Sunday, June 17, 2007

The Top Consultant: Developing Your Skills For Greater Effectiveness


This week I've just cleared two books. First book that I need to share with you is
"The Top Consultant: Developing Your Skills For Greater Effectiveness", 4th Edition
by Calvert Markham ISBN:0749442530 Kogan Page © 2004.

Markham defines consultancy as a 'delivering specialist skills from outside the organization' means the consultant has specific skill that needed by the client and the consultant normally is not on the same organization or if it's in same company it will be different department. Organization need consultant to bring objectivity, minimized the risk and also learn from the expert. The role of consultant have evolved in 30 years from deliver experience of practice to identify and address organizational issue. And these are the consultancy skill that consultant must have:
- The body of knowledge, skill and experience
- Experience or knowledge of the application of the specialist skill in specific area
- Consultancy skill to deliver the expertise

Consultancy activities can be consider as a product which value is added to the client. Markham quote Ralph Waldo 'If a man... make a better mousetrap than his neighbour, tho' he build his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door.' Which means even you have very good expertise but if nobody know, you can't sell it. I won't go deep in marketing content of this book as I'm a technical guy :P

In the chapter 6 explain about consultancy problem solving as the challenge of consultant are to make right boundary. Without it, project won't be effective. To get whole picture, consultant need to engage with top management for strategy, middle management for process and junior staff for the action. Markham highlight about preconceptions between consultant and client is very important . Here is the diagram for problem solving approach :


Use creative thinking to generate hypotheses <-|
Select which to investigate |
Identify the data you need to verify |
Collect the data |
Analyse the data ------------------------------|
Arrive at conclusions


On the last chapter explain about managing client relationship. Good relationship to customer will help sales and it have to be managed.

The Seven Habits of Successful Networkers

You guys should familiar with 7 habits's Stephen Covey which inspiring many people on earth. I just found the PDF file from cisco networkers 2005 presented by Accenture with the title "The Seven Habits of Successful Networkers".

• Be Proactive
It's similar with 7 habits's Stephen Covey, networkers should prepare to react on the new big technology.

• Be Bold
It is not time for timid thinking and Do you have the right partners?

• Be an Effective Businessman
Run a network like businessman and align with business strategy

• Learn from Others
Be aware of what is essential now and what is next

• Communicate Your Plan
Network can be like electricity, executives only hear about it when it is not working

• Challenge Your Thinking
The path to successful project delivery is not always straight

• Execute Ruthlessly
The path to successful network delivery is merciless

Friday, June 1, 2007

Index and Ring Finger relationship

When we are in the womb, researcher found if sex hormone testosterone was supplied higher than estrogen your ring finger (jari manis) should longer than your index finger (jari telunjuk). And vice versa, if estrogen higher than testosterone the index finger will be longer than ring finger. Normally, man will have longer ring finger (testosterone effect) than index finger and woman have same length index finger and ring finger.





There are few survey have conducted about this issue, very good football players have much longer ring finger than index finger. And male scientist normally have ring finger and index finger same length. Some people also say for woman longer ring finger will give masculine behaviour and for man longer index finger will give feminine behaviour. Also researcher found relationship between index finger and ring finger with heart attack, autism and breast cancer.

Taken from http://www.mondovista.com/homosexual.html, sexual orientation by the finger :


Man's Finger and sexual orientation


Woman's Finger and sexual orientation