Quintessential Guide to Using Consultants

Bringing in the right consultant and getting what you want from the relationship is important yet there has been a lack of specific guidance in this area until now. The Quintessential Guide to Using Consultants presents practical and clear guidelines for maximizing the results of the consulting relationship through each step of the process. You'll get answers to such questions as: What does a consultant do? Should you use former colleagues with inside knowledge of your business or outside experts? How can you avoid failed projects and finger pointing, finding fault and assigning blame? What is and isn't a consultant responsible for? Thorough, straightforward and packed with real-world wisdom. Inside you'll find priceless information on: Why use a consultant, How to select a consultant, Ways to contract with a consultant, How to manage a consultant during the life of a project, How to work with and not against a consultant, Evaluating a consultants work, Exiting the consulting relationship. While the book is written from the clients perspective, consultants who want to strengthen their own approaches will also find The Quintessential Guide to Using Consultants valuable. Features include key learning points or skills to be mastered at the beginning of each chapter, personal examples from widely publicized cases, worksheets, checklists, and more.