December, 2017

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7 Essential Rules for Consultants’ Emails

David A Fields

Quick quiz! Which of the following is more useful: reading about how consultants should write emails, or listening to a flight attendant instruct you in buckling a seat belt. You’ve practiced both activities roughly a jillion times. But even if you’re strapped in tight, chances are your emails need some help.

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Gotta Have More Cowbell and the Power of Commitment

Consulting Matters

One of the most hilarious Saturday Night Live skits is the one where Christopher Walken demands from the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” band (Blue Oyster Cult) that he needed more cowbell from Will Ferrell. I was watching this skit the other day with a good friend of mine who is an actor. When we finally got a hold of ourselves and wiped the tears from our eyes after laughing so hard, he explained that this was so funny because Christopher Walken was just so committed to his role.

Strategy& 215
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20 Qualities of a Consulting Rock Star

Successful Independent Consulting

Photo © Vectomart via Dreamstime.com. As we close out the year, I’m reprising one of my most commented on LinkedIn articles. First published January 12, 2015, it’s just as relevant today as it was then. I’ve also expanded the original list of qualities from 19 to an even 20, and updated a few other things based the LinkedIn comments. Here’s to a prosperous 2018!

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Why is “Diabetic” Still a Dirty Word?

Consulting Success

We recently published our annual Naughty or Nice list , in which we identified some of the top T1D newsmakers in 2017. In this piece, I quoted Justice Sonya Sotomayor, who has written for the public about achieving big things despite a childhood diagnosis of diabetes: “I don’t know if they still give [children with diabetes] a list of professions they can’t aspire to, but I’m proud to offer living proof that big dreams are not out of bounds.”. sponsor.

Journal 183
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PowerPoint Best Practices for Creating Stellar Presentations

Mastering data visualization in PowerPoint will help accelerate your career because it positions you as someone who can present data that drives business decisions forward. think-cell's PowerPoint Best Practices eBook was created specifically for professionals aiming to master the art and science of data-driven storytelling. What’s inside: Practical Insights: Uncover valuable tips for crafting engaging and persuasive presentations.

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5 Ways Tech Consulting differs from Strategy Consulting

Management Consulted

Last week, we explored how Tech consulting experience can hurt you when it comes to applying for more strategy-focused roles, and how to mitigate this during the recruiting process. While tech consulting is incredibly meaningful work (not to mention the … Continued. The post 5 Ways Tech Consulting differs from Strategy Consulting appeared first on Management Consulted.

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Why Your Consulting Client’s #1 Priority Shouldn’t Be Yours

David A Fields

Let’s say your consulting firm wants to lasso a few new clients. (Sounds far-fetched, but go with me.) You should search for companies whose number one, burning priority is addressing the problem your consulting firm solves, right? Wrong. For instance, let’s say you’re targeting the Fortune 500 newcomer ThimbleCurry, Inc.

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What is Authentic Leadership?

Consulting Matters

Today’s model introduces how I am starting to think about what is authentic leadership. I think authentic leadership is where power and love intersect. Power and use of power are familiar concepts in business and the definining power as control, authority, capacity and influence is more than likely readily understandable and accessible. Love is a different story.

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Agile Approaches Require Management Cultural Change

Johanna Rothman

Ron Jeffries, Matt Barcomb, and several other people wrote an interesting thread about prescriptive and non-prescriptive approaches to team-based agile. The issues are nuanced and for me , don’t lend themselves to a Twitter discussion. (Learning how to write short and coherently is a different post.). If you don’t want to read the entire thread, here is a summary: People often need help with their agile approach.

Agile 69
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Proven 4 Stage Consulting Project Process: Video

Consulting Success

Transcript: We’re going to talk about how to develop a consulting engagement process. There’s many different ways to go about this, but I want to introduce you to one that is very straightforward yet very powerful. It’s a way that you can start to think about how to deliver your consulting services with a lot more structure. That structure is not only beneficial for you — because it’s easier for you to start to really not only delegate aspects of the work, but organize re

Video 118
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How to Stay Competitive in the Evolving State of Martech

Marketing technology is essential for B2B marketers to stay competitive in a rapidly changing digital landscape — and with 53% of marketers experiencing legacy technology issues and limitations, they’re researching innovations to expand and refine their technology stacks. To help practitioners keep up with the rapidly evolving martech landscape, this special report will discuss: How practitioners are integrating technologies and systems to encourage information-sharing between departments and pr

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Will Tech Consulting experience help me in recruiting for Strategy Consulting?

Management Consulted

It’s a question we get asked all the time: How do strategy firms (or practices) see tech consulting experience? If your main goal is strategy consulting, will this experience help or hurt come recruiting season? The short answer? Yes, tech … Continued. The post Will Tech Consulting experience help me in recruiting for Strategy Consulting?

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How To Pitch A Disruptive Business Plan

Tom Spencer

One of the things I learned during my EMBA was how to break down, re-organize and clearly explain certain kinds of information; a skill which has proved useful when preparing and pitching my start-up based on my b-school business plan. In late October, that got put to the test. I had the opportunity to pitch my start-up at an innovative business contest at a well-known business school in Frankfurt.

How To 121
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How to Make Next Year Absolutely Stellar for Your Consulting Firm

David A Fields

We’re headed into a new year. Other than signing up for Gobs o’ Chocolate.com’s weekly delivery service, is there anything you can do to make the coming year far more successful than the one you’re wrapping up? Yes, my friend, there is.

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Consulting Website Design 009: The Power of Brand [VIDEO]

Tsavo Neal

In this episode, you’ll learn about your consulting website and branding. The website featured in this episode is Dana James Mwangi’s website. [ Slides ] Transcript. Welcome to Consulting Website Design 09, The Power of Brand. Last week, I received a message from my friend Dana, and she told me she re-launched her consulting website. She told me that my content and advice had been a lot of help to her, so I was really curious to see how she, a super talented creative , would use my a

Video 60
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Savings Consultants Are Needed in Today's Market More Than Ever

Savings Consultants are needed in today’s market more than ever. With an increase in expenses, businesses are looking for opportunities to save. Often unknown to businesses are savings in expense reduction, specialized tax savings, specialized savings including medical underpayments, health benefits cost reduction, zero cost processing, and more. Blue Coast Savings, with over 20 years in business, assists Savings Consultants in helping these companies move toward more profitable businesses.

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Organizations Are Not Families, Part 1

Johanna Rothman

I read Joe Berkowitz’s story in Fast Company, John Oliver Was Right: It’s Time To Confront The Dustin Hoffmans In Your Life. There’s a link to a video excerpt in which Hoffman discusses the idea that the people felt like a family. Mr. Berkowitz says this: There is no template for how to be a good man in the #MeToo era. I disagree. There is a template.

Culture 64
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From Door to Door Salesman to International Leadership Consulting with John Murphy: Podcast #15

Consulting Success

If the top of the CEO ladder doesn’t satisfy like you hoped it would, it’s time to create your own consulting success. Description: John Murphy is the man behind John Murphy International, a France-based business that is focused on helping global companies create winning teams. Originally from Dublin, Ireland, John started his business in Ireland 13 years ago and moved to the south of France after realizing that one of the great perks of consulting was that he could base his business anywhere.

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Giving Back the Consulting Way

Women in Consulting

:: I’ve participated in many group volunteer efforts: cleaning beaches, painting classrooms, bagging pinto beans. The list goes on and on and includes time in a dunk tank. But the recent Non-Profit Challenge was the first time I’ve ever done a SWOT analysis for charity. The brain child of Martina Doleshal , the second year of this event brought together about 50 people to work on strategic plans for 8 non-profit organizations from the Bay Area.

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Creating More Value Than You Capture

Tom Spencer

As an aspiring consultant, it is easy to see what you stand to gain from this career choice: high salary, high status, strong networking opportunities, and attractive exit options. But a more productive question might be, what do you plan to contribute? With the arrival of the internet, we entered an age of hyper competition where firms (and individuals) are able to provide much more value than ever before.

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TOOLS and METHODOLOGIES for developing DECISION SUPPORT PACKAGES

This White Paper targets opportunities for Management to develop proficiency in the Decision Framing and Analyses element of input to Decision, & Risk Analyses for Major Project Funding Decisions.

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How to Crank Up Your Consulting Firm’s Results by 189%

David A Fields

Consulting clients love to see evidence of progress. It’s a business-building, psychic reward that you can provide. Invest three minutes into contemplating why and how to integrate scorecarding into your consulting practice… Your Scorecarding Indoctrination Remember jumping off the school bus and scampering home to show your mom the ✔+ you earned on a quiz?

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Actionable Strategic Plans — How to Help Your Clients Succeed

Actionable

The pace of change continues to accelerate, but most organizations continue to use the same processes and tools to implement their strategic plans. The post Actionable Strategic Plans — How to Help Your Clients Succeed appeared first on Actionable.co.

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Light it Up

Chad Barr

Photo by: Chad Barr. Tomorrow, December 21, 2017, we will enjoy the first official day of winter and the winter solstice, which leaves us with the least amount of sunlight of any day of the year. In Cleveland, we will enjoy about 9 hours of daylight, Florida, 10 hours and our northern neighbors in Alaska, just a few short hours where the sun will skim the horizon and quickly disappear.

Talent 52
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Personal Holiday Season Message For You

Consulting Success

Can you believe another year has almost come to an end?! I’ve had a lot to reflect on this year… My step-father Barry passed away from Alzheimer’s. Two young kids in our extended family have been dealing with illness, including one suddenly diagnosed with Cancer. I look at the energy and life my daughter Rei has each day and this really puts things in perspective.

Energy 101
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Why You Need to Use Case Studies in Sales and Marketing (and How to Start Now)

Case studies are proof of successful client relations and a verifiable product or service. They persuade buyers by highlighting your customers' experiences with your company and its solution. In sales, case studies are crucial pieces of content that can be tailored to prospects' pain points and used throughout the buyer's journey. In marketing, case studies are versatile assets for generating business, providing reusable elements for ad and social media content, website material, and marketing c

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Grow Your Business: Market Someone Else’s

Leadership Planning with Liz Weber CMC

I just completed helping one of my small business clients (let’s call him Ted) with his sales and marketing quandary. He really doesn’t like making phone calls or talking with clients to identify additional ways he can help them; it’s just not something he’s ever been comfortable doing. He has said to me, “I can […]. The post Grow Your Business: Market Someone Else’s appeared first on Weber Business Services, LLC.

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How I Passed All My Consulting and Tech Case Interviews

Tom Spencer

Interviews were fast approaching and I knew I wasn’t on track. Nothing was working until I finally had three key insights. These insights led to a 100% hit rate at my consulting and tech interviews, which included BCG, Strategy&, AT Kearney, Amazon, Cognizant, and several boutique consultancies. What I discovered is that the interview outcome, a response of “We’re excited to tell you…” or “We regret to inform you…”, depends on just a few key factors.

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What Will Work Look Like in 2030?

Strategy+Business

Megatrends such as evolving technology, the rise of automation, and shifting demographics are disrupting the way we work, and the way that companies relate to workers. The dizzying pace of change makes it difficult to plan for -- or even think about -- the long-term. That's why we spent some time envisioning four alternative future worlds of work. For 2030.

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Actionable Strategic Plans — How to Help Your Clients Succeed

Actionable

The pace of change continues to accelerate, but most organizations continue to use the same processes and tools to implement their strategic plans. The post Actionable Strategic Plans — How to Help Your Clients Succeed appeared first on Actionable.co.

How To 52
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The Art of Remote Collaboration: How to Successfully Whiteboard with Remote Teams

Just because we're working with a distributed team doesn't mean we have to abandon time-tested tools and methods like whiteboarding. Digital look-alikes often cramp creativity and all but eliminate the humanity of shared interactions. Hardware solutions are also limiting and, of course, expensive and immobile. In an increasingly digital and remote-first world, it’s important for us to select tools and processes that allow us to mitigate if not eliminate the above problems.