Rating: 
Summary: Passed over for promotion or can't keep your staff busy?
Review: ...if you are employed by one of the consulting giants, this book is a must-read regardless of your level or your position within the organization.Although the premise of the book is to teach you how to manage a professional services firm, you will quickly see the mechanics of consulting. Maister will show you in one diagram why you were not promoted and why you work through the night, yet your senior managers sneak out at 5:00 - or conversely, why you are a partner or senior manager and yet you can't seem to keep your staff busy enough. All of this is is explained in only one chapter. The knowledge that I gained by reading this book immediately and directly impacted my career in a very positive way.
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Summary: Maister is the one who goes straight to the point
Review: As a consultant from a worldwide company, I can assure it's one of the best texts I've ever read. The simplicity of its language, associated to the depth and trueness of its message, drives us to easy-to-apply conclusions. A book to be carried with you !
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive and Objective
Review: As a MBA student with a great interest in the consulting field I felt that this book is a really outstanding buy. It provides a very comprehensive "partner's view" of the consulting (being it legal or management) world and yet is very objective and down to earth. I highly recommend it for those interested in understanding the nuts and bolts of what makes a successful professional service practice.
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Summary: An excellent and thought provoking text.
Review: As the owner of a consulting firm, I have read many books on the subject. By far, Maister's book is the best I've read in this arena. I am incorporating many of his insightful and pragmatic insights into our upcoming strategic planning session. I just hope my competition doesn't read this book
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Summary: Excellent overview of professional service development
Review: David Maister's book is a strong addition to the library of anyone involves in the professinal service industry. These include everything from accounting to architecture to law. Many of the principles also apply to other fields such as Medicine and Physiotherapy. The book outlines the corporate culture and makeup that allow these type of firms to succeed. It also has well defined plans on how to develop and train professionals in a manner which respects their personal autonomy. The book does a good job of covering both the theoretical and the concrete aspects of firm development. I very much enjoyed reading the book and came away with new ideas and approaches to management within this area.
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Summary: Like textbook for professionals
Review: For consultants it is like "The Bible" for Christians or "Capital" for Marxists. This book is like a Bible for all professionals, regardless of whether they are working on their own or for a company. It can be read again and again and every time you can find something new. I think that even Maister did not suspect how great it would be. I feel able to declare that everybody who wants to be called "a consultant" must read this book. Although this book consists of articles by different years it can be read without any difficulty. Maister also used international English and therefore it is easy for non-native English speakers to read. I found especially interesting the following chapters:
1. Marketing to Existing Client
2. Attracting new Clients
3. Managing the Marketing Effort The core ideas of all these chapters are:
1. Demonstrate you ability do not declare (Marketing works when it is demonstrative not
assertive)
2. The most effective type of marketing is client-level marketing (face-to-face meeting not to-
broadcast marketing)
3. Existing clients are the best sources of new business (and often the most profitable ones)
4. Marketing activities represent an investment and therefore should be budgeted for. The author puts all these principles into practice. In this book (and all the rest of his books) he demonstrates his quality. He treats all his readers if we were already his clients and which means he shares some top secrets of this business.
All in all, I can say that it is amazing how many new ideas I managed to get from this book for so little money. Buying this book was one of my greatest investments. I only regret that I did not read this book in the eginning of my career in consulting.
Rating:
Summary: The seminal work on managing in professional services
Review: For those interested in managing and organizing a professional service firm, this book provides all the tools for success. Maister has delivered a book that captures the essence of managing a business based on the expertise of its people. It should be a must read for any person engaged in selling services. This is one book that will withstand time.
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Summary: A Lucid and Valuable Guidebook
Review: I devoured this book when it first appeared almost ten years ago, and still turn to it from time to time because it is still the best thing out there on its topic. Maister considers a number of major issues within professional service firms (such as firm positioning, type of work, recruiting, training, up-or-out promotion, partner compensation, coaching, and self-development) and within each one presents a lucid exegesis that is at the same time profound and simple. His analysis rivals Stephen Covey's "7 Habits" in its depth and elegance, and, like Covey, Maister makes his discoveries more accessible by frequently including a personal side to them. Professionals working in large law firms, accounting firms, architecture firms or consultancies will immediately find both themselves and their firms within this book. They may not always like what they see, as Maister discusses some of the hard choices that are required by the traditional, meritocracy-based firm model. Notably, Maister illustrates clearly why much of the heartache within such firms comes from failing to make such choices and trying to be too many (inconsistent) things at once. Maister does not spend a lot of time trying to defend the traditional merit-based, up-or-out, partner/associate model of professional service firms, nor does he insist that we pledge allegiance to that model. He is well aware of, and points out, the hazards and potential injustices of that model. It is clear, however, that whatever its faults, Maister believes it is the best model we have right now, and that his job is to help people make it work as best they can. This book represents a giant step in that direction, and should be required reading for anyone in a position to influence management at a professional service firm.
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Summary: The definitive re-usable book of knowledge on service firms
Review: I have read, re-read and shared this book countless times over the years. David's chapters on sales hit the mark. The chapter's on culture choice and picking an identity then living that identity can fix broken service models if adapted quickly. The reading style is light and enjoyable. A good, worthwhile, easy read. Buy it!
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Summary: Great ideas on management
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the book's ideas and pointers on running a firm. These are useful and implementable suggestions. Well Done. Also recommend a practical and easy-to-read book at Amazon.com on leadership that would complement this excellent book well. It's called "The Leader's Guide: 15 Essential Skills."
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