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Practice Management

Passion, People and Principles

The title of my blog derives from a comment made by Tom Peters who observed in his blog that "...(it's) interesting how all these gurus - e.g. ... David Maister - come to put People and Passion first as they age ..." The only element I've added is the importance of having principles both in personal and professional life. One way or another, all my research conclusions, consulting advice and speeches come down to passion, people and principles.

Post Frequency: 1.6/day

Last Entry: January 05, 2010 at 10:00:00

"Give a Copy to Management" Campaign Closing

Posted on March 13, 2008
Due to the overwhelming success of my "Give a Copy to Management" campaign, I wanted to let everyone know that I am closing the offer, and will be taking no more requests.I received MANY more requests than the initial 100 I planned to offer, and from all corners of the globe! Since I don't want to disappoint anyone who wished to circulate my ideas in their workplace, I've made the following decision:I will be sending out 100 books as hardbacks, as offered...

Strategy and The Fat Smoker - New podcast episode available now

Posted on March 12, 2008
The sixth episode of my new podcast series, Strategy and the Fat Smoker, is now live and available for download.It is dedicated to exploring the themes found in my new book by the same name. Each chapter will be accompanied by an executive summary ebook covering the same material...

Strategy and The Fat Smoker - New podcast episode available now

Finland's Best Place to work

Posted on March 10, 2008
Hannu Terävä writes: "Our company, Reaktor Innovations, just won the Great Place to Work competition in Finland last month. It means that we are, according to this survey, the best work place in Finland. It was the first time we attended and we got the best points ever in Finland...

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Finland's Best Place to work

Recession Responses

Posted on March 07, 2008
So now comes the test. You're a professional firm, with a variety of pracrice areas or target industries. Due to turmoil in the markets, business is down (or is forecast to be down) in one or more of our major areas. What do you do?Choice One: Lay off some of the junior staff, thereby cutting costs to keep them in line with declining revenues...

New Book from CPA Firm Consultant

Posted on March 06, 2008
Normally, I'm not a big fan of business books written in the form of fictional fables. But there's anew book by Gale Crosley (a consultant to CPAs) and Debbie Stover (a freelance writer) called AT THE CROSSROADS: The Remarkable CPA Firm that Nearly Crashed Then Soared...

Send a Free Copy to Management

Posted on March 05, 2008
As a part of my continued efforts to promote "Strategy and the Fat Smoker" practices and principles, I am hosting the "Give a Copy to Management" campaign at my website.If you feel that your workplace could benefit from the ideas put forth in Strategy and the Fat Smoker, then sign up at my website and provide the name of the senior executive or managing partner to whom you would like a book sent...

New Service for Law Firm Managing Partners

Posted on March 03, 2008
Disclosure point one:Patrick McKenna was my coauthor on the book FIRST AMONG EQUALS. He and his firm, Edge International, have just launched, in concert with Managing Partner Magazine, a service through which new law firm managing partners will have access to advice through a newly formed Leadership Advisory Board (the "LAB...

The Beatles' Worst Album

Posted on March 02, 2008
A review of my recent book referred to it as an “uneven collection of essays”, which is fair comment. I took consolation in the fact that no-one ever achieves a consistently high standard. For example, (and for fun), the Beatles released about 187 official recordings in their career...

CNN.com Videos

Posted on February 29, 2008
As part of the promotion for STRATEGY AND THE FAT SMOKER, I was interviewed for CNN.com by Jennifer Reingold of Fortune Magazine.They have divided the video interview into a number of short components. After three short ad intros, here are parts one, two and three...

Book Review - JUST ENOUGH ANXIETY

Posted on February 28, 2008
I have just been examining a fascinating book called JUST ENOUGH ANXIETY by Robert H. Rosen, which argues that, for optimum achievement, you can have both too little and too much anxiety - both as an individual and as an organization. The book explores how a leader / manager creates the optimal amount...

Strategy and The Fat Smoker - New podcast episode available now

Posted on February 27, 2008
The fifth episode of my new podcast series, Strategy and the Fat Smoker, is now live and available for download.It is dedicated to exploring the themes found in my new book by the same name. Each chapter will be accompanied by an executive summary ebook covering the same material...

Why Do We/They Become Consultants?

Posted on February 25, 2008
Pasi Raikisto, from Finland, raised a very interesting question in some email correspondence. He noted:“It would be interesting to know what kind of experiences drives people to become and stay as a consultant. I know many consultants whose professional life began when they were kicked out from their “normal job”...

New Edition of Ford Harding's Classic Book

Posted on February 22, 2008
Ford Harding has carved out a deserved reputation as one of the most highly regarded authors, trainers and consultants on sales in professional services. His books began with RAINMAKING in 1994, followed by CREATING RAINMAKERS in 1998, and then CROSS-SELLING SUCCESS in 2002...

Consultants on Consulting

Posted on February 20, 2008
Before he sold his firm, Richard Metzler was one of the pioneers in building a consulting business. Now, he and his son, Jon Metzler, have begun serializing (on-line) a new book entitled “Lore Of Wizards: Consultants On Consulting” ...

An Overweight Consultant Practices What He Preaches

Posted on February 19, 2008
Douglas Hamilton, of Concentris Limited, contributed this: Fat Smokers? Figuratively and literally, I definitely know a few of these individuals! I am pleased to say I have recommended your paper and book to them. I received a request recently to deliver some ‘strategy training’ for a group of Directors...

New Blogosphere game

Posted on February 18, 2008
Michel-Adrian Sheppard on www.SLAW.CA writes:"Many people may remember the “meme” that went around the blogosphere about a year ago, something called Five Things You Didn’t Know About Me. The idea was simple: reveal 5 pieces of information that people might not know about you and then contact other people to contribute...

Russian Language Edition of Fat Smoker

Posted on February 14, 2008
I'm pleased to report that the Russian language edition of STRATEGY AND THE FAT SMOKER has just been published.It can be obtained from www.mann-ivanov-ferber.ru (whose telephone number is 495-792-43-72)The ISBN number is 978-5-902862-73-4*** Although no further deals have been signed yet, the book is under consideration for translation by publishers in The Netherlands, Japan, Korea and Spain.

Strategy and The Fat Smoker - New podcast episode available now

Posted on February 13, 2008
The fourth episode of my new podcast series, Strategy and the Fat Smoker, is now live and available for download.It is dedicated to exploring the themes found in my new book by the same name. Each chapter will be accompanied by an executive summary ebook covering the same material...

The One-Firm Firm Marches On

Posted on February 11, 2008
Today’s papers report the 2007 financial results of law firm Latham &Watkins, which became the first law firm to break the $2billion revenue barrier, with profits per partner rising to $2.27 million from $1.86 million a year earlier. As the firm’s managing partner said, these results were accomplished without a merger or large lateral acquisition or any major contingency award...

The Client From Hell

Posted on February 06, 2008
Bob Sutton, author of the fabulous book "THE NO-ASSHOLE RULE" has developed an amazing quiz to rate your client(s.)You've GOT to check this out!

What Management Owes the Individual Professional

Posted on February 04, 2008
R Sigrid van Roode, from th Netherlands writes in with the following question:"Our company will start improving our consultancy using the input of your book True Professionalism. I have carefully read the book (as have all my colleagues) and I have found a situation in my work that to me seems paradoxical...

The Problems with the Traditional Law firm Management Model

Posted on January 31, 2008
I received a multi-part question about law firm management, which questioned the “traditional” model which many firms use. Here’s the question:***My premise is that the traditional system is not only antiquated, it is the cause of many of the problems and issues facing large law firms today...

Strategy and The Fat Smoker - New podcast episode available now

Posted on January 30, 2008
The third episode of my new podcast series, Strategy and the Fat Smoker, is now live and available for download.It is dedicated to exploring the themes found in my new book by the same name. Each chapter will be accompanied by an executive summary ebook covering the same material...

Compensation Systems: Sales Commissions

Posted on January 28, 2008
What?s the latest view on paying sales commissions in professional organizations?I?m generally not a fan, because paying a commission:Fails to distinguish between revenue and profit. It can reward bringing in work that the organization loses money on (or at least makes less money than other alternative uses of its scarce resources...

Compensation Systems

Posted on January 25, 2008
I?m thinking of writing a monograph or a book on compensation systems. As part of it, I began a list of some of the things a compensation system needs to accomplish. It?s a long potential list of objectives ? too long, since no one system can accomplish all too many objectives - and many of them are contradictory!! Criteria for a good compensation system: It encourages individual initiativeIt encourages working for the good of the wholeIt helps people improve, not just rewards them when they doThe decision process is seen as based on all the real facts (i...

Survey on Pricing

Posted on January 23, 2008
Mike Schultz of Rain Today.com sent this request:We are conducting our next major RainToday.com and Wellesley Hills Group benchmark study on Pricing and Fees in Professional Service Businesses and we would like your input. Please take 20 minutes to share how your firm approaches pricing its services...

Focus and Diversification

Posted on January 21, 2008
Here?s a question from Mike Spack in St. Louis Park, Minnesota:?I was talking to a colleague about his employer?s strategic plan. They are a 120-person science/engineering consulting firm located only in Minnesota. They are 100% employee owned...

TV Interview

Posted on January 18, 2008
Yesterday, I had the interesting experience of being interviewed about STRATEGY AND THE FAT SMOKER on ABC News. There?s a 4-minute ?live-to-tape? web-version of it here.I was asked to cover the basics discussed in the book, so if you?ve been following my work, you won?t see new insights revealed...

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