INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS
New England Chapter

News and Views

In this issue:

Upcoming Events

"But I Don't Talk Techie!"
by BonnieJean Butler, PhD

Breakfast Brainstorms Calendar

Members in the Spotlight

Special Offer for Members and Affiliates

This issue
sponsored by

e-Technologies Solutions

"Task Centric Collaboration Solutions to Ensure Engagement Success"

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Formatting & layout services sponsored by

emerson consulting
group inc.
"We turn consultants into thought leaders!"

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Upcoming Events

Saturday, March 22, 2003
3rd Annual Consultants Conference
Courage and Energy: New Ways to Succeed in Hard Times
8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Radisson Hotel, Marlborough, MA

Co-sponsored by Accelerated Solutions Environment (ASE), a division of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, The Devine Group and Staples.

The agenda includes:

TWO keynote speakers — Bill Jensen, author of the best-selling books Simplicity and Work 2.0, and Heather Shea-Schultz, consultant, author and past president of the Tom Peters Group

SIX roundtables (Achieving Celebrity Status, Developing and Retaining Clients, Government Contracting, Becoming a Thought Leader, Leveraging the Accelerated Solutions Environment, Facilitating for Creativity)

A special fun lunch session with a troupe member of Boston’s Improv Asylum theater group

A pre-conference breakfast with networking and info tables for both new and longtime consultants, with IMC members leading the discussions

The whole day is focused on how you can improve your consulting practice and accelerate toward success in 2003. Register now for the low early bird registration pricing $89 for members and affiliates, $109 for all others. To learn more about this sensational day and how you can be a part of it, go to our website and register today!

But I Don't Talk Techie!

By BonnieJean Butler, PhD

Are you tired of the techie people talking circles around you? A growing number of business executives make technical decisions with a major impact on the company’s competitive advantage. Requiring a rapid return on investment, these decisions often include high-cost solutions.

Hiring technical expertise or communicating technical project needs is daunting to many business executives. Picture this. A busy executive tells a technical expert what to build and that it is expected yesterday. The techie looks confused, shakes his or her head and walks away, or asks detailed questions the business executive hasn’t thought through. Sound familiar?

Technical projects can provide exceptional results when implemented with expertise. Here are three effective ways business executives can achieve technical high performance:

1. Plan, Plan, Plan for what you need, what you want to accomplish, and how it will affect other parts of the business. Remember the phrase measure twice, cut once? It's just as relevant in the business world as in construction. Document the plan in detail. A well-documented plan increases project efficiency and will reduce the time required for completion.

2. Communicate the result you want. Technical experts are skilled at creating the best solution to reach a required end result when they are empowered to achieve it. Don’t tell them how to achieve the solution - that’s their job. Communicate what you want to accomplish.

3. Consider expandability. Is there a chance this project will become bigger and more inclusive down the road? If so, be sure to communicate that to the technical team. It will have a significant impact on the project design.

Managing a high performance technical project is collaboration between business and technical professionals. Strive to deliver superior value to the customer, attractive returns for the company’s owner, personal growth opportunities and attractive earnings for employees. Enjoy the process and celebrate its success.

Dr. BonnieJean Butler, Founder and President of Butler Global Consulting, maximizes performance with technology. Focused on results, she integrates her world-class executive management and technical expertise to improve business performances by transforming organizations and processes. For questions or comments relating to the article or accelerated solutions, please email the author at bonniejean@butlerglobal.com or visit the company Web site at www.butlerglobal.com

Breakfast Brainstorms Calendar
Free to IMCNE members and affiliates, $10 for nonmembers

Friday, April 4, 2003
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Serving the Owner-Managed Business
Hampton Inn, Sturbridge, MA

Monday, April 7, 2003
7:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Network and Referral Building
Bickford's Restaurant, Manchester, NH

Monday, April 14, 2003
7:45 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
Rebecca's Café, Burlington, MA

Want to host a Breakfast Brainstorm in your area? Contact Ken Lizotte for details.

Members In the Spotlight

In February, Fifi Ball and Sally Brickell (Squared Away) were featured on "Around Town," a Waltham cable television program, discussing ways to organize one's office and handle paperwork. Their suggestions on creating scrapbooks appeared in the January issue of Today's Parent.

Bill Katz, CMC (Katz & Associates, Inc.) was quoted in Strategies for Health Care Compliance, January 2003, in an article entitled "23 New Year's compliance resolutions" for Compliance Officers. Bill's resolution was, "I will make sure my employment contract has a favorable severance clause." "When you find a compliance problem (or an ethical one) that could implicate a powerful individual in your organization, you want to be able to report it without fear of financial loss to you or your family."

Isn't it your turn to be in the spotlight? Send your name, your business name and 1) recent awards/distinctions/professional certifications you've received; 2) public speaking engagements; and 3) published articles. (Be sure to include key facts, such as when, where and for whom.) You must be a IMC member or affiliate to be featured. Send ; indicate Subject: IMCNE spotlight

Special Offer for Members and Affiliates

Did you know you could buy great products AND support IMCNE? Check out the IMCNE ClickMall where you can buy from B & N, Land's End, J Crew, Brooks Brothers, Dell, Target and order subscriptions to your favorite business (and non-business) magazines.

You don't need to worry about the weather when you shop online!

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