Con Tricks: The Shadowy World of Management Consultancy and How to Make It Work For You [Hardcover - Used]

CONDITION - USED - Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "From the library of" labels or previous owner inscriptions. Accessories such as CD, codes, toys, may not be included. "Consultancy," Martin Ashford proclaims in the opening to Con Tricks, "is big business." And thanks to the broad range of services now offered by industry leaders, notes Ashford, the former blue-chip consultant turned Financial Times journalist, it affects business in bigger ways all the time. With an unrestrained skepticism that would be suspect if not for his background--comparing practitioners to prostitutes and the practice to "a gigantic confidence trick," for example, would not ring as true if done by an outsider--Ashford explains the best ways to find and work with so-called cons. After discussing the misguided rationales offered by managers who misunderstand their purpose ("we don't have a clue what to do"; "the Board can't agree"), he points out reasons that indicate the use of such external assistance may indeed be prudent (a need for additional resources, specific expertise, or help in "clearing internal obstacles and resistance" among them). Ashford then offers detailed advice on recognizing the types available, choosing one that fits comfortably with your organization, budgeting for what you need, structuring the relationship, deciphering consultancy-speak (through an alphabetized glossary covering assets to zero-based budgets), comprehending reports and presentations, and ensuring delivery of real results. --Howard Rothman

Con Tricks: The Shadowy World of Management Consultancy and How to Make It Work For You, Used [Hardcover]