The Trusted Advisor
by David H. Maister
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List Price: $15.95
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Manufacturer: Free Press
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 658
EAN: 9780743212342
ISBN: 0743212347
Label: Free Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2001-10-09
Publisher: Free Press
Release Date: 2001-09-25
Studio: Free Press
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Trusted Author
Comment: David is the written word authority on professional advisory services. The trusted advisor is a book, I first read when it was published and I find myself returning to it and sharing it along with other works of David's again and again. But if you can read just one and want to balance learning with the enjoyment of the read, I recommend The Trusted Advisory for all consultants and service industry professionals.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant
Comment: Truly, the content that Maister, Green, and Galford provide in "The Trusted Advisor" is absolutely brilliant. The only other consulting text that comes to mind which meets the quality of this work is "The Secrets of Consulting", by Weinberg (see my review). And while "Secrets" is an incredibly informative and entertaining masterpiece, the three authors who collaborated for this piece have provided a great service to anyone involved with advising other individuals, regardless of profession. The step-by-step path that this book offers starts with perspectives on trust, followed by the road to trust building, and how to proceed once trust is achieved. Unlike many books of this genre, the authors (and editors) of "The Trusted Advisor" do not simply rehash the obvious, and their explanations never assume the background of the reader. This book is so well put together that it is difficult to determine where to start in terms of this review. Each chapter is focused, designed to answer a specific question, such as "Do you really have to care for those you advise?" or "How do you ensure clients are willing to do what it takes to solve their problems?" The introduction notes that the education of the authors "served [them] well, but nothing in it prepared [them] for the real world of trying to serve clients effectively. Along the way, [they] learned that becoming a good advisor takes more than having good advice to offer. There are additional skills involved, ones that no one ever teaches...that are critical to [one's] success. Most important, [they] learned that [one doesn't] get the chance to employ advisory skills until [they] can get someone to trust [them] enough to share their problems[.]" The authors also note in the introduction that the theme of this book is that "the key to professional success is not just technical mastery of one's discipline (which is, of course, essential), but also the ability to work with clients in such a way as to earn their trust and gain their confidence." In order to do this book justice, a write-up for a New Yorker book review would be in order since there is simply not enough space to write here. One specific aspect of this book this reviewer appreciated is all the lists throughout the book (39 in total) that are also contained in a comprehensive appendix. For example, the first chapter immediately lists the 16 benefits one might obtain when trust is established with clients, followed by the 22 traits trusted advisors have in common. The figures provided in each chapter are also very effective, starting with Figure 2.1 that helps visualize the path from subject matter or process expert to trusted advisor that consists of increasing breadth of business issues and depth of personal relationship. Many examples are presented to illustrate the discussions of each chapter, and suggested variations on how to word advice are also liberally provided to the reader. Chapters 15 and 16 were especially well done. The first lists some of the difficulties the authors hear about the trusted advisor role, followed by a point-by-point examination of each. For example, "Professional services firms often breed a culture of content expertise and mastery. (We're taught that content is all.)" and "My client wants me to focus on the work at hand; he or she doesn't want to see me about anything else." The latter chapter discusses 9 difficult client types, and how to respond, such as the "I'll Get Back to You" client and the "Just Like, You Know, Come On" client. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Nothing New
Comment: Odds are, if you read books like this, you have read all of this before. Most of it is common sense as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sales vs Advising
Comment: There's a lot more to selling than sales skills. You can study all the closes you want, but if you can't bring value to your clients, you better find a new profession. The Trusted Advisor educates true consultants on how to bring value in what you can offer to your clients, The Trusted Advisor takes you from salesperson to valued resource, and it all starts with trust. The old line, "what's it going to take to get you to buy" is for sales people that won't be selling this time next year, invest in yourself, invest in what The Trusted Advisor teaches you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Recommended for all Consultants
Comment: Excellent book by the master of consulting firm management. Addresses and gives insight into the goal of all management consulting engagements - to become the trusted advisor of the C-level management - on the issues related to your expertise. I recommend this book and Maister's other books to all senior level consultants and professional services personnel.
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Editorial Reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: A Trusted Author
Comment: David is the written word authority on professional advisory services. The trusted advisor is a book, I first read when it was published and I find myself returning to it and sharing it along with other works of David's again and again. But if you can read just one and want to balance learning with the enjoyment of the read, I recommend The Trusted Advisory for all consultants and service industry professionals.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Absolutely brilliant
Comment: Truly, the content that Maister, Green, and Galford provide in "The Trusted Advisor" is absolutely brilliant. The only other consulting text that comes to mind which meets the quality of this work is "The Secrets of Consulting", by Weinberg (see my review). And while "Secrets" is an incredibly informative and entertaining masterpiece, the three authors who collaborated for this piece have provided a great service to anyone involved with advising other individuals, regardless of profession. The step-by-step path that this book offers starts with perspectives on trust, followed by the road to trust building, and how to proceed once trust is achieved. Unlike many books of this genre, the authors (and editors) of "The Trusted Advisor" do not simply rehash the obvious, and their explanations never assume the background of the reader. This book is so well put together that it is difficult to determine where to start in terms of this review. Each chapter is focused, designed to answer a specific question, such as "Do you really have to care for those you advise?" or "How do you ensure clients are willing to do what it takes to solve their problems?" The introduction notes that the education of the authors "served [them] well, but nothing in it prepared [them] for the real world of trying to serve clients effectively. Along the way, [they] learned that becoming a good advisor takes more than having good advice to offer. There are additional skills involved, ones that no one ever teaches...that are critical to [one's] success. Most important, [they] learned that [one doesn't] get the chance to employ advisory skills until [they] can get someone to trust [them] enough to share their problems[.]" The authors also note in the introduction that the theme of this book is that "the key to professional success is not just technical mastery of one's discipline (which is, of course, essential), but also the ability to work with clients in such a way as to earn their trust and gain their confidence." In order to do this book justice, a write-up for a New Yorker book review would be in order since there is simply not enough space to write here. One specific aspect of this book this reviewer appreciated is all the lists throughout the book (39 in total) that are also contained in a comprehensive appendix. For example, the first chapter immediately lists the 16 benefits one might obtain when trust is established with clients, followed by the 22 traits trusted advisors have in common. The figures provided in each chapter are also very effective, starting with Figure 2.1 that helps visualize the path from subject matter or process expert to trusted advisor that consists of increasing breadth of business issues and depth of personal relationship. Many examples are presented to illustrate the discussions of each chapter, and suggested variations on how to word advice are also liberally provided to the reader. Chapters 15 and 16 were especially well done. The first lists some of the difficulties the authors hear about the trusted advisor role, followed by a point-by-point examination of each. For example, "Professional services firms often breed a culture of content expertise and mastery. (We're taught that content is all.)" and "My client wants me to focus on the work at hand; he or she doesn't want to see me about anything else." The latter chapter discusses 9 difficult client types, and how to respond, such as the "I'll Get Back to You" client and the "Just Like, You Know, Come On" client. Highly recommended.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Nothing New
Comment: Odds are, if you read books like this, you have read all of this before. Most of it is common sense as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Sales vs Advising
Comment: There's a lot more to selling than sales skills. You can study all the closes you want, but if you can't bring value to your clients, you better find a new profession. The Trusted Advisor educates true consultants on how to bring value in what you can offer to your clients, The Trusted Advisor takes you from salesperson to valued resource, and it all starts with trust. The old line, "what's it going to take to get you to buy" is for sales people that won't be selling this time next year, invest in yourself, invest in what The Trusted Advisor teaches you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Recommended for all Consultants
Comment: Excellent book by the master of consulting firm management. Addresses and gives insight into the goal of all management consulting engagements - to become the trusted advisor of the C-level management - on the issues related to your expertise. I recommend this book and Maister's other books to all senior level consultants and professional services personnel.
In today's fast-paced networked economy, professionals must work harder than ever to maintain and improve their business skills and knowledge. But technical mastery of one's discipline is not enough, assert world-renowned professional advisors David H. Maister, Charles H. Green, and Robert M. Galford. The key to professional success, they argue, is the ability to earn the trust and confidence of clients. To demonstrate the paramount importance of trust, the authors use anecdotes, experiences, and examples -- successes and mistakes, their own and others' -- to great effect. The result is an immensely readable book that will be welcomed by the inexperienced advisor and the most seasoned expert alike.
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