Chapter Twenty: Be the Best SME Ever! - Dawn J. Mahoney A critical aspect of being a subject matter expert (SME) is working collaboratively. As Dawn shares, subject matter experts are a piece of the puzzle, not a fully realized solution. Tips assist SMEs in developing an awareness of their impact on projects, leading to improved outcomes and enhancing their reputation. By identifying pitfalls that SMEs will want to avoid when engaging in collaborative work, Dawn illuminates t

Chapter Nineteen: Principles Matter: Honesty is the Best Policy - Diana Mahaffey Don't let an awkward inquiry derail your ability to establish credibility and trusting professional relationships. As Mahaffey shares in her chapter, clients rely on the consultants they hire to be truthful. Overstating or allowing clients to draw inaccurate conclusions about your depth of understanding is detrimental for everyone. In fact, as Mahaffey points out, often a lack of familiarity can

Chapter Eighteen: The Customer Is Not Always Right! - William McCarthy, PhD Using an analogy that captures reader attention (driver assist automobiles), McCarthy illustrates why it is vital to fully understand a challenge prior to attempting to address it. We often want to demonstrate our value and problem-solving capability by diving in and taking action. This can lead to down pathways that are ineffective and waste resources. Sharing straightforward steps to bring clarity t

Chapter Seventeen: Create Your Personal GPS - Nancy Kruschke In this chapter, Nancy delivers solid advice for allocating time to get accomplish prioritized work and deliver desired outcomes. Using your "Personal GPS" to navigate daily, weekly, monthly tasks can help ensure you achieve your goals, meet client expectations, and perform maintenance tasks for your business health that can be easy to push aside. The intentional creation of boundaries around work time is vital to p

Chapter Sixteen: Three Ways to Improve Your Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts - Lisa Koenecke Creating and maintaining inclusive work environments is a fundamental component of building a strong business. Lisa provides a 3-pronged structure for imaging and creating the necessary framework. Using her signature "show, shift, shape" structure to bring clarity to the types of behaviors and planning needed to create a welcoming workplace, Lisa provides a solid foundation fo

Chapter Fifteen: The Deal is Never Done Until the Check Clears - Lee S. Johnsen It is so easy to make assumptions regarding a colleague's behavior, particularly when we consider that colleague a friend. Lee helps us to see that acting assumptions can lead to miscommunication, lost income, and lost trust. By laying the ground work for clear and formalized communication resulting in a written and signed agreement, much confusion and pain can be avoided. A simple yet invaluable