Consulting on the Inside, 2nd ed.: A Practical Guide for Internal Consultants - Softcover

Scott, Beverly; Barnes, B. Kim

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1562867458 ISBN 13: 9781562867454

Publisher: Association for Talent Development, 2011

Synopsis

Are you an internal consultant―a staff member who serves in a consultative role within your organization? Then you need this hands-on guidebook to help you better understand your role and improve your performance.

Whether you're a change agent, trusted advisor, or someone who serves in varying capacities, it's important to design your job, develop a formal agreement, and build your practice.

Consulting on the Inside provides a solid background for internal consultants and serves as a roadmap for cultivating a successful career. You'll learn how to:

• maintain an outsider's objectivity while applying an insider's knowledge of the organization
• build relationships but be up-front about challenges and issues
• design your role to fit the client's needs and the organizational situation
• handle roadblocks and deal effectively with difficult clients
• market your consulting services within the client organization.

You'll find a thorough examination of the eight phases of the consulting process, a comprehensive analysis of the differences between internal and external consultants, and success stories demonstrating the personal qualities you need to build trust and relationships. Consulting on the Insidealso provides a complete toolbox for getting the job done, including tips and techniques, checklists, forms, a sample hiring agreement, and ready-to-use agendas.

With this book in your hands, you'll be able to apply your expertise, influence and personal skills to multiple roles within your organization, and balance the tension between being an insider and needing to give honest, direct feedback to your colleagues. As an internal consultant with a well-founded practice, you can provide competent, collaborative advice to help solve problems, improve performance, and increase your organization's effectiveness.

About this title

About the Author

Beverly Scott has served as both an internal and external consultant in a wide range of organizations for more than 35 years, including 15 years as director of organization and management development for McKesson. Her background includes master's degrees in sociology and human resource development, and she has completed her doctoral coursework. Scott is a speaker and facilitator for many professional associations and has taught organizational psychology at John F. Kennedy University. She resides in San Francisco.
B. Kim Barnes is co-founder and CEO of Barnes & Conti Associates, a global leadership development firm based in Berkeley, California. She holds a master's degree in human development and has more than 35 years of experience, including external and internal consulting roles with organizations in a broad range of industries. Barnes is a popular speaker and seminar leader worldwide, and she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Review

Expecting nothing but excellence from these two master consultants, I was not disappointed to see new models and valuable concepts intertwined with many of the practical tools such as sample contracts, agendas, team charters, and others from the first edition. Bev and Kim ensure your success from helping you define your internal consulting role, to overcoming the most common challenges, through ensuring successful implementation. They do this with the practical ease of consultants who really know their business. Consulting on the Inside sits obligingly on my bookshelf within easy reach at all times. --Elaine Biech

Working from the inside often triggers an organization's immune response. Scott and Barnes delivers a playbook for succeeding as an internal consultant. A must read for any practitioner who wants to significantly increase their organizational influence and value creation. --Nelson Soken, Ph.D., Senior Engineering Manager at Medtronic, Inc.

Internal consulting is a critical role that is often misunderstood. This well written and practical resource is must-read for anyone considering the role, already in the role or serving internal consultants. In addition, it is a great reference tool for anyone seeking to understand the critical elements of how to manage change and drive performance from within the organization. Buy it- you won t regret it! --Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, CEO of Herrmann International

About this edition

• Publisher: Association for Talent Development
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1562867458
• ISBN 13: 9781562867454
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 320