David Maister's Business Masterclass

The Trouble with Lawyers - Chapter 17

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E book summary of Chapter 17

The Trouble with Lawyers

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0500

What in law firm culture differentiates itself from virtually any other type of firm in the realms of management, collaboration and relationship building? In this episode, we explore what makes law firms different and what can be done to improve the s

Managing The Multidimensional Organization - Chapter 16

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500

ebook summary of chapter 16

Managing The Multidimensional Organization

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Internal collaboration becomes increasingly difficult as a firm grows and diversifies. We will look at some of the issues that come up and some possible solutions.

The One-Firm Firm Revisited - Chapter 15

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Ebook summary of chapter 15

The One-Firm Firm Revisited

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500

This episode revisits five firms named in a 1985 article entitled “The One-Firm Firm”. We will discuss the differences in these firms and the pertinence of the article 23 years on.

Selecting A Leader: Do We Know What We Want? - Chapter 14

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 14

Selecting A Leader: Do We Know What We Want?

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Often, the guidelines an organization sets for what it expected of its managers are unclear at best. This episode focuses on setting non-ambiguous, non-contradictory standards for selecting leaders.

Accountability: Effective Managers Go First - Chapter 13

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 13

Accountability: Effective Managers Go First

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Often, management neglects its own stake in the betterment of the organization as a whole. We will look into ways that managers can become accountable for their own work and improvement and serve as an example to the whole of the organization.

A Great Coach in Action - Chapter 11

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 12

A Natural Manager

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0500

In this episode we will examine the intuitive managerial approach of Jerry Labbate and clarify the lessons you can take to maximize your managerial effectiveness.

A Great Coach in Action - Chapter 11

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 11

A Great Coach in Action

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The key to great coaching lies in a persons ability get another to commit to goals on their own terms. This episode looks into ensuring that those in managerial roles have the attitudes, skills, and behaviors of a skilled coach.

Why Most Training is Useless - Chapter 10

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 10

Why Most Training is Useless

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Too often, companies look to training as a stand-alone solution for behavioral changes in their employees. However, training is a wonderful last step in a committed process towards a common goal, but an almost useless first step.

Tyrants, Energizers and Cynics - Chapter 9

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 9.

Tyrants, Energizers and Cynics

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0500

With so many approaches an organization can take to management, only one of these approaches will, in the long run, produce enduring profitability and abundant business generation. Why are so few firms willing to invest the time?

Doing It for the Money - Chapter 8

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 8.

Doing It for the Money

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The basis for any successful marketing effort is the ability of the provider to convince the buyer that they are truly interested in them and are genuinely trying to help. This is however, rarely the focus of marketing discussions within any firm.

The Friendship Strategy - Chapter 7

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 7.

The Friendship Strategy

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Trusting relationships in business are built on the same formulae as trusting relationships in personal life. We will look into some of the cues one can take from personal life to enhance ones professional standing.

Do You Really Want Relationships? - Chapter 6

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 6.

Do You Really Want Relationships?

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The Fat Smoker Syndrome, the inability to do the things we know will help us accomplish our long-term goals, finds no better illustration than in the area of client relations. We will look into different types of client relations and relative merits of

What's Our Deal? - Chapter 4

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 5.

What's Our Deal?

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

For any organization to achieve a unified, forward momentum, it must first have a solid set of rules and goals for its members to agree upon. We will discuss a number of integrating concepts aimed at getting all players on the same page.

Are We In This Together?

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Firm-wide strategy often assumes firm-wide consensus. However, it is rarely the case that all players within any given firm are team oriented. We will discuss some of the widely held player preferences and prescribe alternatives in dealing with them.

Are We In This Together? - Chapter 4

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 4.

It's Not How Good You Are, But How Much You Want It - Chapter 3

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 3.

It's Not How Good You Are, But How Much You Want It

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

A career path is rarely a series of logical steps towards resulting in an ultimate goal, but is more often a series of experiments seen through by the drive and determination to find the next challenge. We will explore this principle in this podcast.

Strategy Means Saying No - Chapter 2

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 2.

Strategy Means Saying No

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

One of the hardest things for a professional to do is to turn down work and everyone has an excuse as to why they shouldn’t. We will learn why the refusal of work that is contrary to your strategy is essential to building a distinguished and special

Strategy and the Fat Smoker - Chapter 1

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

E-book pdf summary of chapter 1.

Strategy and the Fat Smoker

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

A strategy, like any other lifestyle altering decision, requires the discipline stick to the plan. Without this determination, most strategic planning is a complete waste of time. We will discuss the tools necessary to do what is obvious but not easy

Summary Proverb

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0500

We will close this series with a proverb that I use to conclude many of my seminars. It illustrates that what most businesses need, is not clarification on what is the right thing to do, but the courage to not give in to short term gratification.

Earning a Relationsip

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Everything in we want in life must be given to us by another human being. This being the case, a key question in the early stages of a relationship is, how do you get another human being to want to give these things to you?

Dynamos

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Professionals at any given time can be one of three things: dynamos, cruisers or losers. What are the percentages in your organization and how will you as a manager motivate and excite in order help under-performers and create dynamos?

Think of Work

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Marketing services that excite you to clients that you are interested in brings the odds of winning business significantly higher. However, this appears to be the route less taken in most professional lives. The question is, is this acceptable?

Getting Hired by New Clients

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0500

sides of the fence. We will discuss how to thwart this cycle at the root by demonstrating your capabilities first and building a reputation as a trustworthy provider.

Experts vs. Advisors

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0500

In the marketing of professional services, you can come across in one of two ways to the buyer. You are either interested in them, or you are interested in their cash. We will show why the former is the key to successful business marketing.

Marketing To Existing Clients

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Most professional organizations spend the overwhelming majority of their non-billable, business generating hours on chasing new clients even though it has the least probable R.O.I. We will examine the alternatives and their relative effectiveness.

Rules of Relationships

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0500

There is far more to building a relationship than the point of any given conversation and there is no “going through the motions” or baseline communications. Learn two of the most important aspects of communication in relationships.

Romance and Sincerity

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0500

In business development it is too often the case that professional strive for the transaction in the short term and neglect the essential foundations for building a lasting business relationship. We will discuss two distinct mindsets for coming to mark

How We Buy

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0500

All marketing and selling questions boil down to one basic query: How do people buy? To learn the answer to this, one only needs to look as far as their own experience in buying to find that it’s not only about qualifications but also about trust.

What We Hate About Those People

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Often times there is a degree of laziness in communication on the part of the professional that is incredibly alienating to the client. Learn a simple exercise that will help you better understand and fulfill your clients’ wants and needs.

Where Should Marketing Time Go?

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0500

The standard marketing practice of proposals and assertions fails in respect to building relationships. We will discuss one of many tactics aimed at earning and deserving existing and new client business through demonstration rather than assertion.

Accountability

david@davidmaister.com (David Maister) — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0500

In order for the employees of an organization to raise their performance, those in managerial roles must first be held accountable for their own performance. We will discuss one way that this accountability could be installed inside an organization.