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

by Alan Weiss (Author) "Consulting techniques and interventions don't succeed or fail based on the atmosphere of the client, the self-esteem of the consultant, or the phase of the..." (more)
Key Phrases: change management projects, key sponsors, thermal zone, Apple Computer, Ten Steps, Can Rule the World (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Alan Weiss's latest book is filled with the wisdom that comes from having been there and done that. Most anyone, whether experienced or inexperienced, can gain a great deal from it." —Benjamin B. Tregoe, chairman emeritus and cofounder, Kepner-Tregoe, Inc.

"What could be more valuable than an expert consultant revealing in great detail exactly how to succeed? There is nothing I appreciate more than a book chock-full of actionable advice. Every consultant, regardless of his or her experience, will find enormous value in this book. This is akin to sitting for weeks on the other end of the log with the Socrates of consulting." —Jack Zenger, founder and CEO, Zenger-Miller, and coauthor, Results-Based Leadership

"Anyone trying to make it big-time at management consulting should own a copy of this book. The brief case summaries will be particularly revealing and useful." —Robert F. Mager, founder, Mager Associates, Inc., and member, Training and Development Hall of Fame

Product Description
Follow the expert advice in this book--the fifth in The Ultimate Consultant series--and you will learn what it takes to work effectively with clients to launch and conduct projects and bring them to a successful conclusion. Alan Weiss, internationally recognized consultant and author of the best-selling Million Dollar Consulting, shows you how to form partnerships with clients who will enthusiastically assist and support the implementation of all your consulting projects.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Pfeiffer (August 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787955124
• ISBN-13: 978-0787955120
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #70,667 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever on how to consult, September 2, 2002

By	Stephen E Savage (Nashua, NH USA) - See all my reviews

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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book that gives you Alan's insight on the consulting process, March 13, 2006

By	James C. Wylie - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful guide to methodology of consulting, February 29, 2004

By A Customer

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.