High-Impact Consulting: How Clients and Consultants Can Work Together to Achieve Extraordinary Results (Completely Revised and Updated)

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In recent years, the number of consultants who provide high-priced advice has increased astronomically. Billions of dollars are spent each year on intricate plans and complicated solutions offered to corporate executives and managers. Yet, success rates remain low.In High-Impact Consulting, Robert Schaffer explains why companies, as well as the consultants themselves, buy into methods that do not produce tangible results. He then offers a new model for consulting services that will help consultants and clients understand the power of speed, flexibility, and responsiveness.Schaffer focuses on the two most important aspects of a successful consulting project: the project's actual design and the client/consultant relationship. His program encourages managers to tackle their urgent short-term goals and accomplish them quickly. He then uses these short-term successes as vehicles for sharpening management skills, strengthening work disciplines, and introducing new technology. Finally, managers learn to use these early successes as springboards to larger accomplishments and to organization-wide continuous improvement.Schaffer also provides specific guidance to help clients analyze their situation, identify their real needs, and choose an appropriate consultant.New insights for consultants and those who hire them. Writing with straight-shooting candor, seasoned consultant Robert Schaffer pinpoints the "five fatal flaws" of contemporary consulting practices and zeroes in on practical methods for creating more consistent business results. He then offers a new model for consulting services that shows how to produce short-term successes and use them as a springboard to larger accomplishments and, ultimately, to organization-wide continuous improvement. Project planning and the client/consultant relationship is explored in-depth. Also includes specific guidance to assist clients in analyzing their situation, identifying their real needs, and choosing an app Soundview Executive Book Summaries In this revised edition, longtime consultant Schaffer introduces what he calls "the implementation gap" - the gap between what a consultant prescribes and what a client is actually capable or willing to do. By identifying this and other key flaws of conventional consulting - for example, defining goals in terms of consultant products instead of clients results, and aiming for one big solution rather than incremental successes - Schaffer shows both consultants and clients how to develop consulting projects that can and will be implemented. Copyright (c) 2002 Soundview Executive Book Summaries