The Secrets of Consulting

A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully

Author: Gerald Weinberg
Length: 228 page(s)
Written: Mar 2011
Sales Rank: -
Views: 438

If you are a consultant, or ever use a consultant, this book is for you. The author draws on his 50+ years of consulting experience to share his secrets about the often irrational world of consulting. "This is a great book. Period! ...this advice is clearly applicable to more than just consulting; it is applicable to life in general." "The book is truly wonderful. A must have!" - Amazon reviews

Here's a 5-star Russian/English review by Natalia Zhdanova
Not being a native English speaker, sometimes I find it hard to motivate myself to read books in English (except for educational materials required for my professional development). However, this book had been continuously recommended by my most trusted friends, so I decided it is worth making an effort -- and never regretted.

First, it is one of the most in-depth and comprehensive books on psychology of consulting written by non-psychologists.

The exquisite art of giving out advice, while respecting the decision maker's sensitive ego and fragile self-esteem, is almost extinct nowadays. The ability to accept advice without anxiety or offense and apply it effectively is also a rare talent. Under these conditions, consulting becomes a misused and undervalued marginal practice.

As a client:

- Have you ever quietly stewed, as those smarty pants claimed that they can teach you how to manage the problems which had plagued your business or your life for many years?
- Have you ever envied those megabucks the consultants get just for blabbering and giving out commonsense advice?
- Have you ever thought their hourly pay is a racket, because under such conditions they are not interested in solving clients' problems?

As a consultant:

- Have you ever waken up in cold sweat screaming: "OMG, everything is wrong! My whole life is one big mistake!"?
- Or have you ever wanted to see your clients as a captive audience, forcefully exposed to all that good, wealth and happiness you intended to bring them?

This book will lighten your burden, really. It will be helpful and inspiring for those new to consulting, but also will cheer up and comfort the experienced consultants.

Second, this book provides handy framework for thinking about consulting and your own role in it, your personal input, achievements, failures, expectations and so on, as a complex system. Thus, it enables further re-evaluation of personal experience and the exploration of new ways to apply it to your consulting practice.

Third, I certainly cannot overlook an important bonus: this book seemed very kind and funny for me. I don't know whether it is a benefit worth mentioning, but this book left me in a much better mood, yeah.

Finally, to those studying English as a foreign language -- tons of nice idioms served in a comprehensible context are awaiting you in this book!

About the Author

Gerald Weinberg
Member since: Feb 2011
Publications on XinXii:  6

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I've always been interested in helping smart people be happy and productive. To that end, I've published books on human behavior, including Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method, The Psychology of Computer Programming, Perfect Software and Other Fallacies, and an Introduction to General Systems Thinking. I've also written books on leadership including Becoming a Technical Leader, The Secrets of Consulting (Foreword by Virginia Satir), More Secrets of Consulting, and the four-volume Quality Software Management series.

I try to incorporate my knowledge of science, engineering, and human behavior into all of my writing and consulting work (with writers, hi-tech researchers, software engineers, and people whose life-situation could require the use of a service dog). I write novels about such people, including The Aremac Project, Aremac Power, Jigglers, First Stringers, Second Stringers, The Hands of God, Freshman Murders, Earth's Endless Effort, and Mistress of Molecules—all about how my brilliant protagonists produce quality work and learn to be happy.

Early in my career, I was the architect for the Project Mercury's space tracking network and designer of the world's first multiprogrammed operating system. I won the Warnier Prize, the Stevens Award, and the first Software Testing Professionals' Luminary Award, all for mu writing on software quality. I was also elected a charter member of the Computing Hall of Fame in San Diego and chosen for the University of Nebraska Hall of Fame.

But the "award" I'm most proud of is The book, The Gift of Time (Fiona Charles, ed.) written by my student and readers for my 75th birthday. Their stories make me feel that I've been at least partially successful at helping smart people be happy.

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