Free Articles at The Consulting Academy - where I.T. project teams come for help from experts and colleagues

Here's a partial list of some of David's latest articles now available online -- new articles are being added all the time, so bookmark this page now and come back soon.

Charter article

What this is all about, what the challenges are, how we can help each other.

Why are they the way they are?

Before we criticize our clients, let's understand why they act the way they do.

"They never said they needed that ! How was I supposed to know?"

You delivered according to their requirements and now they're not satisfied. "They should have told you what they really wanted."

"Is that your final answer?"

What's the relationship between consulting projects and the Millionaire show? What is it about the show that reminds you of consulting work? What can we learn from the show?

Surprises are for Valentine’s Day

How you can gain your client’s confidence by keeping an even keel and how you can reduce your grief by learning how to reduce what surprises you. All without any new tools or technology.

Enjoy the S.I.P.s

Where we discuss the Strategic Inflection Points of client projects. If you learn to understand the hows and whys of SIP's you will feel stronger and more confident.

Primary driver: Scope

Scope management - avoiding scope creep -- Why is scope so important, why and how it changes. How scope creep comes about and what can you do about it.

Managing expectations (part 1)

The six words consultants hate to hear: "You should have managed their expectations"

Managing expectations (part2 )

How to monitor and influence expectations

When Clients Get Angry by Dr. Bob Rose, guest author

You know this situation: you pick up the phone and it’s an angry client. Calls like that can spoil your day - or week! . . .

What clients think of us . . . and how that can help you by Dr. Bob Rose, guest author

Within the first two weeks of your consulting career you heard all the usual consultant jokes. Sad but true, some of those jokes have a barb in them. . . .

Office Politics: Avoiding the Quicksand by Drs. Robyn Porterfield and Bob Rose, guest authors

You have a project clearly outlined and then it turns out that the five people with whom you have contact all have different agendas. A sixth person you did not even know about now has a say in what is happening...

Random tips from our

Random tips from our "73 tips for IT professionals" booklet:

Tip #33 (Managing your scope of work)

When evaluating a scope change attempt, once you have performed serious thinking, do not object immediately. Ask questions. Ask the person who's attempting the change for clarifications: "Do you mean we should be . . .?" "Has this been there all along or is it new?" "Is this a change in our plans?" A very large percentage of the time you will find out it's not a change or the person will withdraw the change request.

Click Refresh or F5 to get another tip right here. Or click here and get another tip.

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Coming soon:

The following articles are in progress, each in a different state of completion. If you tell me which one(s) you'd like to see sooner than the others, I'll do my best to post it. E-mail us

When clients won't give you what you need

You depend on them for your work but they won't respond.

Could your client be named David Allen Coe?

When you hear all the words you don't want to hear, and in the same sentence, you are reminded of a country song.

When your primary tool is your company's product.

Capitalize on your advantage but don't let it get in the way.

Would you please make up your mind? Would you please make up their mind?

Which one is it?

"But I have to do it all over again now"

And they said it was only a small "revision"

Pulling things out of a hat: When they ask you to do things you don't know

The art and science of improvisation

When am I going to learn new stuff?

Stay ahead of your competition, stay abreast of the industry, learn new technologies

The art of balancing multiple projects

When just one is hard enough

Can clients be "led" ?

How can you tell them what to do if you're working FOR them?

Top 10 Ways to Lose Your Client

Words that instantly alienate clients and how to avoid them

The family jewels: "I can't teach them everything I know!"

How to transfer knowledge without giving away your livelihood.

Guest columns:

_{Welcome, Dr. Bob Rose. See Bob's first article here:}When Clients Get Angry

You know this situation: you pick up the phone and it’s an angry client. Calls like that can spoil your day - or week! . . .

and his second:

What clients think of us . . . and how that can help you by Dr. Bob Rose, guest author

Within the first two weeks of your consulting career you heard all the usual consultant jokes. Sad but true, some of those jokes have a barb in them. . . .