Review by naren_m27 -- The MECE Muse by Christie Lindor
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- Latest Review: The MECE Muse by Christie Lindor
Review by naren_m27 -- The MECE Muse by Christie Lindor
[Following is a volunteer review of "The MECE Muse" by Christie Lindor.]
3 out of 4 stars
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The MECE Muse – Christie Lindor: 100+ selected practices, unwritten rules, and habits of great consultants (SDP Publishing)
The author is a management consultant, speaker, and mentor, with a sixteen-plus year career with top management consulting firms. This book is a work of non-fiction, intended for readers who are either contemplating a job in consulting or want to know how to improve their existing consulting career and work-life balance. The author connected with more than 50 consulting partners and leaders from 27 different consulting firms, to know their stories, unwritten rules, and habits required to make a great consultant. The interviewees represent combined 420-plus years of consulting experience in 48 countries across six continents. The book is an easy read without too much emphasis on the methodology and terminologies used in consulting.
In the first section, the author explains different examples and anecdotes to help the reader understand the mindset of a great consultant. Some of the qualities mentioned are leadership, initiative, judgment, organization, ethics and moral values, maturity and handling of the intangibles. Great consultants are mentioned as someone with a combination of technical skills, industry expertise and emotional intelligence. She also explains the abbreviation MECE, which stands for mutually exclusive collectively exhaustive, stating that a great consultant must systematically gather complete information and think through all possible solutions and then recommend the best one to the client. In addition, this section classifies the different types of consultants and consulting firms based on their employee strength, expertise, the way of operating etc.
The second section deals more with the making of a great consultant. There are a lot of interviews where leading consultants suggest how to begin an assignment, manage teams and motivation levels, achieve a breakthrough in deliverables, handle roll-off and knowledge transfers with grace and aplomb. One distinct quality which the author highlights is the ability to be a trusted advisor and create value-added impact for clients. She also focuses on the power of networking and leveraging contacts for new business and reviving old engagements. There are also some tips about the art of influencing and negotiation.
The final part consists of author’s reflections on her own career and tips for improving finesse in consulting. She also busts common myths associated with consulting career and urges the reader to leave a place better than they found it. She states prestige, assessed by the level of expertise, firm culture and selectivity in recruitment, as a major differentiator for firms and advises firms to be future-ready for disruptive trends in like Artificial intelligence etc. Finally, she asks consultants to brush up on their digital practices and etiquettes to carve their paths to success.
I rate this book 3 out of 4. This is a good read for consultants and has some useful tips on maintaining the right work-life balance, staying in touch with family, seeking critical feedback, developing personal branding, professional integrity and many more.
******
The MECE Muse
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3 out of 4 stars
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The MECE Muse – Christie Lindor: 100+ selected practices, unwritten rules, and habits of great consultants (SDP Publishing)
The author is a management consultant, speaker, and mentor, with a sixteen-plus year career with top management consulting firms. This book is a work of non-fiction, intended for readers who are either contemplating a job in consulting or want to know how to improve their existing consulting career and work-life balance. The author connected with more than 50 consulting partners and leaders from 27 different consulting firms, to know their stories, unwritten rules, and habits required to make a great consultant. The interviewees represent combined 420-plus years of consulting experience in 48 countries across six continents. The book is an easy read without too much emphasis on the methodology and terminologies used in consulting.
In the first section, the author explains different examples and anecdotes to help the reader understand the mindset of a great consultant. Some of the qualities mentioned are leadership, initiative, judgment, organization, ethics and moral values, maturity and handling of the intangibles. Great consultants are mentioned as someone with a combination of technical skills, industry expertise and emotional intelligence. She also explains the abbreviation MECE, which stands for mutually exclusive collectively exhaustive, stating that a great consultant must systematically gather complete information and think through all possible solutions and then recommend the best one to the client. In addition, this section classifies the different types of consultants and consulting firms based on their employee strength, expertise, the way of operating etc.
The second section deals more with the making of a great consultant. There are a lot of interviews where leading consultants suggest how to begin an assignment, manage teams and motivation levels, achieve a breakthrough in deliverables, handle roll-off and knowledge transfers with grace and aplomb. One distinct quality which the author highlights is the ability to be a trusted advisor and create value-added impact for clients. She also focuses on the power of networking and leveraging contacts for new business and reviving old engagements. There are also some tips about the art of influencing and negotiation.
The final part consists of author’s reflections on her own career and tips for improving finesse in consulting. She also busts common myths associated with consulting career and urges the reader to leave a place better than they found it. She states prestige, assessed by the level of expertise, firm culture and selectivity in recruitment, as a major differentiator for firms and advises firms to be future-ready for disruptive trends in like Artificial intelligence etc. Finally, she asks consultants to brush up on their digital practices and etiquettes to carve their paths to success.
I rate this book 3 out of 4. This is a good read for consultants and has some useful tips on maintaining the right work-life balance, staying in touch with family, seeking critical feedback, developing personal branding, professional integrity and many more.
******
The MECE Muse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on Smashwords
Like naren_m27's review? Post a comment saying so!
Latest Review: The MECE Muse by Christie Lindor
