Consultant, Heal Thyself

Aconsultant whom I’m coaching calls me with the following conundrum: She has been asked to perform an evaluation of the CFO by the CEO. Her first approach is to interview the CFO’s five direct reports. Those five peers tell the consultant that the CFO, while technically excellent, doesn’t listen, doesn’t give adequate praise or reward, is aloof, and may have a drinking problem because she was seen somewhat tipsy at an office party, and often takes very long lunches. The consultant has asked me how to break this bad news to the CEO and whether or not to confront the CFO before, during, or after meeting with the CEO.

Tactical Aspects of Supporting Business Litigation

Business litigation often involves so much detailed information and data that counsel as well as the court are hard put to comprehend it. As complexity increases, the need becomes pressing for someone with suffecient knowledge and expertise to put data into prespective, explain how it is used, what it means, and why it is relevant. There is a frequent need to relate certain events and actions to convey this knowledge in a comprehensible, understandable manner to the court in a written report or verbally as an expert witness.

The Independent Consultant as “Equilateralist”

Long term, most independent consultants and heads of smaller firms will subsist at best and starve at worst. The tragedy lies in the relative ease with which both these sorry states can be replaced by success. It’s a matter of orientation, and many independent consultants have the wrong one. They do not see themselves as business people.