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Richard Metzler and Jon Metzler will begin serializing a new book entitled “Lore Of Wizards: Consultants On Consulting” in January, 2008. A new chapter will be issued every month until the complete book is finished in July or August. At that time, all chapters will be bound in to a single book and offered for sale.
The book’s editor recently met with the authors to discuss the book. Following are selected excerpts from that discussion.
Editor: Gentlemen, what’s this book all about?
Richard Metzler: This book is essentially consultants talking about consulting. We interviewed nearly 35 management consultants, mostly in their own offices. We intentionally left the interview open ended, that is, they could talk pretty much about what they wanted to talk about as long as the subject was consulting.
We asked, “Tell us your history, how you got into consulting, what does it takes to succeed, who were your best and worst clients (without naming names) and why?” We also asked about travel, family challenges, recruiting and mentoring.
And as you would expect, we had no difficulties at all in getting consultants to talk at length about themselves and their businesses.
Jon Metzler: (Laughing) In fact, it wasn’t unusual for an interview to last up to three hours, and in several cases the discussion was continued in the local bar after business hours.
Editor: So this is not just another expose of the management consulting industry, correct?
Richard Metzler: That is correct. My sense is that we have far too many “insider” books on consulting that promise to tell all. And I think that they are for the most part pure bull. I was a consultant for over 28 years. If consultants didn’t do a great job and if consultants didn’t deliver as promised, they simply wouldn’t be hired ever again. And that is certainly not the case. Consulting is a huge business and it is growing.
Rather, what we have done is to let these consultants sit back and reminisce about their careers.
Editor: How did this book get started. Where did the idea come from?
Jon Metzler: Oral histories have become very popular in recent years, and that approach led to the idea of a book about consultants. Another entitled, :What Cops Know” provided us with a direct model that we could use.
Richard Metzler: And I had just left my life as a consultant and for the first time in many years, I had some time on my hands. My contacts in the business were extensive and fresh. I was able to call these people and to arrange meetings with no problems at all. In fact, most were highly receptive to getting together and to the idea of the book.
Jon Metzler: I had just returned from several years in Japan and I was thinking about what I would do next. The book presented an interesting and fun opportunity to work with my dad before I went off on the rest of my life.
Editor: So these discussions took place a few years ago, is that correct?
Richard Metzler: In 1998 and 1999 as a matter of fact. But what is fascinating is that the stories told to us almost seemed timeless. When you read a consultant’s story about a client situation that in some case took place 20 or 30 years ago, it could well have taken place yesterday. The wisdom of the story tellers is as good today as it was then. Some of the lessons learned are good for the ages.
Jon Metzler: And we systematically edited out any references to the moment. For example, some consultants talked about the potential of Y2K. Those comments were taken out.
Editor: Tell me how you went about it. What was the process?
Jon Metzler: We set up the interviews which took place over a six-month time period. They ranged in length from an hour to several hours, including later trips to the bar.
Richard Metzler: Consultants have three attributes that helped us with this project. First, our interviewees are very smart people. They were senior people, in their firms and you don’t get to be senior in consulting unless you’re very smart. Second, consultants have a very keen eye for the moment. That is what make them great consultants and great salesmen. They see and seize the moment. And they remember those moments. Third, they are all great communicators and they talk. Veteran consultants are all great story tellers. Whenever consultants get together the stories just seem to pour out. And you’ll see that the stories that are in the book are usually centered on a situation that was important or instrumental to the consultant. They remember these situations and they tell stories to make their points.
Editor: That seems like tons of material. How did you get it organized?
Jon Metzler: As we read the transcripts and the individual stories, it became obvious that consultants talked about many of the same things. There are basics that make up the consulting business and are common to all who have been in the business. For example, everybody talked about travel and clients and presentations and what it takes to survive and to be good at their craft.
Editor: Where did the title come from? The words "wizards" and "lore" aren't used commonly today. Where does they come from?
Richard Metzler: According to the dictionaries, a "wizard" is a wise man, one who is knowing, or very clever or skillful. A magician or a sorcerer really. Another defintion which I liked is an alchemist, who is one who can turn lead into gold. It seems to me that the good consultants all have a lot in common with alchemists and wizards.
The dictionaries also define "lore" as accumulated facts, beliefs or traditions, or knowledge acquired through experience. In my mind, it's the big gorillas teaching the little gorillas about life and what is needed to survive and thrive. And this is what this book is all about, its these senior consultants passing on their experiences, knowledge and wisdom to the next generation. If you multiply the numbers of consultants interviewed by their years in the business, we have roughly 1,000 years of experience, and hopefully some of that is passed on through their interviews.
Jon Metzler: We always felt that somewhere in the stories there would be some absolutely great quotes that would serve as a title. And in fact there were. We had maybe ten different titles, but we finally decided to just be straight forward and plain. It's hard to misunderstand "Consultants Talk about Consulting."
Editor: Tell me how the book is organized.
There are nine chapters:
| Chapter 1 | How We Got Started |
| Chapter 2 | What It Takes To Succeed |
| Chapter 3 | Rating The Clients |
| Chapter 4 | Dealing With Clients |
| Chapter 5 | Presentations and Meetings |
| Chapter 6 | The Matter of Ethics |
| Chapter 7 | On The Road Again: Travel |
| Chapter 8 | International Business |
| Chapter 9 | The Home Front |
| Our Story Tellers |
Editor: What are you going to do with all the money that you make from this book?
Richard Metzler: We hope that is a big seller and that it makes lots of money. But Jon and I are picking up all the expenses. All proceeds from donations solicited by this web page and from sales of the book will go to the Richard Metzler Scholarship sponsored by the Association of Management Consulting Firms. Elsewhere on this web page are links to both AMCF and the Scholarship that give more details.
Editor: Would you do it again?
Richard and Jon Metzler: (Together) No, no, definitely not! Knowing what we know now would make it a lot easier, of course. But there we have no plans to do another book.