The Consultant’s Calling

Geoffrey M. Bellman lives in Seattle. He has consulted to organizations of all sizes, from the inside and the outside. Bellman is the author of best-selling books Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge, Your Signature Path, and The Beauty of the Beast.

This thoroughly revised and updated edition of The Consultant's Calling-- the book that has become a classic in the field-- is written for anyone who wants to know what consulting is really like as a career, as a living, as a life. A successful consultant for more than thirty-five years, Bellman knows how to make the job rewarding, both financially and personally. He understands today's marketplace, the vocation, and the art of consulting. Every aspect of the work is examined including the practical, the profound, and the curious. This is a book for all types of consultants, all those who work with consultants, and all those who dream of becoming consultants.

Foreword (Peter Block). Preface. Introduction: In Pursuit of Purpose. Part One: A Foundation for Your Work. 1. Creating Your Balanced Life. 2. Creating the Right Work. 3. Setting Your Work Boundaries. 4. Managing Your Calendar. 5. Making Money. Part Two: The Clients. 6. Why Clients Hire You. 7. Why Clients Keep You. 8. Building Trust with Clients. Part Three: The Consultant. 9. Love at Work. 10. Fear at Work. 11. Searching Your Shadows. 12. The Consultant as Leader. 13. Building Your Power. 14. Misusing Your Power. Part Four: Partnership. 15. Building Long-Term Partnerships. 16. Making Rewarding Partnerships. 17. Avoiding Painful Partnerships. Part Five: Understanding Organizations. 18. How Organizations Work. 19. What Works When Creating Change. 20. How Not to Create Change. Part Six: The Marketplace. 21. You and the Marketplace. 22. Making The Leap into Consulting. 23. Stepping Back from Consulting. Part Seven: Closing. 24. The Quest for Meaning Through Work. Sixty Thoughts About Life and Work. Resources. The Author. Index.