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Product reviews for Consult Yourself - Paperback Edition
Graham Willcocks
Overview
The only guide to consultancy that anyone could need, covering the why, what, who and how of building and sustaining a successful career in consultancy. The messages are clear, sincere and very readable" and they make complete sense. Any consultant " new or experienced " will learn a lot. I wish it had been around when I started out.
Evaluation
Carol Harris's book takes a practical and very readable look at what it takes to become " and remain " a successful consultant. It starts at the beginning with the basics, and takes a well-crafted and logical path through to more advanced processes and the finer points of acquiring, delighting and satisfying clients. Consult Yourself covers all the proven techniques that effective and efficient consultants know about " charts, graphs, analytical techniques and the like " but puts them inside a framework of human relationships. Businesses are people, nothing more, and the book does justice to that emotional side of the equation without losing the practical edge.
It's such a good read that the strongly ethical side of the book could slip past unnoticed. But everything Carol says about successful consultancy is linked to the client's needs and context. There are none of those "off-the-shelf' solutions that can give the profession a bad name. Her emphasis is on professional practice, professional techniques and professional behaviour although she doesn't make a great play of this. It's her instinctive approach and that simply strengthens the message. She doesn't bang on about how expert she is " she allows her expertise and professionalism to shine through on its own.
The style is engaging and natural. It reflects her chapter on business writing where she talks about using modern grammar and style, rather than outdated bureaucratic language and jargon. The headings explain clearly what's coming next and the vast amount of useful information is broken down into digestible chunks that make sense" and make you want to read the next one. And when you do you're never disappointed. If you're looking for a marketing slogan that fits this book, try this. There's nothing precious about it" but it is precious.
Carol's emphasis is on the practical skills and requirements of consultancy. She links NLP to the consultant's role and practice, where it fits " which is often. And she gets the balance right, with NLP supporting the individual who has the right credentials and the right skills to develop. There is no attempt to overplay the NLP card and pretend that it's a magic wand that can turn a no-hoper into an international guru.
Having said all these positive things I tried to find the odd negative, to balance it up a bit. But the only problem I could come up with is that there's so much here. One reading doesn't do it justice. Carol's preface invites you to" either read it from start to finish, or dip in at those points that attract your interest the most. I don't agree. I think you should do both. Read it through, then read it again, then keep dipping into it. Then read it again. It will certainly stand it.
The only guide to consultancy that anyone could need, covering the why, what, who and how of building and sustaining a successful career in consultancy. The messages are clear, sincere and very readable" and they make complete sense. Any consultant " new or experienced " will learn a lot. I wish it had been around when I started out.
Evaluation
Carol Harris's book takes a practical and very readable look at what it takes to become " and remain " a successful consultant. It starts at the beginning with the basics, and takes a well-crafted and logical path through to more advanced processes and the finer points of acquiring, delighting and satisfying clients. Consult Yourself covers all the proven techniques that effective and efficient consultants know about " charts, graphs, analytical techniques and the like " but puts them inside a framework of human relationships. Businesses are people, nothing more, and the book does justice to that emotional side of the equation without losing the practical edge.
It's such a good read that the strongly ethical side of the book could slip past unnoticed. But everything Carol says about successful consultancy is linked to the client's needs and context. There are none of those "off-the-shelf' solutions that can give the profession a bad name. Her emphasis is on professional practice, professional techniques and professional behaviour although she doesn't make a great play of this. It's her instinctive approach and that simply strengthens the message. She doesn't bang on about how expert she is " she allows her expertise and professionalism to shine through on its own.
The style is engaging and natural. It reflects her chapter on business writing where she talks about using modern grammar and style, rather than outdated bureaucratic language and jargon. The headings explain clearly what's coming next and the vast amount of useful information is broken down into digestible chunks that make sense" and make you want to read the next one. And when you do you're never disappointed. If you're looking for a marketing slogan that fits this book, try this. There's nothing precious about it" but it is precious.
Carol's emphasis is on the practical skills and requirements of consultancy. She links NLP to the consultant's role and practice, where it fits " which is often. And she gets the balance right, with NLP supporting the individual who has the right credentials and the right skills to develop. There is no attempt to overplay the NLP card and pretend that it's a magic wand that can turn a no-hoper into an international guru.
Having said all these positive things I tried to find the odd negative, to balance it up a bit. But the only problem I could come up with is that there's so much here. One reading doesn't do it justice. Carol's preface invites you to" either read it from start to finish, or dip in at those points that attract your interest the most. I don't agree. I think you should do both. Read it through, then read it again, then keep dipping into it. Then read it again. It will certainly stand it.
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22/03/2005 00:00
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