Monthly Archives: March 2010

In my blog Problem Solving … The PHD course (part 1) we talked about the first step, getting your client’s permission to investigate and explore their problem space and the conditions by which they would be satisfied with the resolution. … Continue reading →

Every day we solve problems, some small and some large. As humans we are highly effective at problem solving as long as they are our problems. When we have a problem we implicitly understand the context, the definition of the … Continue reading →

A prodigious client of mine once gave me this advice. “I want bad news fast and good news very slowly”. It’s good advice. Most consultants fret about giving their client bad news, they delay or worse yet they never communicate … Continue reading →

High value consultants when completing an engagement leave the client with the capability to continue to operate successfully after they leave.  In order to facilitate this capability within your client, you may need to take many positions or roles during … Continue reading →

I had dinner this evening with a friend that I have known and worked with for many years. He taught me many things about consulting so when he called today to say we should meet, I made room in my … Continue reading →

Think of IT consulting having four dimensions: Technical knowledge Behavioral skills (soft consulting skills, interpersonal, presentation, writing, communication, collaboration etc.) Business knowledge (understanding the client’s domain/industry, terminology, processes, objectives, resource models etc.) Sales and Marketing knowledge (ability to represent and … Continue reading →

A challenge faced by every consultant is setting their rate. A few of us are in the business for charity (or so it would seem), but most of us consult for a fee to live at a reasonable standard.  As … Continue reading →

  When I first joined Microsoft, this was the third most popular question people asked me behind “can you fix my PC"?” and “can you get me Office for free?”.Surprisingly the answers are yes, no and yes I have met … Continue reading →

Advice. A hiker was seeking advice on the safety of hiking a particular trail. He met an old guide and asked him whether a certain path was safe or not. The guide replied yes mostly but you do have to … Continue reading →