| September/October 2007 Connector |
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Content submissions for the November issue are due by October 31. Please consider contributing articles (maximum 500 words) to connector@imcusa.org, and happy reading!
Confab 3.0 – A Remarkable Experience
Don't miss the chance to be part of Confab 2007 – the 30th Anniversary edition! Join us October 27-30 at the Silver Legacy Resort and Casino in Reno. Register today and take advantage of this opportunity to get smart.
Confab kicks off with an optional golf outing on Saturday, October 27, and a hosted reception Saturday night. Get a jump on the great networking opportunities available at Confab.
Sunday begins bright and early with Lisa Nirell and the optional pre-conference workshop, "Love, Money and Marketing: Three Keys to ENERGIZEGrowth" and the new to Confab Technology Fair. Confab officially kicks off with lunch and Erik Wahl's Opening Keynote: The Art of Vision.
Other Confab keynote sessions are Tamara J. Erickson's Workforce Crisis: How to Beat the Coming Shortage of Skills and Talent and Dr. Michael Mann's Partnering – From Dating to Divorce. Check out the entire program at http://www.confabusa.org/dailyagenda/index.html.
Can't make it to Confab? Order the Ultimate CD and bring Confab to you. Each CD contains final presentation materials and audio of all sessions. For more information, visit http://www.confabusa.org/. 
Submitted by Stephen D. Kirkland, CPA, CMC
Consultants in every field serve as expert witnesses to help judges and jurors understand complex issues in court cases. Many of these professionals have narrow niches, such as fingerprinting or handwriting analysis. Some specialize in broader fields, such as business valuations or, in my case, executive compensation.
So what does it take to become an expert witness? There are several factors to consider before accepting that responsibility.
For example, an expert witness is usually hired and paid by an attorney representing one of the parties to a lawsuit. However, the witness must be able to remain objective, and not become an advocate for the plaintiff or the defendant. The truth must be told, no matter whose case is helped or hurt by it.
Extensive experience and formal training are necessary to gain the trust of the court. You will be asked to recite government regulations and definitions of words used in your field. You will be asked which publications you read to keep current.
During a deposition and court testimony, you will be asked many detailed questions and they must be answered in ways that jurors who have no experience in your field can understand. An expert’s job is to explain and clarify complex issues, so the judge and jury can do their jobs.
Your lifestyle and background must be able to withstand intense scrutiny. Before the trial, attorneys will closely examine your credentials, experience, training and reputation. Expect them to know your credit rating, what bumper stickers you have on your car, where you were born, how much you paid for your house, and to which organizations you have belonged. They may ask (and you must answer under oath) questions about things like the prescription medications you take.
You must be able to remain composed during long hours of relentless questioning in depositions and courtroom testimony. Under cross-examination, the attorneys are going to do all they can to make you nervous and say something foolish. It is critical to stay calm and focused at all times during the deposition and trial.
Be flexible in your schedule. It is not uncommon to be engaged late in the process. Once you become involved in a case, you may need to peruse stacks of documents in order to understand all the relevant facts. Ask a lot of questions. And be sure you have plenty of time to thoroughly research the issues and complete your analysis and conclusions in time to the meet the court’s deadline.
Court calendars are subject to change at any moment, and they expect you to be there when called. You must be ready to answer hundreds of questions about a report you wrote and submitted to the court months earlier. So, why would any sane person would put himself in this position? Very simply, you must have a great appreciation for our court system and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done.
The Personal Side of Client Relationships: Don't Forget Face-to-Face Communication
Submitted by HD Maynard
A few years ago one of the U.S. airlines ran a commercial that showed a company CEO passing out airline tickets to several members of his management team explaining that the firm’s oldest customer had just “fired” them. The reasons given included failure to follow up on problems, using phone, fax and e-mail rather than face-to-face, personal contact. As a result, the CEO was sending his team to personally call on major customers. Noticing that the CEO was tucking a plane ticket into his own pocket, one member of the team asked, “Where are you going, Jim?” “To see our oldest customer” was the reply.
Although I confess to have forgotten the name of the airline, the message was remembered and powerful: nothing, not even the expediency of technology, replaces the human touch with customers and clients. And that touch must include members of the C-suite especially. In the course of working with clients, I’m struck by how many characterize customer contact as “important, but infrequent.” It reminds me of the old saying, “if you’re not talking to your sweetheart, someone else is.”
Unless you’re printing money in the basement, everything your organization has is the result of customers paying for your products and services. I have yet to see an invoice paid by a strategic plan, a “cross-functional team” or executive retreats, though it’s possible more time is spent on these and similar endeavors than seeing customers. In far too many instances, personal contact is used only to raise prices or ask for more business. Although the latter isn’t a bad idea, it might more likely occur as a natural consequence of regular service-oriented contacts where problems can be discussed and solved. It’s a bit like the Mark Twain quote, “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
Letter from the Chair: Can a Consultant Be "Too" Prepared? Former basketball coach John Wooden said, "When opportunity comes, it is too late to prepare." Similarly, when you find yourself in the middle of an ethical dilemma in a client setting, it is too late to "read up" on business ethics. You'll have to make a snap decision to advise either your own or your client's actions. Are you really as ready as you need to be? Successful consultants spend considerable time and money on professional development. We know that our value to clients is based on the intangible assets of strong knowledge of current management science, technological acumen, and a finely honed ability to market and deliver professional services. All of this, however, can be rendered of no value if we do not attend to the ethical element.
This month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case (Stoneridge Investment Partners, LLC v. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.), addressing under what circumstances private investors can sue "actors" (including accountants, lawyers, financial advisors or consultants) that allegedly participate in a scheme to violate securities laws.
While this case addresses public securities and is less likely to pertain to most IMC USA members, once again it is a very real warning that the actions of consultants do affect business outcomes. Our Code of Ethics clearly specifies our responsibilities to assure that both our own actions as well as those of our clients are consistent with professionalism and ethical business practices. But knowing the Code by itself is not enough. Have you studies the Code of Ethics Interpretive? Would you make the same decisions the Interpretive recommends? What would a client think of your professionalism if you took another path?
IMC USA is developing several ethics learning resources and will make ethics a significant part of our new Academy of Professional Development resource library. While some tend to think that ethics doesn't relate to business, consider the increasing number of clients who look for consultants with some credibility and track record for honest conduct. Cases like Stoneridge suggest that clients want to know that a consultant acts ethically and weighs in on the client's own ethical business practices.
Developing a solid and responsive ethics sensibility doesn't come from just reading an ethics case now and then. It comes from making ethics an active part of your year's professional development plan (you do have one, don't you?). Talk with colleagues about ethical situations in which you have found yourself recently. You might be surprised at how frequently they arise and how poorly we are prepared to deal with them. Spend the time to read – and debate – ethical situations and resolutions with your colleagues and clients, so you are ready to deliver unique value and counsel.
Sincerely,
Mark R. Haas CMC
IMC USA continues to develop relations with organizations that benefit members. We are pleased to have brought benefits from Blue Chip Expert, The Business Source, Citrix, View Assessments, Vistage, HBSP, AMA, GroupMind Express, ASBC, One Page Business Plan, RainToday, and ExpertClick. We have a few more in process to round out our offerings to help members Get Smart, Get Known and Get Business.
This month’s features…
Get Smart – We can read a book. We can listen to a Webinar. We can read articles. But none of these are as effective as a vigorous discussion with your professional peers about management practices, business conditions, market trends or new approaches to consulting. Conferences are successful, and successful professionals attend conferences, to make them smarter, thus increasing their value to clients, and allowing them to raise their fees. Confab (http://www.imcusa.org/www.confabusa.org being held October 27-30 in Reno) is in its 30th year. Those who attend do so because the skills learned and contacts made far more than make up for the presumed unbillable time (although regular attendees have learned how to work – and bill – even at a conference).
Get Known – Offer to lead or participate in an Oak Tree Project with your chapter. Oak Tree projects match professional consultants with deserving community nonprofits to provide short term volunteer expertise in strategy, marketing, HR, communication, stakeholder relations, or other services as needed. Become known as one who gives back to his or her community and showcase your skills to colleagues. IMC USA has created the Oak Tree Fund to reimburse members for expenses related to their pro bono service on Oak Tree or other service projects and for IMC USA to support our communities through nominal cash donations to selected nonprofits.
Get Business – Every Friday, IMC USA e-mails its members Flash Opportunities. These are timely requests for consulting services or invitations to team on member projects. These are open to all members and are commission free (except for a voluntary contribution to the Oak Tree Fund). Members who have landed engagement from Flash Opportunities are our most enthusiastic supporters. Paul Halas CMC (Carolinas Chapter) says, "As a result of my prompt response both to the CMC who issued the "Flash," and then the business owner, I analyzed the project, issued a proposal and was awarded the project. The owner was a pleasure to work with, the project went like clockwork and my invoices were paid promptly. The IMC Flash Opportunity concept works…I'm living proof!" Once the New IMC USA Web site is operational, we will integrate this with the Find a Consultant directory and can then vigorously promote IMC USA as the preferred source for clients seeking management consultants.
Ted Carlson CMC, CEBS, FIMC, President/Managing Principal of Carlson's Consulting, has been invited to speak at the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists Symposium being held in Seattle, Washington. His topic is Understanding, Reducing and Eliminating Health Care Cost Drivers in Employee Benefit Plans. Mark R. Haas CMC, IMC USA Board Chair, was selected for Who's Who in America ® 2008. Ken Lizotte’s book, The Expert’s Edge: Become the Go-To Authority People Turn to Every Time, has been approved for publication by McGraw Hill in January 2008. Bette Price CMC, President and CEO of The Price Group, was quoted in Inc.com (August) on hiring flaws as well as being quoted in Dive Center Business magazine on how small businesses can interview and hire better. She was also interviewed by an editor of the National Association for the Self-Employed for content to be used in the association's October article and online Webinar on employee handbooks. Mike Roman, CPIM, a board member of the Atlanta Chapter of the IMC, was appointed to the APICS—The Association for Operations Management Basics of Supply Chain Management Certification and Curriculum Committee. Preston Smith CMC has published a new book, Flexible Product Development: Building Agility for Changing Markets, a hands-on guide for new product developers who realize that making changes during development is the essence of innovation.
Vickie Sullivan, President of Sullivan Speaker Services, Inc., is slated to speak at the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government this fall as part of an educational series sponsored by the Women and Public Policy Program. IMC USA is looking for submissions for upcoming issues: Members on the Move. Do you have news? Received an award? Doing research? Spoke at a meeting? Used an interesting product? Let your colleagues know! Submit an update to connector@imcusa.org. Please limit your text to four to five sentences and include relevant links.
Chapter Presidents' Council Awards Grants to Two Chapters in 2007
Submitted by Loraine Huchler, P.E., CMC, CPC Chair
The Chapter Presidents' Council (CPC) awarded grants to two chapters in 2007 to grow membership: Georgia and New Mexico (new chapter).
The Georgia chapter received $5,000 in the first quarter of 2007 and is on track to increase their membership by 20 percent. The chapter has increased their membership value through improved Web presence, new outreach to prospects, better programming and a stronger executive board.
New Mexico received $3,000 in the third quarter of 2007 to support a membership growth event scheduled for October 2007, modeled after a successful Dallas pilot event that generated 10 new members. I encourage chapter presidents or their designated chapter board member to participate in our monthly CPC teleconference call held on the first Monday each month at 1:00 p.m. PT/4:00 p.m. ET). The CPC meets face-to-face at Confab (Sunday, October 28, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.) and at Consulting World. We have also conducted leadership conferences and provide opportunities for chapter presidents or their designated chapter board member to interact with the members of IMC USA's Board of Directors.
CPC Objectives
Saturday, October 27 – Tuesday, October 30
Monday, November 26 – Friday, November 30
Recent changes in your job title, company, or e-mail address? Be sure to visit http://www.imcusa.org/ to update or modify your personal member profile.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS ABOUT YOUR MEMBERSHIP? E-mail us at: membership@imcusa.org or call (800) 221-2557.
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