David H. Maister

Read this for my senior capstone class.

The gist:
1. Put the client’s interests/goals first. This is not an option; it is the only one.
2. Don’t listen to react. Listen to listen.
3. Everyone needs to be on the same page. You and the client should know and agree on what you’re expected to do.
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The Quick Guide to Being a Trusted Advisor:
1. Listen to everything
2. Empathize (for real)
3. Note what they’re feeling
4. Build that shared agenda
5. Take a point of view
6. Take a personal risk
7. Ask about a related area
8. Ask great questions
9. Give away ideas
10. Return calls unbelievably fast
11. Relax your mind … (mer)

I'm impressed with this collection of articles directed at those responsible for managing professional service firms such as legal, accounting, business consulting firms. David Maister has done a good job.The book was published in 1993 and is really a collection of articles that he'd written for other journals such as "The American Lawyer". So, I guess, many of the articles were really much older than 1993. However, to my eye, they stand the test of time very well. Much of what he's written here about things like profitability: .....some elements (predominantly short-term profitability ("hygiene" issues) get overmanaged, and many long-run "health" issues) are undermanaged..........seem to be very relevant to professional service firms today.
An interesting section about what a buyer of services is looking for ....basically a consultant that I can trust. And the number one firms in their field (such as McKinsey) tend to have the attitude that the most important concern is to build the relationship with a client....not the immediate job. And one line that I like is "Groups don't cooperate, people do". We used to try and build relationships with Government Departments....but same principle applied ...our organisation didn't have a relationship with another organisation...but individuals did. (And if you lost those individuals ...you also lost the relationship).
He covers a lot of issues like splitting the pie in partnerships, building the firm's human capital, creating the collaborative firm, marketing to existing clients ......and what he says seems to be both sensible and based on a lot of experience consulting to professional service firms. Quite a useful handbook. I rate it five stars.… (mer)