Reviews (8)

A "must read" for any Chrsitian in today's workforce!
When it was first given to me, I put the book down and thought "great, another 'motivation' book under the guise of Christianity." It took me nearly a year o pick it up, and when I did, I regretted waiting so long. I found it to be a wealth of practical information set in a personal testimony to which I (and anyone) could relate. You won't find "three quicky steps to make life perfect" here. Instead, you'll get to know a man and his struggles, and how Christ helped him overcome them. If you've already arrived at the same conculsions Beckett does, the book will serve as a refreshing confirmation. If you haven't yet arrived at his conclusions, you'll be blessed. Read this book!

Loving Monday is truly inspiring.
John Beckett's "Loving Monday" is a concise "how to." for the person who seeks to integrate their faith with their business life. The book refutes the popular notion that one must be ruthless in order to succeed in the workplace. Instead, Beckett shows how applying Christian principles in dealings with customers, employees and the community has helped him build a thriving business. His examples are simple and honest, giving techniques that anyone can understand an apply. The book is an easy read. The success of "Loving Monday" proves that it fills a need, that this is something Christians have been seeking.

Terrific book on how to run a business with integrity.
"Loving Monday" is a great title. In John Beckett's account of surviving in the business world through multiple challenges, he gives honest accounts of his struggles and triumphs, and proves that management can run a successful business with integrity and faith. A must-read for leaders wanting to make a difference in their companies AND in people's lives.

Bravo!
You won't learn about prayer in Graduate school. How refreshing to hear a corporate executive unashamedly recall how prayer provided the answers to his most vexing business issues.

Inspite of Hollywood's continued portrayal of christians as brain dead; this book is proof of the contrary!

¿. . . the Lord had a vital interest in my work."
This review appeared in Christian Library Journal.

John Beckett has been loving Mondays ever since he decided to run his oil burner business for the glory of God. He says, ". . . I had seen clear evidence that the Lord had a vital interest in my work. I concluded it would be utterly foolish for me to somehow partition my life into one way of thinking and conduct on Sundays and another during the work week. There needed to be a much fuller integration of my two worlds."

Three areas of focus make the R.W. Beckett Corporation notable:

First, extraordinary service. Management and employees alike strive to do their best. All are constantly looking for ways to improve their products so that they are always on the cutting edge of excellence. Examining their manufacturing process, they search for techniques that will enhance productivity and quality. They demonstrate their integrity in their contacts with customers and fulfillment of orders.

Second, commitment to employees. Company policies such as twenty-six weeks of maternity leave at quarter pay enable employees to put their families first. Management watches out for the best interests of labor, providing training needed for employees to be successful or to be promoted to the next level. Beckett has been so successful at forging caring employee relations that the plant voted to remain union-free.

Third, giving something back. Beckett's success has put him in a position to benefit the community. One of his projects is Advent Industries, which trains a workforce of disadvantaged people-who, because of criminal records, substance abuse, incomplete education or lack of skills are employment risks.

So exceptional is management style at the R.W. Beckett Corporation that Peter Jennings included a story about it on ABC News. Loving Monday explains in greater detail the Biblical principles that Beckett follows every day in running his business.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to love going to work--or who wants his employees to love their work.

--Andrea R. Huelsenbeck ... Read more

Book Description

The publication of this book heralds a new field of management, thought and practice. The advocates of the 'knowledge economy' have to date focused almost exclusively on how managers can increase the internal productivity of their knowledge assets and intellectual capital. The important next step is understanding that a large and rapidly increasing proportion of the value of business transactions is in knowledge itself. Once this is recognized, managers must devote their attention to how to maximize the value of that knowledge to customers, and tie that directly to developing enduring and profitable relationships.

Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships guides the reader to understanding the increasing importance of information and knowledge in business transactions and client relationships. It then goes on to present in an extremely practical fashion what knowledge organizations can do to enhance the value of the knowledge they deliver to clients and use that to develop profitable relationships. This is done by presenting underlying theoretical framework, a variety of tools for structuring relationships and presenting knowledge to clients, and numerous case studies and examples of firms which have implemented these concepts successfully.

Fills a gap in present knowledge literature in the customer knowledge area
Practical tools and effective case studies with world-recognized companies
Shows how knowledge organizations of all kinds can increase their competitive edge by adding value to their clients ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Valuable Asset
Whether you're a professional freelance writer, like me, or a consultant for a firm- you need to read this book.

In a world so consumed with the 'gimmes' and the 'gottas' this book offers a very different view of the business world.

We all have specialized knowledge and how we can benefit from sharing this with those we work with or for, is in essence the nutshell of the business.

How many people have sparked a creative thought or showed you a side or solution you hadn't thought of? We gleen this knowledge from them, but what do we do with it? Do we take it and keep it to ourselves, never exposing the great idea to those who could greatly benefit?

It is far more productive to spread the word, joy, idea or whatever with the people who have hired us as a consultant or employee. I have often had extremely productive conversations with large, important business owners, and yes- even millionaires who listened closely and enjoyed my creative insight. What's more is I didn't charge them for my time, I was simply sharing.

Did this knowledge sharing Ross Dawson discusses cause me any loss or to be cheated out of profit? Not at all, they'll remember me when they need a new idea, and will likely hire me because of it.

Dawson brings to light words we all needed to hear- what goes around comes around. I plan on sharing, how about you?

Buy this and give a copy to a co-worker or boss as a gift!

Dry as a bone
This book reads like a dull sociology treatise. It is hard to argue with most of the points, but much of what is stated is the obvious. It is heavy on theory, but light on example and ways to apply the theory. A book this hard to read (i.e., dull) should at least deliver a great deal of wisdom. It doesn't. Contrasted with a lively and example-filled book like Thomas Stewart's "Intellectual Capital", Dawson's work doesn't make the grade.

Essential reading for consultants
As a consultant who lives from one engagement to the next one of the buzzwords as projects are wrapped up is "knowledge transfer". It is almost like an afterthought and triggers some frantic activity to throw together a last minute plan, get the client's staff to absorb an array of information in a compressed timeframe, and sign off. This book changes that approach for me, and does so in a big way.

After reading the proactive approach to planned knowledge transfer, which needs to be a part of the initial project plan, I would consider the approach I cited above to not only be unprofessional, but borders on malpractice.

This book treats knowledge as a valuable commodity (something the business development types certainly preach, but the engagement team misses), and provides a methodical approach to using knowledge as a the product. Given the fact that we consultants are selling that very thing (knowledge) in a perfect world there should be no need for this book. Unfortunately, this book is sorely needed, and should be required reading for every consultant, regardless of whether he or she is a independent or member of one of the "Big 5".

Rarely do I read a book than makes a dramatic impact on my thinking, or fills me with resolve to immediately assimilate and use the content - this one does. I think it is an important work that is well written and gives a strong foundation for ethical practices and professionalism.

Deceptively Simply, Seriously Valuable

A great deal of work went into conceptualizing and crafting this book, and I give very high marks to the author, who does a really superb job of integrating insights from knowledge management, information technology, cognitive modeling, and client relationship or account management. This book makes the jump from airplane reading, to "hold and read several times more."

At the heart of the book, and many appear to miss this on the first reading, is the author's distinction between commoditized information services and differentiated information services. The first, aided by automation, is on a downward spiral in terms of both value and pricing, and competition is fierce. The second, partially aided by automation but ultimately being unique for rising to a higher level of knowledge service delivery that can only be done by expert humans, is where value pricing and differentiation can be found, and where professional services need to go if they are to remain profitable.

The second urgent and valuable insight the author shares with us is the co-evolutionary nature of a service that evolves through constant knowledge transfer to the client and constant co-creation of new knowledge as the competitive advantage; and a very deep and broad relationship with the client at all levels of both organizations. One leads to the other, the other leads to finding new business with the same client, and the cycle repeats itself. This insight is especially relevant to all those who are using information technology to force single human account managers to handle more and more accounts remotely, all the while "losing touch" with their clients for lack of time to make the personal visit or personal telephone call. This is also explicitly contrary to the prevailing "black box" model where knowledge is withheld as proprietary--the author makes it clear that in this new era, withheld knowledge is much less valuable and much less survivable--this is a dying model.

Among the sections of the book that I found especially worthwhile, partly for their elegance of expression and partly because they represent a considerable professionalism in distilling vast arrays of writing by others, were those that itemized the seven processes for adding value to the client relationship by adding converting information into knowledge (filtering, validation, analysis, synthesis, presentation, ease of access and use, customization); the rare simplicity of the distinction between implicit and explicit knowledge and how to communicate both kinds of knowledge; the brief but sufficient discussion of four key humans in the loop: the senior representative, the relationship coordinator, the knowledge specialist, and the knowledge customer; and the more general discussion of the various means for communicating knowledge value to the client, both in terms of channels and in terms of events including scenarios and wargaming.

Contrary to the publicity, this is not a case study book, although the several "gray block" inserts are both helpful and credible. This book is an executive primer for managing value in the 21st Century, and it merits several readings, not one.

Where the book falls short, and it may be that this is deliberate and better left for another book, is in the section on pricing knowledge services. Despite a fine summary of the kinds of pricing that are used, from time and materials (both the predominant means and the least profitable) to retainer to contingency to commissions and tenders, one is left feeling that neither the author nor his otherwise excellent sources have really come to grips with the fact that clients are still mired in an industrial-age financial mindset that values fixed goods and is not yet ready to pay for intangible knowledge goods. My own research suggests that fully half of the competition for knowledge professionals comes from client middle managers and senior sales or production experts who believe that they know everything they need to know to make good decisions--the other half comes from niche providers of very fragmented services, from the aggregators of online information (Factiva, Lexis-Nexis, DIALOG) to the market research firms (FIND/SVP, Fuld, SIS) to private investigative groups (Arkin, Kroll, IGI) to academic consultants (Harvard, UT) to localized information brokers listed in the Burwell Directory...and many many other sources including commercial imagery and Russian military maps of third world regions that most knowledge specialists--as well as their clients--overlook completely. Somewhere in all this mix, the big accounting and legal firms are trying to leverage their access to clients by becoming portals to global knowledge, and they are *not* delivering the integrated value they should--a value that can only come when the author's wisdom becomes conventional, and every professional services person knows how to define the question, discover and validate the sources, discriminate and distill the many sources into a value-added compelling presentation, and do so in timely easy to use fashion.

Some will be deceived by the very easy to read and well-organized sections into thinking this book is slightly superficial. That is not the case. This is a very well researched book that represents enormous value-added because the author has creatively distilled and organized at least four separate literatures, and done so in a fashion that will repay multiple readings of the book by the new standard: at least twice the value of your time taken for each reading.

Knowledge management is about relationships
Although written for and about professional services, the analysis and prescriptions in this book apply to any organisation that is concerned with building value-adding relationships with its clients. That is almost every business except one that is purely in commodities.

It is a first class book: well argued, well written and structured, clear and easy to reference and use. It succeeds admirably as a practitioner's manual. Prior understanding of the field is not essential, while established practitioners will find much to learn.

Knowledge is defined as 'the capacity to act effectively' and 'knowledge management' as referring to the dynamic processes associated with recognising knowledge as a primary asset and attempting to make it more productive. An important consequence of the definition is that knowledge is held only by people. The core of knowledge management initiatives lies in building and developing relationships between people, and knowledge transfer occurs between people. The key to effective knowledge transfer is therefore intimacy and trust.

He argues that knowledge, how it is generated, used and transferred, is probably the key source of differentiation in a world that is heading rapidly to commoditisation. Adding value to clients through knowledge transfer "can only be done with a highly interactive approach that draws on and develops relationships."

There is a detailed discussion of the role of information and the critical importance of understanding how to add the greatest value to information so that it can become can become valuable knowledge for clients. ... Read more

Book Description

If you run a business, what should you outsource (and what shouldn't you)?

If you're a knowledge worker (inside or outside IT), how can you protect yourself?

How will outsourcing evolve next? What do those changes mean to you?

Outsourcing is not just the #1 issue facing IT organizations: It's driving a profound transformation throughout American business. Whether you're an executive or a knowledge worker, the decisions you make about outsourcing can make or break your future. This book brings together all the information and insight you need to make those decisions—and make them the right ones.

Once, outsourcing was largely limited to IT. Suddenly, it touches everyone from telemarketers to tax preparers, radiologists to market researchers. No American company or knowledge worker can ignore its challenge. Now, widely acclaimed author and consultant Ed Yourdon helps you understand the challenge of outsourcing—and meet it.

IT pros and knowledge workers: Protect your career

Eight realistic strategies for surviving the outsourcing revolution

How to compete with the entire low-cost world and win

Quantify, protect, and enhance your personal ñvalue propositionî

Executives: Make smarter outsourcing decisions

What to outsource, how to do it right, and when to avoid it

Outsourcing, the next generation: Beyond programmers

From telemarketers to accountants, clinical trials to market research

The politics and geopolitics of outsourcing

Backlash at home, upheaval overseas, and a plan for renewal

Along the way, Yourdon assesses the politics and economics of outsourcing, long-term implications for both suppliers and buyers of knowledge-based services, and much more.

Yourdon has been writing about outsourcing since before it had a name. In this book, he doesn't just predict your future, he helps you take control of it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

How to Market Design: A Road Map For Design Consultants
Most Marketing books are too generic to be immediately relevant to most designers.In contrast "How to Market Design Consultancy Services" provides a step by step guide to getting it right when communicating the value of your design consultancy to clients.If you have ever had a cold call go wrong or wondered why clients behave in unpredicted ways, this book is for you.It provides a clear road map to being better at communicating the value of design to non designers.

If you are setting up a design consultancy this book is a must. ... Read more

Book Description

A how-to guide for consultants

Here is the accumulation of 35 years of work of two men who have helped shape the training and development field. Teachers, trainers, consultants, and continual learners themselves, the authors share their repertoire of concepts, strategies, and techniques.

The function of consultants is part of the role and function of all those who lead, direct, teach, or interact as friAnds and peers with others.
--Gordon and Ronald Lippitt, authors

The authors identify the six phases of almost any consultant-client working relationship:

• Engaging in initial contact and entry
• Formulating a contract and establishing a helping relationship
• Identifying problems through diagnostic analysis
• Setting goals and planning for action
• Taking action and cycling feedback
• Completing the contract

This book emphasizes the role of the consultant?internal or external?in an organizational setting. You'll learn to recognize the most appropriate, effective, and credible route to solving almost any consulting conundrum. You'll use every chart, checklist, and reference in this work to improve your own job performance.

Learn to:

• Recognize the phases in consulting
• Cope with ethical dilemmas
• Assess and evaluate your projects
• Consult in internation settings
• Facilitate change...and much more!

You might call yourself a consultant.
You might not. Regardless, you'll find yourself better equipped for any business interaction when you have this book at your side.

Table of contents:

• Consultation: An Expanding Process **Phases in Consulting **Interventions: Making Decisions and Ensuring Quality **Consultant Roles **Ethical Dilemmas and Value Guidelines **Designing Participative Learning **Diagnostic Analysis, Progress Assessment, and Evaluation **Examples of Consultation in Action **Guidelines for International Consulting **Skills, Competencies, and Professional Development **The Consultant as Change Facilitator **Implications for the Future of Consulting

... Read more

Reviews (1)

APractical Trouble Shooting Guide
This book offers an excellent framework to build your own consulting process, or to examine an existing process with others.The authors offer several roles played by consultants and describe when each is appropriate. As a manager, I have found it an excellent tool to enable internalconsultants to objectively examine their own projects in both planning andcorrective modes.

If you're stuck, or manage people who are stuck, thisbook is likely to help. ... Read more

Book Description

"Statistical Consulting" provides the reader with a detailed overview of the knowledge and communication skills that a statistician needs to be an effective consultant. The reference to "reader" is intentional since the aim of this book is to clearly illustrate what the consultant needs to know from the client--and why! For clients who need to seek the help of a statistical consultant, this book explains, in plain language, what is involved in the consulting process. This book is primarily written for the student or statistician who is interested in becoming involved in consulting activities. Different types of statistical consulting environments are discussed, followed by a detailed description of the communication skills that a statistician needs to develop to be an effective consultant. In describing the statistical methodology that a consultant can employ, the importance of engaging the client's understanding of the purpose and interpretation of a statistical procedure is emphasized. It is assumed that the reader has the necessary technical skills to apply the statistical methods used in this book. Part I of the book concludes with a consultation project reproduced in its entirety. A wide range of case studies of varying complexity are presented in Part II of the book that will help the reader understand and appreciate the diversity of projects that can arise in statistical consulting. The appendices provide valuable information on resources, details on the SAS and S-PLUS software packages, and a collection of useful reference tables. This book would also be a suitable text for a graduate course on statistical consulting and a course outline is provided for the instructor in Appendix A. ... Read more

Book Description

Peter Koestenbaum and Peter Block offer you a new perspective for viewing the workplace through the lens of philosophy so that you may have a better understanding of how to reclaim your freedom and accountability and encourage the same in others. They provide a radical new approach to your work-a-day life that will bring true meaning and power to your work.

Freedom and Accountability at Work offers you the information you need to:

Book Description

In this gripping and colorful account of the American dream gone astray, Lewis Pinault provides the essential guidelines on how to get ahead and an enlightening perspective on the brutal infighting that can engulf even the most civilized consulting firm. This stunning exposé of some of the most prestigious and respected names in the business leads you into a world where a client's interests are skillfully subordinated to those of the consultants, where money rules the day, and where principles and morals are unwelcome baggage.

Humorous and insightful, this no-holds-barred account takes you behind the scenes of the dehumanizing indoctrination of an academic intellectual into an exploitative -- and exploited -- "global transformation contractor." Featuring new material dealing with the e-consulting industry's boom, bust, and its future, Consulting Demons offers the most complete look at an industry that exacts the highest prices for the most questionable standards of success.

Reviews (25)

A SLOG FOR NON CONSULTANTS
Interesting book, but as my title suggests, as a non consultant, I had to force myself to finish some chapters. The mind numbing greed of these global big name consulting firms was matched only by the glaring ignorance of even the basic principals of business by their clients. After 17 years of living and working in Japan, I enjoyed some of Pinault's observations on life, love and business with the Japanese, others seemed quite contrived and the product of a somewhat overfertile imagination out to perpetuate the endless myths about "doing business with the Japanese". All in all, I learnt a lot about the consulting game, however I probably could have learnt just as much by reading a 5pg summary of the book.

Management Consultant in an integrity crisis
Management consultant in an integrity crisis This book can save users of management consultants millions of dollars. But they can also miss making millions. The stories in the book appear to be true. They show that some of the most important and prestigious consulting companies are far more interested in making money than solving a company's problems effectively and with integrity. The author however also states correctly that good consultants have three unique advantages 1 intensive concentration on a problem 2 no blinkers as the persons working in the company 3 experience of similar problems and their solution elsewhere. These unique advantages when combined integrity can deliver important benefits. The quality of the individual consultant is very important regardless of whatever the most reputable consulting company may claim. Many clients once they decide to start a project want to start quickly which makes it often impossible for the consulting company to make suitable persons available. Therefore a company that engages consultants at short notice takes a high risk as there is no time to properly organize and staff the project. The book documents a considerable lack of integrity in consulting companies and among consultants, with the author being a frightening example. The book is also useful reading for consulting companies that wish to operate at a high level of integrity. An interesting issues is strategy development and gathering information about competitors. The book gives dramatic examples of how is "stolen". Every company worth its salt is benchmarking the performance of its products against the competitors'. Reverse engineering, that is dissecting a product of a competitor and figuring out how one can do the same or better is an accepted practice. Sam Walton, founder of Walmart, was proud of the ideas he had "stolen" from others. Headhunters often search for candidates among competitors. Where does legitimate information gathering stop and stealing starts? This is not the kind of issue on which this book gives any guidance.

interesting points, but in need of editing
Postives
-makes many valid points about greed and unscrupulousness in consulting and the toll it takes on both people who work for the industry and companies that hire these firms
-gives helpful interview advice for people interested in working for these firms ;-)
-section about living in Japan before starting a consulting life v. interesting
Negatives
-self-righteous attitude--he works as a lawyer and used to live in a fraternity--not to stereotype, but I'm sure anyone who has been in both places has seen, perhaps not necessarily participated in, A LOT more than Pinault details in his book
-long rants about issues which may have personal significance but fail to advance plot (ex: weight loss working in singapore office, ex-wife's English class). Ironically, these anecdotes showcased the author's social ineptitude more than revealing anything about consulting.

It's good but....
This book starts off really good with a great story about interviewing with a Consulting firm, but it ends up being a book about the author during his "glory days". It's interesting. Gives a few insights, but nothing earth-shattering is in this book. Buy it Used or check it out from the library!

B2B or B2C: Is that the only question?
In this personal account of his journey through the world of management consulting, former management consultant Lewis Pinault explains why more than a decade of consulting experience drove him to finally revert to his original career dreams and training in space science. Although his tales of questionable business ethics, grueling work schedules, and a fast-paced jet-setting lifestyle, seem almost by design to deliver a grim picture of this industry, they may remain the least of factors which either deter or attract young aspirants to the entry and higher ranks of this trade, just as similarly scathing insider reviews of investment banking paradoxically became marketing tools for that industry. There are many revealing, if often unflattering anecdotes in this book, including one related to management guru C. K. Prahalad, co-author of Competing for the Future, which I have also reviewed on this website. And there is some wisdom to be gained from reading this book cover to cover. ... Read more

Book Description

Designing Solutions for Your Business Problems is an essential resource for managers and consultants who help organizations resolve ambiguous problems and develop new opportunities. Taking a hands-on, practical approach, Betty Vandenbosch— a leading management consultant and educator— outlines the details on how to conduct a proven process for designing solutions.

Designing Solutions for Your Business Problems will teach you how to curtail investigation and generate and justify ideas without sacrificing thoroughness, creativity, persuasiveness, and fit. You will be able to capitalize on more opportunities, and your problem-solving skills will become more efficient and your solutions more compelling. This book will help you design better solutions and design them faster.

Betty Vandenbosch offers a variety of useful techniques such as the "scooping diagram," which provides a framework for action, and the "logic diagram," which tests the validity of a potential solution. In addition, the book contains illustrative real-life examples of the Designing Solutions approach from a variety of organizations.

... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent read for all managers
Great book___ easy to read with several real life examples. The process described provides a framework to solve any problems/issues that arise in any business project.

A Must Reference Book for All Managers
The content is easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to put into practice. I am already using some of the methods from the book in everyday problem solving...mostly for work. I have read many great books on problem solving, consulting, and process improvement. This book sort of took the best of everything and made it more holistic. It definitely shows the level of real world experience the author probably has.

The book provides solid process for problem solving. Fortunately, the book does not get into fine details on exactly what to do. Experienced managers know that no two problems are the same, and that with a good process they can apply their own thinking and skills to get to the resolution. Finally, the process the author lays out can help on the softer side of the business as well...such as in building a collaborative team with clear goals and objectives. One too many times I've seen teams fall apart because of unclear goals and conflicting objectives.

I recommend this book for every person that has to manage process or people...perhaps that is everyone.

A Must Reference Book for Managers
The content is easy to read, easy to follow, and easy to put into practice. I am already using some of the methods from the book in everyday problem solving...mostly for work. I have read many great books on problem solving, consulting, and process improvement. This book sort of took the best of everything and made it more holistic. It definitely shows the level of real world experience the author probably has.

The book provides solid process for problem solving. Fortunately, the book does not get into fine details on exactly what to do. Experienced managers know that no two problems are the same, and that with a good process they can apply their own thinking and skills to get to the resolution. Finally, the process the author lays out would help on the softer side of the business as well...such as in building a collaborative team with clear goals and objectives. One too many times I've seen teams fall apart because of unclear goals and conflicting objectives.

I recommend this book for every person that has to manage process or people...perhaps that is everyone. ... Read more

Book Description

FOLUSA’s (Friends of Libraries U.S.A.) many friends groups constantly produce new ideas and inventive strategies for helping libraries and their communities. Here are more than 100 simple, innovative, and tested marketing and fundraising ideas collected from friends groups across the country. They cover advocacy, fundraising, and membership campaigns, as well as programs and public awareness events, and projects to increase organizational effectiveness. Each activity includes a general description, an outline of the planning process, budget forecasts, expected results, and sample forms, graphics and logos to adapt to your own library’s needs. Help your friends group plan for an online book sale, and arts fundraiser, or a successful library anniversary. Programs like Hearts and Arts, Library Lovers Month, Library Anniversary Party, or Date with the Director will spark even more innovative ideas. These creative ideas can be used by any library on their own—or to stimulate their local friends activities. ... Read more

Book Description

The most dreaded part of your consulting interview: THE CASE! Like it or not, if you're planning to get a job in consulting, you will have to learn how to handle the case interview. Although different firms and different interviewers have very different approaches to the case question, all of them use it as an important tool in selecting/screening out job candidates. Indeed, you may have to clobber as many as ten or more cases on the way to landing a job with a major management consulting organization. Fortunately, by studying up on the case process and honing your case interview skills through practice, you'll soon be able to amaze friends and family alike with your explanations, frameworks and graph drawing skills. In this best-selling Insider report, WetFeet.com will help you ace your case!

What the Heck Is A Case?
Let's start with a simple definition. The case interview is essentially a word problem based upon a real life (or simulated) consulting situation. Cases come in all shapes and sizes, from the simple, straightforward question designed to see how you think about a problem, to the highly complex business strategy issue that takes twenty minutes to explain and involves graphs and charts and buzzwords up the wazoo. However, they all have one thing in common. (No, it's not to inspire fear in the hearts and minds of would-be consultants!) The consulting firms tell us that the case interview is an excellent way to test a candidate's analytical abilities, his or her resourcefulness and way of thinking about problems, and, ultimately, his or her aptitude for consulting.

Are you ready to ace your case interview? Among the topics in this information-packed report:

• What to expect in your interview
  
• How to impress your interviewer
  
• Seven steps to surviving the case interview
  
• Five categories of cases
  
• Buzzword bingo for the consulting case interview
  
• Consulting frameworks
  
• Consulting frameworks: The second stage
  
• What to do when things don't go as planned
  
• The judge's scorecard/How you'll be evaluated
  
• Sample cases for consultants-to-be
  
• WetFeet worksheet for case analysis
  
• Suggested answers to common case questions

Reviews (10)

Outstanding case interview prep...
Anybody interested in consulting or facing a case interview should definitely check out Wet Feet's series. Their case interview guides are outstanding, providing a thorough guide of what to expect, how to tackle a problem (providing you with a quick refresher course on basic business concepts, frameworks, etc), and what behavior/ideas your interviewer will likely be looking for. I found this book to be absolutely essential when I got into strategy consulting a few years ago-considering the current job market, it's almost a must-have if you've never had the pleasure of being grilled with cases before.

Deconstructing the Case Interview
Definitely worth the money. I bought this one as well as Ace II (just heard there's now an Ace III), and used it to prepare for my consulting interviews. No matter what case got thrown at me, I kept my wits about me since i'd seen it all before while working through the WF guides. And now I'm going to work for one of my top picks in consulting. woohoo!

Short and to the Point; Very Practical!
I came across WetFeet for the first time in MBA school -- they impressed me back then with their very practice and to the point approach! This book is no exception!

It is very short (100 pages) and well organized (Getting started; successful networking; the interview process; interviewing at your best; gettgin the best offer).

The book does not cover resume writing and cover letter writing, which I consider one of its strengths (so many other resources are available on the subject).

The real strength of the book is in it practical guidence to specific steps that can be taken in the interpersonal (netwroking, interviewing) aspects of a job search. Recommended read for all career activists!

Yes that's outdated!!
I am majorly disappointed with this book. I was really shopping around for Case In Point / Vault Guide to Case Interview, but since those books aren't carried by my local bookstore and I need that quickly, I end up choosing this as it has an electronic version. It's no good. FULL STOP. It's like a random summary of a MBA courses, Porter's five forces etc.. But I don't think this book is helping with dealing with case interview at all, rather it's confusing the candidate especially for those non-MBA students who didn't know about those infamous business framework. It's giving them a incomplete and useful illustrations. Disappointed...

Very Helpful for Case Interviews
This guide provides some very useful case examples and takes some of the mystery out of case interviews! I would definitely recommend this! ... Read more

Book Description

Since SAP R/3 exploded on the North American scene in 1993, the SAP consulting market has been phenomenal. As the market moves into a mature phase, SAP consultants need new strategies and tactics to further their careers. In this eagerly-awaited handbook, the authors - an SAP practice director and an SAP recruiter - combine forces to offer in-depth advice on everything from how to get a start in SAP consulting to balancing multiple job offers. This book is a must for anyone involved in the field of SAP consulting. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

trying to break into sap? read this book!!
trying to break into sap? read this book!! It has a whole
chaoter just on that. really great book. very practical
and knowledgable advices.

Sweet book
Love the attitude that comes across - SAP is good money and fun to boot. Excellent material from both a career-planning and across-the-desk-from-you HR perspective. I think all SAP folks should have a copy, plus wannabes. I suggest you check out George Anderson's book SAP Best Practices in Implementation too, as it is a bit more up to date technology-wise and covers staffing quite well, in a similarly realistic manner. Some of the older SAP implementation books aren't too bad either, though the slant is usually exclusively consultant-focused rather than presenting both sides. I picked up my copy used, great bargain. Get one for the whole SAP team, internal IT and consultatnts alike.

Excellent book on career management for SAP guys
A must have for those just starting and recommended for all. Bit outdated with references and tech stuff but career planning advice and practical considerations are, well, priceless.

Excellent book on carreer management for IT people =)
This is an excellent book for people of IT profession. It discusses in depth different options and the pros and cons of each option. Although the book was written specifically for SAP professionals who can get the most out of the book, the concepts in the book are almost readily applicable to other IT fields.

This is one of the very few IT carreer books that provide practical advices in an easy-to-read style.

A good reference book for SAP Consulting career
This book is meant for those, who are research eyed and plan well before whatever they do. I have come across many a times, people asking me questions what it makes to be successful in SAP career and whether it is time for them to join the band wagon of SAP Consultants (based on the demand-supply position). I regret that I was delivering lectures at that time, instead of asking them to refer to this book. This book contains quite a few good points that are essential to be successful in SAP career.
Positive point: This is the only book available on SAP Career guidance.
Negative points: (1) this book was written in March 1999 and not updated thereafter. (2) The data are all old; most of them are dated 1997 & 1998. (3) Forecasts about SAP market growth and job opportunities in the new millennium are missing.
With new dimensions of SAP emerging such as BW, APO, CRM, etc and availability of many Industry Specific (IS) Solutions and the actual BIG market (money spinner for SAP Consultants) for SAP has dried up, the SAP Consulting career guidance book certainly needs an update.
Thanks for reading ... Read more

Book Description

THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM BIBLE

A comprehensive guide to every aspect of firm operation:

• Governance
  
• Organizational structure
  
• Compensation
  
• Sales management
  
• Marketing and advertising
  
• Business development
  
• Contract negotiations
  
• Intellectual property
  
• Writing proposals
  
• Strategic partnering
  
• Quality assurance
  
• Training and professional development
  
• Recruiting and retention
  
• Project management
  
• Risk management
  
• Finance and accounting
  
• Purchasing and procurement
  
• Vendor management
  
• Information technology
  
• Legal issues
  
• Office management
  

Book Description

Find out what it takes to become an effective consultant!

In order to succeed as a change agent and consultant we must clarify our own purpose, motivation, and relationship with our careers. The Conscious Consultant--a book in The Practicing Organization Development Series--offers a much-needed road map and powerful tool that consultants can use to perform a personal assessment of foundational principles in order to achieve greater integrity and alignment with personal values and career. The book's Active Change Model creates an understanding of what it takes to become an effective consultant who practices wisdom by making conscious choices in a thoughtful and wholehearted manner, choices that will positively influence the work that is done with all clients.

"At last! A much-needed book primarily and effectively focused on the consultant's continuing quest for personal awareness--both looking deeply for one's true inner self and outward for that self in relation to clients. I do strongly agree with the author's basic thesis that we cannot expect our clients to embrace change unless we personally embrace it ourselves."
--Bob Tannenbaum, emeritus professor of the development of human systems, Anderson Graduate School of Management, UCLA, and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National OD Network ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Book!
This is a great book for anyone, not just consultants. It clearly explains the value and process of personal and organizational change. The material is useful, practical, and immediately applicable. I highly recommend it as a book that you will use again and again.

Great Book!
You don't have to be a consultant to enjoy this book. It's a wonderful explanation about personal change and how it is accomplished. One person told me that it contained everything she had learned through years of therapy, in an elegant, enjoyable style. I will use this book over and over. My business has already expanded because of what I have learned from it.

Effective Consulting
I have always focused on the client, but this book deftly describes how my own thoughts and process help or impede a positive outcome. It is correctly titled because it truly does bring the "conscious" to the consultant. I highly recomended it. ... Read more

Book Description

This book complements The handbook of Management Consulting:The Contemporary Consultant:Insights from Leading Experts, 1e but can also be studied separately.The book consists of 20 cases including Harvard and Stanford cases.The cases present the broad range of topics that are pertinent to current management consulting.Each of the four parts of the text presents a cogent introduction by the editors, delineating topics that are critical for todays consultants to understand. The cases represent major practice areas of consulting and afford new insights into change processes and other current management issues facing consulting firms.These cases, together with the handbook, will prepare consultants and other business managers for a successful future in a highly competitive consulting environment. ... Read more

Book Description

Most salespeople now have laptop computers, but rarely receive training in how to use them effectively to make a sales presentation. How to Sell with a Laptop is the first book that tells sales people: How to use a laptop computer strategically on each sales call; What to do and what not to do when delivering a laptop-based sales presentation; How to use the Web to access information during a sales call, and; Tips for making easy PowerPoint presentations - customized for each client. The first framework to help both consultatns and their clients measure the impact - and return on investment - of consulting projects. Today's consulting business faces an accountability crisis. Consultants are increasingly being required to prove the measurable value - and return on client's investment - of their work. The Consultant's Scorecard outlines a valuable new program that allows both consultants and their clients to measure the success of consulting and performance improvement projects in terms of business impact, ROI, and other widely accepted performance standards. Based on innovative methods that have worked for leading companies including AT&T, Compaw, and Bristol Myers-Squibb - complete with case studies and examples - The consultant's Scorecard contains checklists, tables, and charts to help the reader isolate each critical area of the consulting project. It is the first book to provide a step-by-step method for confidently evaluating the overall success of consulting and performance improvement projects. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Highly Recommended!
As any consultant - and author Jack Phillips - will tell you, the days when a consultant could make a living by sharing the latest trendy approaches to business are long, long gone. Today's executives expect consultants to adhere to the same standards of accountability that consultants themselves have advocated for years. Therefore, the ability to determine a consulting project's return on investment is an important skill for both executives and the consultants they hire. Phillips offers a practical approach to ROI that somehow avoids consulting jargon and complex formulas. Although it lacks case studies that show how to overcome specific obstacles to data collection and interpretation, this is a valuable book that fills in an important piece of the consulting puzzle. Best of all, it does so in a common-sense way that can be understood by carbon-based life forms, therefore we [...] recommend this book to consultants and those who hire them.

Good overview, but light on the actual details
Phillips provides a good, general overview of the metrics to consider in evaluating the return on consulting engagements. However, the book could have been significantly improved by the addition of at least one complete example of an application of the suggested method for calculating ROI, including a more in-depth treatment of the many survey methods suggested. Further, some of the snippets of the quantitative examples are simplified to the point of being misleading. Finally, the concept of the scorecard, which was part of the title of the book, was not developed in the text.

Campbell's Soup
Just like the soup, this book is mmmm...mmmm...good!

As a client, the book provided a very clear guideline to keep consultants accountable. I now feel that I will know when hiring a consultant is both a good idea and cost-effective. Knowing that I had read this book, our consultants were able to better communicate with us. Overall, incredible! ... Read more

Book Description

A book for the entrepreneurial person who, regardless of age, has engineering, computer, or other technical knowledge and experience and the desire to be a sole proprietor consultant. "Flying Solo" describes telltale signs that point to going out on your own, characterizes the functions of consultants, explains success factors, assesses your viability as a free lance, presents the logistics of getting started, outlines a simple but effective marketing strategy, suggests ways to be successful with a new client, reviews fundamental project management ideas, lays out basic accounting steps, offers liability minimizing tactics, and addresses the possibility and consequences of failure. Overall, Flying Solo will help you enjoy your work, increase your autonomy and income, and prepare for a comfortable retirement. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Loaded with tidbits of wisdom
The author touches on about every topic concerning the startup of your own consulting practice.Some issues are handled in a summary manner however.I thought it was a little pricey for what I got from it. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

VERY Solid Advice that will pay for itself many times over..
Having dabbled in consulting I knew some of the basics, but this will help me polish out any rough spots. If you are thinkng of becoming an independant or just started out by all means get this book! Just started reading two other books by Janet and I'm sure I'll like those as well. Also, stop by the messsage board on her web site to share your experiences.... No- I do not know her nor am I compensated by her. Just a solid book and thought I'd share.

Outstanding book for would-be consultants
I wish this book had been available when I was getting started as a consultant; it would have saved me a lot of the time and trouble of learning the ropes. The book is well organized and full of great tips, useful advice, and excellent discussions of the issues involved in being a successful consultant. It was clearly written (and written clearly) by somebody who has obviously "been there and done that." As I read through it, I kept saying to myself, "yeah, that's so true, and that's true too, and I wish I'd known that before discovering it the hard way, and . . . ."

If you've ever entertained idle thoughts about consulting in the computer industry, I strongly encourage you to get this book. It does a great job of presenting both the pros and cons of consulting and includes the essential information you need to succeed if you decide to make a go of it.

An invaluable book for a newbie consultant.
I read from front to cover the Computer Consultant's Workbook. For a person who is interested in consulting, and has no knowledge at all about consulting, this is the book for you. After you read this book I would also recommend that you read her second book as well because both books together offer invaluable tips as you embark on your career as a consultant. ... Read more

Book Description

This guide provides invaluable job search advice for the prospective management consultant. Harvard Business School graduates, students, and faculty reveal firsthand insights into the industry, offer advice on career self-assessment, describe what a consultant's work is really like, outline current industry trends, and offer guidelines for approaching the case-study interview. Also included are profiles of well-known consulting firms, a mailing list of recruiting contacts, and a selective bibliography of relevant books, directories, Web sites, and other resources compiled by the Harvard Business School career resources librarian. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Geared for neophytes - not a useful publication for most
Provides a cursory look at a consultant's life and some of the companies one would normally consider, along with many smaller companies that many people wouldn't have access to. Better information is likely available elsewhere, including the Internet and other publications.

good basics
This book asks each of the top consulting firms to answer a set of questions about what their firm is like. As expected, the answers are biased, but still helpful. For a more unbiased insider's view of each firm also try the Vault Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms, which also ranks the leading consulting firms based on a national reputation survey.

good, but the Vault guides are better
In my opinion there is more and better objective information on consulting careers in the Vault Career Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms and in the Vault Guide to Case Interviews, which have the added benefit of being able to be purchased on vault.com and downloaded immediately. Good luck.

fair
Good guide, but the Vault guide to consulting firms is significantly superior in my opinion.

vault consulting guide is superior
more useful and third party i