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Flawless Consulting summary
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Consulting summaryThe key message of ‘Flawless Consulting’ is about objectively analyzing a business
and implementing:
The key message of ‘Flawless Consulting’ is about objectively analyzing a business and
implementing lasting change. In the best cases, the consultant teaches a client to solve
future problems independently through a deeper understanding of the company’s work and
managerial roles. In order to familiarize you with the book, here is a summary on its key
elements. It shows you the strengths and limitations of consulting work and how consultants
go about doing good work every day. You’ll discover why every consultant must practice
what they preach, why consultants seem to spend most of their time chatting, and why the
meeting is a consultant’s greatest weapon. (Flawless Consulting Summary, Review PDF –
LifeClub (no date))
1. Flawless Consulting Key Idea #1: Being rational is good.
Focusing on interpersonal dynamics and emotions is even better. Many believe that being
rational is the key to making effective decisions. So managers often try to suppress their
more impulsive, emotional sides and focus on being logical. But really, this isn’t always
the best approach. If you’re a consultant, being cold and rational will only take you so far.
Consultation happens on two levels: the technical, business level and the interpersonal level.
And even amid the most technical, complicated systems, we can’t forget that every
employee is a human, too! The bottom line is that a consultant can’t truly grasp the problem
if she doesn’t understand the emotional and interpersonal dynamics of the situation at hand.
Consider a hospital where many different types of doctors and specialists see a single
patient. An internist may draw blood; a nurse administers medicine; and so on. Although
database software could streamline and help organize this multilevel process, this would
only happen if everyone involved in the process used the software properly.
Thus as a consultant, you have to realize that introducing a new efficiency tool isn’t just a
question of adequate terminals or software proficiency. Each doctor or specialist will need to
adjust how they work on a personal level, too. If you ignore this variable, the introduction of
new technology is all but useless!
And while interpersonal dynamics are important, as a consultant, don’t ignore your own
feelings. Pay attention to your first response to a situation; it might shed light on a deeper
issue, as well as effectively highlighting a potential solution.
So if you get the sense that management is too hard on employees, it’s a sure bet that the
employees feel this, too. Armed with this bit of intuition, a consultant can then discover ways
to improve communication between staff and management, ultimately building a better team.
To sum up, don’t ignore your feelings and instincts. Instead, use them as data to better
understand the situation in front of you!
, 2. Flawless Consulting Key Idea #2: Top consultants not only talk the talk, but
walk the walk. Be authentic and follow your own advice.
Let’s imagine a consultant – a confident individual in a sharp suit, strutting around your office
taking notes. Although this person might look important, in reality, he has very little direct
power. A consultant can do two things: advise people and try to motivate them to implement
new ideas. So if you are a consultant, how can you be as effective as possible?
First, people won’t listen to you at all if you come off like a hypocrite. Openness and honesty
are the key characteristics a consultant needs to have. In short, you have to practice what
you preach.
Let’s say you’re a line manager in a traditional company with rigid hierarchies. A consultant
tells you that a flat hierarchy would be more effective, as employees are more productive
when they have input. You argue that the pressure of the job requires that everyone do as
they’re told; having every decision open for discussion would just gum up the works and be
counter-productive.
Now what would you think if your flat-hierarchy consultant responded with, “Do as you’re
told. I’m getting a lot of money from your CEO and he wants things done my way!”
Obviously, you’d be horrified. And what’s more, you probably wouldn’t want to hear another
word from this bossy, unenlightened individual.
This situation is at a crucial point. Behaving badly isn’t merely socially unacceptable, it’s also
unproductive. Since people often learn by imitation, if you want someone to follow your
advice, you have to walk the walk, too. This way, people will not only learn from what you
say but also from what you do.
What if that bossy consultant had instead responded by saying that he understood your
concerns, and had already integrated them in his concept? You might not only be receptive
to his ideas but also pick up some vital skills about how to better communicate with
employees.
3. Flawless Consulting Key Idea #3: A consultant is an independent advisor, not
a surrogate manager.
So your company has a huge problem that you as a manager can’t solve. The light bulb
goes on: I can call a consultant and let him figure it out! Maybe you could even go on
vacation while the consultant goes to work.
A dream scenario, sure, but the reality is different. Consultants and managers are both
needed; a consultant comes up with a good solution, but a manager is the one who actually
puts the solution into action. This is an important distinction. Although a consultant might act
as a surrogate manager and solve a problem quickly, no one would learn anything from the
process. If the problem returned, the company would need to again hire the consultant,
having not learned the first time around!
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