The Dorset House Quarterly Interviews

Gerald M. Weinberg
Author of More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Tool Kit

ISBN: 0-932633-52-8  
©2002  216 pages   softcover  
$39.95 (includes $6.00 for U.S. shipping by UPS)

WEINBERG: I decided that I'd learned a lot of things about consulting in fifteen years, and the new book contains those things I learned that I thought would be most useful to the same readers who found Secrets so useful.

WEINBERG: Virginia taught me that I had all the tools needed to be a successful consultant (and human being), but that I might not be using all those tools to their fullest potential. Virginia's tool kit was inspired by Frank Baum's Wizard of Oz, where Dorothy and her friends made a long journey only to discover that they already had the tools they so fervently desired. I believe that we all do have those tools, and the purpose of this book is to remind us of some we've forgotten, or that we underutilize.

WEINBERG: Willy Sutton, the bank robber, was asked why he robbed banks. He replied, "Because that's where the money is."

I write about personal abilities, attitudes, and self-esteem of consultants because that's where the money is -- the payoff in a successful consulting practice.

WEINBERG: When I first saw Virginia's tool kit, I thought they would, but that hasn't proved to be the case. After all, you can use your tools without anyone knowing you’re using them, so there's nothing to be afraid of. And if you are afraid, you can use your Courage Stick to get you through it.

WEINBERG: There's no faster way to ruin your reputation -- and thus your future as a consultant -- than taking assignments with people you don’t care about. If you do this, you'll be out of consulting soon anyway, so why waste your time?

WEINBERG: I also mention that I collect stone eggs, and I'm not allergic to those. My egg is as tough as a stone dinosaur egg, and it represents my ability to grow into any kind of consultant I want to be.

WEINBERG: By using tools (which The Carabiner represents) to remove unnecessary risks from their work. The Carabiner reminds them to do this when they feel the situation is otherwise too risky.

WEINBERG: There are so many creative ways to beat terrorism, and that's the great hope that America and our allies have over the terrorists who are trying to paralyze our minds with fear. There are many ways to prevent people from hijacking planes, and I've been gratified to see dozens of good suggestions. Now, if we could only get the politicians to stop being afraid of not getting reelected, we might beat this thing yet.

WEINBERG: The Glass represents my ability to gather data, and The Hat represents my ability to make sense out of those data. One without the other is not very powerful, yet each consultant has the tendency to favor one to the exclusion of the other.

WEINBERG: The Egg also represents your ability to grow new tools. I guess it also represents your ability to beg, borrow, or steal tools -- though when you steal my tool, I still have it, so you're welcome to it.

WEINBERG: Without your lumps, you lose your uniqueness, which is really all you have to sell as a consultant. Otherwise, you become a commodity, like grape jelly. Yuk!

WEINBERG: By understanding the Iron Rule we won't be disappointed so often -- which is reason for optimism.

WEINBERG: Each judge used his or her own criteria. For me, a successful software project, like a successful consulting project, can only be judged by how satisfied the customers are. Nothing else matters much, except as a means to that end.

WEINBERG: We run some sort of seminar about once every month, on leadership, change, consulting, effectiveness, writing, teaching, and anything else that we think we can contribute to—including dog training. Check my Website for the latest on all of these: www.geraldmweinberg.com.

WEINBERG: Dani is thriving, as are the dogs. Sweetie just had his bad hip replaced, and he's doing very well indeed, running around like a puppy. You can see pictures of them on the Website.