Con Tricks : The Shadowy World of Management Consultancy and How to Make It Work For You

Rating:
Summary: For Cons & Clients
Review: An insightful way to understand and gain more value from consultants from a client perspective, and a useful guide for consultants to understand how to improve the method of delivery.

A rather misleading sub-title aiming to be controversial when the content is actually informative and practical. The tone is sometimes too jocular for the content.

Rating:
Summary: All time favorite
Review: As an old consultant myself, this book is revealing and foremost, extremely entertaining. Not only does the author capture the management consultancy business, but he also describes the management of the "victims" very entertaining. Unfortunately, what he describes is very common, not only on the part of the MC business, but also of its clients that in reality should know better.

When I'm bored (or expecting to be bored) or have to handle longer negotiations, this book always accompany me, its great fun at the hotel room, and every time I look into it, I seem to learn a trick or two that can be useful.

In short, whatever your persuassion, buy it and read it, if for nothing else, it is very well written.

Rating:
Summary: Defense Against Consulting Con Artists
Review: This is one of the most unusual business books I have ever read. It simultaneously takes the view that management consultants are a necessary and helpful resource, and that they are also dangerous to the health of your business and career. Then, he seeks to innoculate you against every possible mistake that you may make which could turn management consulting into a danger (at at least a waste of time and money). All of that sounds very high minded, doesn't it? Yet he uses a language that has definite shock value (at least to these American ears). Management consultants are described as pros (as in prostitutes) and cons (as in con artists and seemingly, convicts). Yet the author's perspective includes having been a management consultant for six years with a reputable firm.

To me, the most valuable part of this book was a survey taken with alumni of the London Business School to find out their views of and experiences with management consultants, both as consultants and as customers. Whether these experiences are the same as what happens in other countries or not, the results make for fascinating reading. Both the consultants and the clients are skeptical of each other. The consultants think the clients are hiring them for the wrong reasons and assignments. The clients think the consultants are uninformed and unoriginal. I certainly intend to reread these findings from time to time, to better understand what my own clients might be thinking. I hope these reminders will help encourage me to asks questions and speak in a way that will surface these concerns so that they can be addressed in a way that best serves the client's interests.

The basic point of the survey is that clients generally see management consultants as adding value. On the other hand, clients also see much room for improvement from their consultants. In particular, clients see the consultants as mainly looking out for themselves rather than for their clients. That reflects a traditional supplier-customer relationship rather than a professional-to-client relationship.

On the whole, this book adds value for clients and consultants. A consultant will do a better job for a client who follows the advice in this book. A client who follows this advice will be more pleased with the consulting results. Consultants and clients will both make more money. Clients will see their firms and careers do better.

The only place where I objected to the harsh tone of the book was in chapter 9 about becoming a consultant. There is a survey there to test your selfishness versus your selflessness (and interest in your clients) that encourages you to be selfish if you want to be a consultant. This is clearly an attempt at humor, but I think it will confuse and mislead some. The rest of the book is encouraging better practices, and this cuts against that purpose.

Here are some of Mr. Ashford's key principles for clients.

1. Define the business issue. What are you trying to change and what do you want to get as a result?

2. What help do you need from consultants that you cannot accomplish internally?

3. Write down down your answers to (1) and (2) so you can share them with the consultants, and keep your purpose foremost in your mind as you hire and work with the consultants.

4. Check for commitment in your organization.

5. Select the consulting firms that may be able to help you.

6. Prepare those firms to be able to create proposals for you.

7. Get proposals that you can evaluate compared to your purpose.

8. Select who you want to work with by checking out those who will actually do the work, relevant references, the capability of the firm for handling your problem, and the emotional chemistry.

9. Consider how you want the results implemented.

10. Confirm the plan for doing the project and implementing it.

11. Mobilize your own resources to help the project.

12. Make time to work on the project and stay in touch.

13. Review, challenge, and understand.

14. Insist the project get refocused whenever it drifts away from your purpose and plan.

15. Keep the consultants focused on the completion steps you need.

16. Have a formal post-project review with the consultants so you can both learn how it could have been done better. There may still be things that they can provide you that you don't realize.

My reaction to this list was that this was a big burden on the client. But I realized that clients of mine have used a similar approach when they needed a great answer from the consulting project, and they got it because of using this process. Obviously, if the project is more minor, you can spend less time on each element, but you will probably be rewarded if you avoid skipping steps. When time is precious, you will have to consider whether or not you have the time to devote to properly commissioning and supervising the project. Perhaps you don't have the time, and should not do the project.

If you would like to have a good laugh at the expense of consultants, this book will also provide you with a lot of fun. It has the wicked humor that is often found in British comedies.

After you have read the book, I also urge you to think about places where you are not going to be as successful as you might be without external help, whether from partners, allies, or consultants. Then think through this process to see whether consultants as a temporary resource are the right people to use or whether you need the more permanent access to a partner or ally.

In any case, good luck in getting better results.

Rating:
Summary: Defense Against Consulting Con Artists
Review: This is one of the most unusual business books I have ever read. It simultaneously takes the view that management consultants are a necessary and helpful resource, and that they are also dangerous to the health of your business and career. Then, he seeks to innoculate you against every possible mistake that you may make which could turn management consulting into a danger (at at least a waste of time and money). All of that sounds very high minded, doesn't it? Yet he uses a language that has definite shock value (at least to these American ears). Management consultants are described as pros (as in prostitutes) and cons (as in con artists and seemingly, convicts). Yet the author's perspective includes having been a management consultant for six years with a reputable firm.

To me, the most valuable part of this book was a survey taken with alumni of the London Business School to find out their views of and experiences with management consultants, both as consultants and as customers. Whether these experiences are the same as what happens in other countries or not, the results make for fascinating reading. Both the consultants and the clients are skeptical of each other. The consultants think the clients are hiring them for the wrong reasons and assignments. The clients think the consultants are uninformed and unoriginal. I certainly intend to reread these findings from time to time, to better understand what my own clients might be thinking. I hope these reminders will help encourage me to asks questions and speak in a way that will surface these concerns so that they can be addressed in a way that best serves the client's interests.

The basic point of the survey is that clients generally see management consultants as adding value. On the other hand, clients also see much room for improvement from their consultants. In particular, clients see the consultants as mainly looking out for themselves rather than for their clients. That reflects a traditional supplier-customer relationship rather than a professional-to-client relationship.

On the whole, this book adds value for clients and consultants. A consultant will do a better job for a client who follows the advice in this book. A client who follows this advice will be more pleased with the consulting results. Consultants and clients will both make more money. Clients will see their firms and careers do better.

The only place where I objected to the harsh tone of the book was in chapter 9 about becoming a consultant. There is a survey there to test your selfishness versus your selflessness (and interest in your clients) that encourages you to be selfish if you want to be a consultant. This is clearly an attempt at humor, but I think it will confuse and mislead some. The rest of the book is encouraging better practices, and this cuts against that purpose.

Here are some of Mr. Ashford's key principles for clients.

1. Define the business issue. What are you trying to change and what do you want to get as a result?

2. What help do you need from consultants that you cannot accomplish internally?

3. Write down down your answers to (1) and (2) so you can share them with the consultants, and keep your purpose foremost in your mind as you hire and work with the consultants.

4. Check for commitment in your organization.

5. Select the consulting firms that may be able to help you.

6. Prepare those firms to be able to create proposals for you.

7. Get proposals that you can evaluate compared to your purpose.

8. Select who you want to work with by checking out those who will actually do the work, relevant references, the capability of the firm for handling your problem, and the emotional chemistry.

9. Consider how you want the results implemented.

10. Confirm the plan for doing the project and implementing it.

11. Mobilize your own resources to help the project.

12. Make time to work on the project and stay in touch.

13. Review, challenge, and understand.

14. Insist the project get refocused whenever it drifts away from your purpose and plan.

15. Keep the consultants focused on the completion steps you need.

16. Have a formal post-project review with the consultants so you can both learn how it could have been done better. There may still be things that they can provide you that you don't realize.

My reaction to this list was that this was a big burden on the client. But I realized that clients of mine have used a similar approach when they needed a great answer from the consulting project, and they got it because of using this process. Obviously, if the project is more minor, you can spend less time on each element, but you will probably be rewarded if you avoid skipping steps. When time is precious, you will have to consider whether or not you have the time to devote to properly commissioning and supervising the project. Perhaps you don't have the time, and should not do the project.

If you would like to have a good laugh at the expense of consultants, this book will also provide you with a lot of fun. It has the wicked humor that is often found in British comedies.

After you have read the book, I also urge you to think about places where you are not going to be as successful as you might be without external help, whether from partners, allies, or consultants. Then think through this process to see whether consultants as a temporary resource are the right people to use or whether you need the more permanent access to a partner or ally.

In any case, good luck in getting better results.

Rating:
Summary: eye-opener on the con-market
Review: Very interesting book, gives a great view, for a lot of people a not very well known view, on the consultancy market + guidelines how to get the most out of consultants and not to be conned.