What Consultants Want?…
How to be a better Consultant in 2009-10… tell us what you want!
what you want, when you want it, and how you want it delivered
Welcome to the next annual 2009-10 aCE talentNET Global Consultant Study; inviting all consultants to share what you want, when you want it and how you want it delivered; to increase the value of our collective relationship.
This is about understanding how a Corporate Talent Agent such as aCE talentNET can better serve you and your business. Now is your chance to tell us exactly what you want from us, and how we can improve. And to give us feedback on the Talent Tuesday initiatives to date…
It is ultimately about increasing your bottomline, and how we can assist you in doing that.
Ready? lets go… click here
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=PMgyU_2fYDKnmhZ0K4amFiKg_3d_3d
Breaking Organizational Codependence…
Breaking Organizational Codependence: Downsizing’s Liberating Wake-Up Call by David Noer for ChangeThis.com
“I’m told there is an ancient Chinese curse that translates into, “May you live an interesting life!” That is certainly true as we experience today’s global pandemic of downsizing. Layoff victims and survivors alike react to this new reality with a toxic stew debilitating emotions such as anger, fear, anxiety, and depression–what I call layoff survivor sickness.
We can change that; we can reframe the death toll of the old paradigm into a wake-up call that will help us create an exciting world of work that is more autonomous, personally relevant, and more in congruence with our unique gifts.
Read on…
Whilst I’m not convinced there is a pandemic happening, I do agree that being made to change can indeed be the best thing that happens to you, whether you believe it at the time or not…
feel the fear and do it anyway!
What aCE talentNET will be offering to help 2009 kind to you… YOUR AdvantEdge
…as featured in this months AdvantEdge.
What we do…
For those of you who wish to find more work, we actively continue to source projects in a shrinking market.
For those of you looking to build a business, then we are prepared to teach you everything we know, and more …yes, that’s right!
What we are in the process of doing…
We have been in discussions with a technology driven DIY version of a Corporate Talent Agent, with the view to being able to offer ALL consultants and consultancies both a DIY service and a full service (like aCE talentNET). We will be rolling out full details as they come to hand, just as soon as all is finalised.
Think of this great initiative as another “feather in your marketing bow”!
We are also revisiting our affiliate program, smartening it up and rolling it out again, in its newly improved format.
Think of this great offering as another “string” to your passive income generating bow!
As as mentioned previously, we are also looking at setting up a forum for consultants to avail as they choose to. We will also investigate how we can open up keynote speaking opportunities, as this is what you’ve asked for. But it will take a little longer.
We will however be able to be really clever and tie it in with the coaching and mentoring. Quarterly get-togethers will also offered, together with access to a list of preferred Insurance suppliers, and the ability to download the latest in book summaries and audio offerings.
We will be setting up an internet based coaching and mentoring program that will be specifically about developing you as a savvy and sought-after consultant. In time, assuming we’ve done that development properly, then it will manifest itself in (provided you have put all that you will understand into practice) you having more of your own work than you’ll possibly be able to manage (won’t that feel good!), and that you in turn will be coming to us for assistance with resourcing consultants to help you deliver.
All of this amazing development will of course come at a price, which we endeavour to keep as fair and reasonable as possible. Details to follow.
As for the aCE talentNET website, the new version is already up and running, with further enhancements to be added on route. There is a dedicated consultant section, which will undergo significant improvement as more features are developed and are ready to incorporate over the coming months.
We will keep you informed of all initiatives as we go, via announcements in the Professional Edge and the AdvantEdge. Not part of our talent NETwork?
go to the website and join up www.acetalentnet.com.au
What else you can be doing…
Learn the Secrets of Emotional Resilience
Our FR*EE Gift Offer – Two Tickets Worth $1,790!
happy consulting!
Denise Hall
Executive Director – Business
www.acetalentnet.com.au
aCE talentNET AdvantEdge – gain YOUR own…to do to make yourself more marketable
What we know is that if you want to get more work, all you have to do is ask your clients what they want… and they’ll tell you accurately because THEY ARE the EXPERTS. Another way we put this, is “you are NOT your client”. So frankly, what YOU think, doesn’t count.
Bowing to our own learning, and as you will have seen at the end of 2008, we recently surveyed the NETwork.
Here’s a little of what you told us you wanted from aCE talentNET (full report due soon)…82.1% said you want to develop a clearer Marketing
and Growth strategy
60.8% said you want to flatten peaks and troughs of workflow
61.9% said you want find client projects
51.6% said you want to build a business
48.4% said you want get more work
55.8% said you want to increase referrals by spending
more time with clients
73.7% said you want live the consultant life you envisaged & have more controlGiven that our commitment to you is to deliver on your wants, needs, desires and frustrations, we’ve got some pretty special things planned… commencing March, with our first Talent Tuesday of the year – “Selling YOUR Consulting” Masterclass with Elliot Epstein, commonly known for ‘getting people to the next level’… fast. Read on for more details…
Talent Tuesday
Is 2009 going to be kind to you?
MUCH MORE TO COME IN THE MONTHS TO FOLLOW…
if you had a magic wand, WHAT DO YOU WANT as a consultant?
How can you:
* Bring you more freedom and fulfilment in your consulting life?
* Create new revenue streams and increase your income?
Initially, by being part of the aCE talentNET Global Consultant Study…
For this inaugural annual study, we are inviting all consultants to share how aCE talentNET can continually work on new products and services to help you and your consultancy, that will not only:
* Bring you more freedom and fulfilment in your consulting life
* Create new revenue streams and increase your income
and also:
* Make you a recognized expert (or even celebrity) in your field
* Make growth, marketing and lead generation easy (and even fun)
* Build a large community of loyal fans around your brand
aCE talentNET plan to launch a number of new products and services throughout 2009.
BUT FIRST, we need your input. This will help us continue to develop products and services that will best serve your needs.
There are two reasons why you should take this survey.
1) To have your voice heard and ensure you get what you want from aCE talentNET
2) To save yourself the time and energy of having to do much of what you currently do solo.
We greatly appreciate your feedback. It will directly impact the creation of valuable new products/services for you. It is after all ultimately about increasing your bottomline, and how we can assist you in doing that.
It will take 10-15 minutes max. to complete.
The study will be available for completion until 30 November 2008.
If you, and/or colleagues, are not yet part of the aCE talentNET community, we invite you to do so by registering as a consultant via the web site.
Regards
Denise Hall
aCE talent NET | Executive Director – Business BT&D MIMC
& the entrepreneurial mother
www.acetalentnet.com
Intergenerational expectations… interesting times ahead
AS the Australian economy tilts towards recession next year, it may be instructive for generation Y to see how they are viewed.
Over the last month, Bernard Salt has run two workshops designed to elicit intergenerational views in the workplace. In both instances, he asked participants more or less the same question: describe the attributes of the perfect employee or manager.
The question as to the perfect employee was put to a group of 40 generation X middle-level managers mostly aged 30-45.
He wanted to create a truly mythical beast: the perfect Gen Y employee. What would such a person look like? How would they behave?
The suggestions came thick and fast… read on
This is well worth a read, and one which surprised me a little.
Although when you think about it, this generation are not going anything that previous ones have not either; mainly around maturity and really appreciating and understanding how humans operate work places, and how you work your role within such places…
So… you want to be a better Consultant?
How can you:
* Bring you more freedom and fulfilment in your consulting life?
* Create new revenue streams and increase your income?
Initially, by being part of the aCE talentNET Global Consultant Study…
For this inaugural annual study, we are inviting all consultants to share how aCE talentNET can continually work on new products and services to help you and your consultancy, that will not only:
* Bring you more freedom and fulfilment in your consulting life
* Create new revenue streams and increase your income
and also:
* Make you a recognized expert (or even celebrity) in your field
* Make growth, marketing and lead generation easy (and even fun)
* Build a large community of loyal fans around your brand
aCE talentNET plan to launch a number of new products and services throughout 2009.
BUT FIRST, we need your input. This will help us continue to develop products and services that will best serve your needs.
There are two reasons why you should take this survey.
1) To have your voice heard and ensure you get what you want from aCE talentNET
2) To save yourself the time and energy of having to do much of what you currently do solo.
We greatly appreciate your feedback. It will directly impact the creation of valuable new products/services for you. It is after all ultimately about increasing your bottomline, and how we can assist you in doing that.
It will take 15 minutes max. to complete.
The study will be available for completion until 30 November 2008.
If you, and/or colleagues, are not yet part of the aCE talentNET community, we invite you to do so by registering as a consultant via the web site.
Regards
Denise Hall
aCE talent NET | Executive Director – Business BT&D MIMC
& the entrepreneurial mother
www.acetalentnet.com
The aCE talentNET Professional Edge ezine October 08
“If you are anything like me you’ve been paying close attention to the global financial crisis but still adopting a relaxed attitude that “it couldn’t get that bad in Australia”. Well no longer… as I continue to read articles and watch news stories I have woken up to the fact that we need to adopt an extremely conservative approach to business and managing our finances in what could be troubled times ahead. This is true for both large and small businesses alike.
Contract World has recently posted an extremely sobering review of the facts leading up to the global financial crisis and goes on to explain the impact for large and small businesses, including the potential failure of large US icons like Ford and General Motors. Whilst the Australian economy is supported by a strong export market to China, we rely more heavily on Japanese exports, one market predicted to be hit hard by the global credit crisis. When (if?) this occurs together with an inability of large infrastructure projects to secure finance, rising unemployment, falling property markets and the highest personal debt levels in history the prospect of Australia avoiding a slide in to recession seems unavoidable. Consequently we all need to be vigilant in how we manage our businesses (and household finances). For some very useful tips I strongly recommend that you read the article on Contract World. In short… prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised if it doesn’t get as bad as predicted.
On a more positive note, aCE talentNET is pleased to report that at this stage we have seen no such contraction in projects and opportunities for our Talent Network. We will continue to work closely with our clients to ensure that they have the resources they need (at cost effective market rates!) to deliver the projects committed to in current and future budgets.
So what does this mean for the consulting market? Who knows what the future holds… I’m not really brave enough to make a prediction at this stage. I guess there are two immediate thoughts:
1. that the project/contracting market will downsize as larger organisations adopt conservative attitudes to project initiatives and, as mentioned above, large syndicated finance becomes harder to access thus putting on hold many planned initiatives; versus
2. larger organisations may turn to contract resources to deliver on project initiatives (whilst putting downward pressure on market rates) and avoid replacing and/or taking on new hires in a recession environment. Perhaps it will be a mix of both? Time will tell.We would also like to say a big THANK YOU to all the Consultants that have taken the time to complete our Inaugural Consultant Survey… the response rate has been extremely pleasing. For those of you yet to complete the Survey we strongly encourage you to do so, as this is your opportunity to tell us how aCE talentNET can support you and your business. The Survey will take no longer than 15mins and completion before 30 November 2008 enters you into a draw to win a Nano iPod – how can you refuse??!! Complete Survey.
Until next month…
Deirdre Gruiters
Corporate Talent Agent
www.acetalentnet.com
aCE talentNET redesign #5
I’ve been wanting to update you on this for some time… but you know what? I’ve nothing to update you about because Design VIC have not got back to me since the post entry (10/7/08), and nor are they acknowledging receipt of follow-up emails either…
how very disappointing I must say.
The potential for this exercise to be beneficial all round is enormous, but, given the nature of the beast, I cannot do it on my own. Maybe I’m pushing the envelope by asking for stuff that they are not actually ready to deliver, maybe they can’t access a designer who is capable in this type of Service Design yet and maybe they are therefore at a loss as to what to do… but it would be good if they shared the maybe’s!
My aCE colleague Deirdre Gruiters pointed out to me the other day that “I am ahead of my time” and to be honest, that is an accusation I have quite often had levelled at me over the years. And you know what, I think it’s right!!
So… this little journey will not be continuing for the time being, unless I hear back from Design VIC and we get back on track…
how very disappointing…
aCE talentNET redesign #4
I have been given a great article by the chap running Business Immersions – Gary Haywood. Titled “Service Design” by Bill Hollis, it is part of the Design Council UK’s suite of design offerings.
The article is the first I have seen that seriously starts to look at the marriage of the black art of design and the service industry. Not in terms of what the coating might look like, but more actively at being involved in the design of the business offering. Very exciting stuff indeed…
thanks Gary
