Name: The trusted advisor
ISBN: 9780743212342

The trusted advisor

"Maister, Green, and Galford enrich our understanding of trust - yet they have also written a practical book. Using their model of "The Trust Equation," they dissect the rational and emotional components of trustworthiness. They detail five distinct steps you must take to create a trust-based relationship. Each step - engage, listen, frame, envision, and commit - is described in distinct chapters. The book is peppered with pragmatic "top ten" lists aimed at improving advisors' effectiveness that can be put to use instantly. It also includes a trust self-diagnostic in the appendix." "This book will be welcomed by the inexperienced advisor and the most seasoned expert alike."--BOOK JACKET.

What Hacker News says

steven_nobleFeb 2024

"The Trusted Advisor" by David Maister. (It's more about what makes you sellable than sales. And it's more than being a great engineer that makes you sellable.)

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yshresthaDec 2021

I have been a software consultant for 8 years now so I have a bit of experience to back up my suggestion. Talking to clients did not come easy for me and takes practice just like any other skill. You will learn from experience but I wish I read the book Trusted Advisor by David Maister earlier in my career.

The key is to have empathy and remember one golden rule: It is never about you, make it always about them.

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softwaredougMar 2021

I wrote a blog article about my experience with consulting for 8 years that talks about the virtuous cycle between “sales” and the work itself

Long story short, I found that if you approach every conversation with a general attitude of honest service to the other party, then all will work out. Just be honest, forthright, and give good help, even in the sales part, and you’ll develop mutually beneficial relationships where both sides invest equally in the partnership. Steer away from abusive relationships where one side put in more than another.

The other trick is building a reputation in your field. You just need to openly share what you know regularly and be a presence in the tech community you want to serve. This will reinforce your commitment to serving your market and industry.

Good books on this topic

- The Trusted Advisor

- To Sell is Human

https://softwaredoug.com/blog/2020/12/22/hack-your-career-wi...

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softwaredougDec 2019

Not strictly management, but related:”The Trusted Advisor” is a book about consulting. Which is really the same soft skills you would need in leadership positions where you have a lot of domain experience and leadership is more about helping the team make their own tech decisions

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tixocloudNov 2018

The Trusted Advisor

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exeliusMar 2015

It shouldn't sting! Doing a good job is the first step in building a relationship, so you should absolutely work hard and take pride in your work. I'm only able to leverage my relationships to make easy money because my clients trust the quality of my work (and I ensure the quality of the people who are hired through me). Doing good work builds trust, but unfortunately many people stop at that.

I'd recommend reading The Trusted Advisor [1]. It was originally written with management consultants in mind, but it is a good guideline in general for how to walk the line between personal and work relationships. Basically, you should look at your clients as you would a friend: be their friend, know their problems, and help them with those problems. Become invested in them and their success, and they will invest in you. Business is ultimately about people, but I feel many technical workers focus on the technology and get screwed over as a result.

[1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Trusted-Advisor-David-Maister/dp/0...

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