David H. Maister Quotes

There are dangers in this model of succumbing to committee-itis. If too many people are jointly responsible for the execution of firm business, the chances that implementation will be deferred increas...

The flip side of credit is blame. A tendency to blame others, or circumstances, is generally a recipe for unhappiness in life.

Review agendas with your client, before meetings, before phone calls, before discussions. Clients should know that they can expect you to always solicit their views on how time will be spent. 6.

Don’t tell lies, or even exaggerate. At all. Ever. 3.

A good rule to remember is that, in relationships, there are no win-lose or lose-win combinations: There are only win-wins and lose-loses.

Reconfirm scheduled events before they happen. Announce changes to scheduled or committed dates as soon as they change. Intimacy

It is not enough for a professional to be right: An advisor’s job is to be helpful. David

While most providers sell on the basis of technical competence, most buyers buy on the basis of emotion.

Four Essential Elements That Engender Trust (Chapter 8) 1. Credibility 2. Reliability 3. Intimacy 4.

None of us should wait to be told what to do, or how to do it. Micromanagement kills initiative, judgment and creativity.

Fig. 8.2. Trust Realms The

Where are we likely to encounter the most resistance? •

It ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it: That's what gets results.

If I were in your position, I might be wondering about X. Is it possible that that is an issue for you?

There is an old saying, It is amazing what you can achieve if you are not wedded to who gets the credit. The

Fig. 8.1. The Trust Equation Fig. 8.2. Trust Realms The

It is better to stop thinking of permanent or semipermanent departments and to begin to use the language of teams

A good example of ill-conceived (and premature) training approaches is seen in the many calls I get to conduct training programs to help people become better managers. I put my callers through a stand...

The minute you begin to cruise, to rely on skills learned last year, that's the moment you begin your decline.

Credibility isn’t just content expertise. It’s content expertise plus presence, which refers to how we look, act, react, and talk about our content. It depends not only on the substantive reality of t...