Download or read book Managing The Professional Service Firm written by David H. Maister and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 479 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional service firms differ from other business enterprises in two distinct ways: first they provide highly customised services thus cannot apply many of the management principles developed for product-based industries. Second, professional services are highly personalised, involving the skills of individuals. Such firms must therefore compete not only for clients but also for talented professionals. Drawing on more than ten years of research and consulting to these unique and creative companies, David Maister explores issues ranging from marketing and business development to multinational strategies, human resources policies to profit improvement, strategic planning to effective leadership. While these issues can be complex, Maister simplifies them by recognising that 'every professional service firm in the world, regardless of size, specific profession, or country of operation, has the same mission statement: outstanding service to clients, satisfying careers for its people and financial success for its owners.'

Download or read book Marketing the Professional Services Firm written by Laurie Young and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-03-11 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professional services are estimated to be worth up to $700 billion worldwide, but as the market matures there is an urgent need for new marketing thinking for global players or small businesses alike. This book applies the core principles of strategic marketing to professional services for the first time, in an approach that is at once accessible and compelling. With case studies from a range of companies including J. Walter Thompson, market research companies, the ?big four? accounting firms, Headhunters, Interbrand and large US legal firms, it is intended to become the definitive book for effective strategic marketing in professional services.

Download or read book The Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms written by Laura Empson and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2015-08-13 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past three decades the Professional Service Firm (PSF) sector has emerged as one of the most rapidly growing, profitable, and significant in the global economy. In 2013 the accountancy, management consulting, legal, and architectural sectors alone generated revenues of US$ 1.6 trillion and employed 14 million people. PSFs play an important role in developing human capital, creating innovative business services, reshaping government institutions, establishing and interpreting the rules of financial markets, and setting legal, accounting and other professional standards. The study of PSFs can offer insights into the contemporary challenges facing organizations within the knowledge economy, and deepen understanding of more conventional organizations. Despite their significance, however, PSFs have until recently remained very much in the shadows of organizational and management research. The Oxford Handbook of Professional Service Firms marks the coming of age of PSF scholarship with a comprehensive and integrative exploration of current research and thinking on PSFs, featuring contributions from internationally renowned scholars in the fields of organizational and management studies. It is divided into three distinct sections - the professions, the firms, and the professionals that work within them - and covers subjects from governance and leadership to regulation, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Bringing together a broad range of empirical and theoretical perspectives, the Handbook offers many potentially important insights into the contemporary challenges of organizations in the knowledge economy and suggests new lines of inquiry that may shed further light on the activities and performance of PSFs and the professionals who work within them.

Download or read book Professions and Professional Service Firms written by Mike Saks and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-05 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Professions are increasingly linked with enterprise at a number of interrelated levels. By considering the relationship of professions to the enterprise contexts in which they work, this book reveals the dilemmas posed to professional groups, and the opportunities and constraints that can arise in their organisational frameworks. Addressing both private and public sectors, this collection explores questions including: what are the implications for the culture, practices and identities of professions of working in enterprise contexts, including with increased globalisation? Are professions becoming more entrepreneurial in a knowledge economy? What are the tensions between professionalism and enterprise and how are these resolved? These are themes that are extremely important to professionals and their managers, especially with the rise of large-scale professional service firms serving corporate clients with truly global reach. This cutting-edge collection will be of interest to researchers, educators and advanced students studying professional behaviour in fields such as business studies, management, organisational analysis, public administration, political science, social policy and sociology, as well as students on focused programmes of professional study in fields such as health, law and social care.

Download or read book Research in the Sociology of Organizations Professional service firms written by Michael Lounsbury and published by . This book was released on 1988 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Professional Networks in Transnational Governance written by Leonard Seabrooke and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-10-12 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who controls how transnational issues are defined and treated? In recent decades professional coordination on a range of issues has been elevated to the transnational level. International organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and firms all make efforts to control these issues. This volume shifts focus away from looking at organizations and zooms in on how professional networks exert control in transnational governance. It contributes to research on professions and expertise, policy entrepreneurship, normative emergence, and change. The book provides a framework for understanding how professionals and organizations interact, and uses it to investigate a range of transnational cases. The volume also deploys a strong emphasis on methodological strategies to reveal who controls transnational issues, including network, sequence, field, and ethnographic approaches. Bringing together scholars from economic sociology, international relations, and organization studies, the book integrates insights from across fields to reveal how professionals obtain and manage control over transnational issues.

Download or read book Professional Services Marketing written by Mike Schultz and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-06-04 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A proven approach to revenue-generating marketing and client development Professional Services Marketing is a fully field-tested and research-based approach to marketing and client development for professional services firms. The book, now in its Second Edition, covers five key areas that are critical for firms that want to grow and become more profitable: creating a marketing and growth strategy; establishing a brand and reputation; implementing a marketing communications program; executing lead generation strategies; and developing business by winning new clients. You will also read real-world case studies that illustrate major points, as well as quotes and stories from well-respected professionals in the industry. The Second Edition features new research and updates throughout, including new chapters on social media and online marketing, as well as new case studies and interviews Authors Mike Schultz and John E. Doerr are the coauthors of the Wall Street Journal and Inc. Magazine bestseller Rainmaking Conversations and Professional Services Marketing; Lee W. Frederiksen is coauthor of Online Marketing for Professional Services Will be widely promoted via multiple online routes and direct mail marketing Firms of any size can use this proven approach to marketing and client development to attract new clients and grow their professional service businesses.

Download or read book Strategic Management of Professional Service Firms written by Bente Løwendahl and published by . This book was released on 2000-01 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic Management of Professional Service Firms written by Stephan Kaiser and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-11-19 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Managing strategies for professional service firms is an important and complex activity. The main issues in this book cover the core management principles for service firms in a comprehensive way. Based on current research findings it includes the management of service quality, knowledge and marketing as well as people, organizational and strategic issues. In understanding critical resources managers and partners will be able to effectively develop and exploit them. The book contains practical advice and offers a profound insight into the managerial excellence of service companies.

Download or read book Positioning for Professionals written by Tim Williams and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It's not the best companies that prevail in the marketplace, but rather the best brands. The goal of business strategy is not just to be better, but different. Learn how to build a differentiating value proposition by clearly and carefully defining your brand boundaries: Calling, Competencies, Customers, and Culture. Positioning for Professionals shows how a well-defined value proposition can help professional service firms create their own success instead of copying the success of others, including such concepts as: How and why professional service brands become homogenized. Why standing for everything is the same as standing for nothing. Why there's no such thing as full service. Deep and narrow as a strategic imperative. Why it's better to be a profit leader than a market leader. Differentiation and price premiums. How to map your brand on the matrix of relevance and differentiation. How to define a value proposition that will make your firm intensely appealing to the customers who want you for what you do best. Based on the proven premise that the most profitable business strategy is not to aim at the center of the market, but rather at the edges, Positioning for Professionals is written for leaders, managers, and other senior executives of service companies in with a particular emphasis on professional service firms."--

Download or read book Leading Professionals written by Laura Empson and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals the power dynamics and interpersonal politics that lie at the heart of professional organizations. Drawing on the latest academic theory, and based on interviews with over 500 senior professionals, it analyses how professionals come together to create 'leadership'. It explains how change happens and why leaders so often fail.

Download or read book True Professionalism written by David H. Maister and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are some technically competent professionals who work hard and long hours 'true professionals' or are they just cruisers? In this deeply illuminating call to arms, David Maister, the world's premier consultant to professional service firms, vigorously challenges individuals to examine closely the meaning of their work and reach beyond their grasp. The pursuit of the highest standards, Maister argues, is the primary road to commercial success. He presents a visionary reconception of professionalism that encompasses a lifelong dedication to self-improvement, a personal commitment to excellence, and a true spirit of service to clients. Looking first at the individual professional, Maister dares those good corporate citizens who 'do their duty' to discover what they truly love to do. Turning to the institution, Maister focuses on what he calls the 'instability' of professional service firms today, and offers advice on how to invest in skill building. David Maister's message is a recipe for success and for professional satisfaction making TRUE PROFESSIONALISM a worthy successor to his previous writings.

Download or read book Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their Firms written by Michelle Golden and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-11-17 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Expert advice on growing your professional service firm or individual practice through social media Showing professionals and their marketers how to accomplish familiar marketing tactics in newer, ways, Social Media for Professionals and Their Firms takes you step by step in putting social media to work for your professional practice. Whether you want to build your own on-line reputation, or are ready to explore new media for corporate marketing and communications, this book is the definitive guide for your strategic approach. Explores why the fastest and most leveragable way to expand relationships today is through the Internet Provides step-by-step approaches to successful professional blogging Discusses high-level strategies for effectively using Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and bookmarking sites Includes pitfalls and success stories featuring notable social media trailblazers Timely and practical, this book shows you why new media is rapidly becoming the core way for professionals to reach their audiences. Whether your firm provides legal, accounting, financial planning, architecture, consultancy, or other services, Social Media Strategies for Professionals and Their Firms will show you ways to better reach and communicate with your customers.

Download or read book Client at the Core written by August J. Aquila and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2004-07-29 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Clients At The Core is an essential blueprint to helping usall take the next steps. The authors, battle scarred by theevolution of professional firm management and marketing from thento now, have captured the changing needs of the firms in thisturbulent new economic era. This is a well-written book that usesplain language to convey practical, well thought-out ideas." -Patrick J. McKenna, a leading international consultant toprofessional service firms "The authors have captured the changing role of professionalservices marketing and firm management. There is valuable insight[in this] down-to-earth guide to competing successfully in the newenvironment." -David Maister, author and consultant "The book is a masterpiece! Aquila and Marcus have produced theessential guide for managing a professional services firm. They'vemarshaled their considerable real-life experiences and far-reachingvision into a veritable operating manual for the successfulfirm." -Rick Telberg, Editor at Large, American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants "At its heart, this book is the running shoe for legal andaccounting professionals who want to put the client first.Following the evolution of the industry over the past twenty-fiveyears, this must-have for every professional services firm is thekey to leading in the turbulent and highly competitive watersahead." -Richard S. Levick, Esq., President, Levick StrategicCommunications, LLC coauthor, Stop the Presses: The Litigation PRDesk Reference "Client selection and retention is one of the critical successfactors for a professional services firm, and Aquila and Marcus doa masterful job at educating us on the necessary ingredients ofeach. The chapters on firm governance and paying for performanceare thought provoking and certainly challenging to the conventionalwisdom. If you want a better understanding of marketing and leadinga professional firm in these turbulent times, this book isessential." -Ronald J. Baker, author, Professional's Guide to ValuePricing and The Firm of the Future "Client at the Core is a commonsense approach to keeping yourprofessional services firm relevant in the twenty-first century'sclient-driven economy. Aquila and Marcus have hit a home run withtheir insightful analysis and poignant prose." -Jeffrey S. Pawlow, Managing Shareholder, The GrowthPartnership, Inc.

Download or read book Key Skills for Professionals written by Alan Pannett and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2013-05-03 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Key Skills for Professionals will help you understand and develop the skills you need to be truly professional in a fiercely competitive environment. The areas covered in this book are useful not only to those qualifying for a profession but also for those people who are already working in a professional services business. Practising and demonstrating these skills effectively will help you in your day-to-day work, and could enhance your career progression. Based on their knowledge, experience and expertise, the authors first explain the theory and applicability of each skill area and then provide practical and realistic advice as to how to apply those skills in the working environment on a daily basis. Each chapter explains appropriate management tools and theories in plain language using practical exercises, realistic and relevant case studies and tools for analysing self-awareness, communication styles, financial and commercial awareness and effective writing. The book also contains useful summaries and ideas for further reading.

Download or read book Smart Collaboration written by Heidi K. Gardner and published by Harvard Business Review Press. This book was released on 2016-12-13 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Washington Post Bestseller Not all collaboration is smart. Make sure you do it right. Professional service firms face a serious challenge. Their clients increasingly need them to solve complex problems—everything from regulatory compliance to cybersecurity, the kinds of problems that only teams of multidisciplinary experts can tackle. Yet most firms have carved up their highly specialized, professional experts into narrowly defined practice areas, and collaborating across these silos is often messy, risky, and expensive. Unless you know why you’re collaborating and how to do it effectively, it may not be smart at all. That’s especially true for partners who have built their reputations and client rosters independently, not by working with peers. In Smart Collaboration, Heidi K. Gardner shows that firms earn higher margins, inspire greater client loyalty, attract and retain the best talent, and gain a competitive edge when specialists collaborate across functional boundaries. Gardner, a former McKinsey consultant and Harvard Business School professor now lecturing at Harvard Law School, has spent over a decade conducting in-depth studies of numerous global professional service firms. Her research with clients and the empirical results of her studies demonstrate clearly and convincingly that collaboration pays, for both professionals and their firms. But Gardner also offers powerful prescriptions for how leaders can foster collaboration, move to higher-margin work, increase client satisfaction, improve lateral hiring, decrease enterprise risk, engage workers to contribute their utmost, break down silos, and boost their bottom line. With case studies and real-world insights, Smart Collaboration delivers an authoritative case for the value of collaboration to today’s professionals, their firms, and their clients and shows you exactly how to achieve it.

Download or read book When Professionals Have to Lead written by Thomas J. DeLong and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2007-11-12 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For too long, professional services firms have relied on the “producer-manager” model, which works well in uncomplicated business environments. However, today’s managing directors must balance often conflicting roles, more demanding clients, tougher competitors, and associates with higher expectations of partners at all levels. When Professionals Have to Lead presents an overarching framework better suited to such complexity. It identifies the four critical activities for effective PSF leadership: setting strategic direction, securing commitment to this direction, facilitating execution, and setting a personal example. Through examples from consulting practices, accounting firms, investment banks, and other professional service organizations, industry veterans DeLong, Gabarro, and Lees show how this model works to: • Align your firm’s culture and key organizational components. • Satisfy your clients’ needs without sacrificing essential managerial responsibilities. • Address matters of size, scale, and complexity while maintaining the qualities that make professional services firms unique. A valuable new resource, this book redefines the role of leadership in professional services firms.