is "original" in that AW provides pragmatic advice on how to evaluate a multitude of situations even thorny ones. He also offers good advice on handling corporate politics, which is priceless at any level of consulting. I put this advice to good use immediately. You will also find little material in this book that is also available in his other books. I also strongly suggest all the other books in the Ultimate series.

For anyone who works as a professional consultant, this book is a must read. It really aids in laying out the specifics of a profession that there really isn't a job description for. Great insight in how to help clients get the most from your talent and how to develop your own skills as a consultant.

Alan Weiss tells it like it is. If you want to learn from one of the best...read EVERYTHING Alan Weiss writes! Alan's insights and experience are second to none. I personally own just about every book Alan Weiss has written. He is not only a consultant's consultant, but he is also a gifted writer as well.
Alan Weiss's advice, insights and knowledge will take years off your learning curve. This book is a must for your library.

Lenny Laskowski, Author of National Best Selling Book:
"10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking"
President of LJL Seminars(tm)