Review
"If senior executives are going to spend large sums of money for internal consultants or outside firms, you need to be clear about the actions you must take to avoid disappointments and to make sure that expert advice is translated into tangible, bottom-line improvements. This book offers many practical ideas on how to do that." — George M. C. Fisher, former chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak Company "Most consulting is practiced in ways that are doomed to failure. If you use expert advisers, whether from your staff or from a consulting firm, this book provides plenty of insight on how you can increase the odds of a high payback." — Lawrence J. Toole, former senior vice president and manager, human resources, GE Capital "The allure of using consultants for tough business problems is fraught with risk. As Bob Schaffer explains, the relationships between business managers and consultants frequently end in disappointment. High-Impact Consulting should be read by all managers about to use a consultant, and by those consultants who want results as well as fees." — John H. Biggs, chairman and CEO, TIAA-CREF "Effective consultants, whether external or on company staff, must sell and deliver significant and measurable results. Too often what is delivered is just advice and activity. Bob Schaffer tells client executives how to demand stretch results and teaches consultants how to change their practice to deliver them. His approach works." — C. Richard Larrick, manager, mill improvement process, Georgia-Pacific Corporation; former president, Paper Industry Management Association


Book Description
In this new and revised edition of the landmark book High-Impact Consulting, Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies— Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, The World Bank, and other successful organizations— Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design?particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success.


Book Info
In this new and revised edition, Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in 'the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting.' Previous edition c1997.


From the Publisher
"If senior executives are going to spend large sums of money for internal consultants or outside firms, you need to be clear about the actions you must take to avoid disappointments and to make sure that expert advice is translated into tangible, bottom-line improvements. This book offers many practical ideas on how to do that." — George M. C. Fisher, former chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak Company "Most consulting is practiced in ways that are doomed to failure. If you use expert advisers, whether from your staff or from a consulting firm, this book provides plenty of insight on how you can increase the odds of a high payback." — Lawrence J. Toole, former senior vice president and manager, human resources, GE Capital "The allure of using consultants for tough business problems is fraught with risk. As Bob Schaffer explains, the relationships between business managers and consultants frequently end in disappointment. High-Impact Consulting should be read by all managers about to use a consultant, and by those consultants who want results as well as fees." — John H. Biggs, chairman and CEO, TIAA-CREF "Effective consultants, whether external or on company staff, must sell and deliver significant and measurable results. Too often what is delivered is just advice and activity. Bob Schaffer tells client executives how to demand stretch results and teaches consultants how to change their practice to deliver them. His approach works." — C. Richard Larrick, manager, mill improvement process, Georgia-Pacific Corporation; former president, Paper Industry Management Association


From the Inside Flap
Even though corporate clients continue to spend millions of dollars on consultant-based solutions, the success rate of these high-priced remedies is far from what it should be. No matter how wise and creative the input of a consultant, says Robert H. Schaffer, it will pay off only if the client does what is necessary to benefit from the advice. But often there's a big "implementation gap" between what client's must do to make a project succeed and what they are actually able and willing to do. In this new and revised edition of the landmark book High-Impact Consulting, Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies— Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, The World Bank, and other successful organizations— Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design?particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success. The author explains the importance of accomplishing results quickly and then using these "rapid-cycle wins" as vehicles for sharpening management skills, strengthening work disciplines, and introducing new technology. In addition he tells managers and consultants how they can build on these early successes and tackle larger accomplishments and organization wide improvements. This thoroughly updated edition features valuable new insights and illustrative cases. It also includes a wealth of practical new tools that make the book a user-friendly, quick reference for both client managers and their consultants.


From the Back Cover
Even though corporate clients continue to spend millions of dollars on consultant-based solutions, the success rate of these high-priced remedies is far from what it should be. No matter how wise and creative the input of a consultant, says Robert H. Schaffer, it will pay off only if the client does what is necessary to benefit from the advice. But often there's a big "implementation gap" between what client's must do to make a project succeed and what they are actually able and willing to do. In this new and revised edition of the landmark book High-Impact Consulting, Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies— Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, The World Bank, and other successful organizations— Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design?particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success. The author explains the importance of accomplishing results quickly and then using these "rapid-cycle wins" as vehicles for sharpening management skills, strengthening work disciplines, and introducing new technology. In addition he tells managers and consultants how they can build on these early successes and tackle larger accomplishments and organization wide improvements. This thoroughly updated edition features valuable new insights and illustrative cases. It also includes a wealth of practical new tools that make the book a user-friendly, quick reference for both client managers and their consultants.


About the Author
Robert H. Schaffer is founder of the consulting firm, Robert H. Schaffer & Associates and serves as one of its principals. A leader and trainer in the consulting field, he has written several books as well as numerous articles for the Harvard Business Review, the New York Times, and other widely known publications.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Even though corporate clients continue to spend millions of dollars on consultant-based solutions, the success rate of these high-priced remedies is far from what it should be. No matter how wise and creative the input of a consultant, says Robert H. Schaffer, it will pay off only if the client does what is necessary to benefit from the advice. But often there's a big "implementation gap" between what clients must do to make a project succeed and what they are actually able and willing to do. In this new and revised edition of the land-mark book High-Impact Consulting, Robert H. Schaffer reveals how senior managers unwittingly collude with their consultants to perpetuate the great waste inherent in "the five fatal flaws of conventional consulting." Drawing on his own work with companies -- Motorola, Rio Tinto, IBM, General Reinsurance Corporation, the World Bank, and other successful organizations -- Schaffer offers a field-tested approach to working with consultants that has proven to get results. He identifies the key elements of an effective project design -- particularly that project objectives are defined in terms of client results rather than just consultant deliverables. The process enables clients to be certain that the work is carried out in ways that ensure success.

The author explains the importance of accomplishing results quickly and then using these "rapid-cycle wins" as vehicles for sharpening management skills, strengthening work disciplines, and introducing new technology. In addition, he tells managers and consultants how they can build on these early successes and tackle larger accomplishments and organization-wide improvements. This thoroughly updated edition features valuable new insights and illustrative cases. It also includes a wealth of practical new tools that make the book a user-friendly, quick reference for both client managers and their consultants.

FROM THE CRITICS

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