If you have ever attended one of my presentations, you know that frequently I recommend Gerald (Jerry) Weinberg's The Secrets of Consulting, published in 1985. I've even commented that I've had to purchase half a dozen copies of it because I lend it out and it never comes back. I recommended this book to everyone, even non-consultants because the subtitle, The Guide to Giving and Receiving Advice Successfully, is a valuable topic no matter how you earn your money.
In 2002, Weinberg published More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Toolkit. This is a sort of sequel to the original volume, with more of a focus on traditional consulting over general advice giving tips. Traditionally, sequels don't do as well as first releases, and Weinberg addresses this starting on the first page of the book:
When I mentioned to my pal Michelle that I was writing a sequel to The Secrets of Consulting, she shook her head in disbelief. "Why don't you quit while you are ahead. Don't you believe your own preaching? What about The Law of Raspberry Jam?"1
Michelle was referring to the law that describes how any Great Message gets diluted when carried too far: the wider you spread it, the thinner it gets."
From there, Jerry goes on to say that he is writing this book because the first one earned more dollars for consultants who read it, perhaps $10,000 per year, in Michelle's case. I believe that my own consulting revenue had increased by at least that much, maybe twice or three times that, since I first read The Secrets of Consulting. Not because I learned how to put more tricky language into my contracts, but because I learned how make my services more valuable to my clients.
The big question, though, is whether this sequel will have the same effect of making me more valuable to my clients.
You may have read one of Jerry's books on system thinking, or even the Psychology of Computer Programming. If you have read his later works, you'd know that Jerry has been working on the softer sides of systems, especially through his Amplifying Your Effectiveness work. This work is based on Virginia Satir's writings and More Secrets builds upon Satir's Self Esteem Toolkit:
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The Wisdom Box
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The Golden Key
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The Courage Stick
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The Wishing Wand
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The Detective Hat
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The Yes/No Medallion
Plus Jerry's additions:
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The Heart
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The Mirror
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The Telescope
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The Fish-Eye Lens
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The Gyroscope
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The Egg
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The Carabiner
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The Feather
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The Hourglass
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The Oxygen Mask
For each of these tools, Weinberg explains how it can help, what happens when it isn't used properly, and what lessons learned he's collected about why they are important parts of a consultant's toolkit.
If you you were wondering about the footnote in the quote above, Weinberg make frequent use of footnotes to his other writings, especially references to the original Secrets. While I definitely do not see these as ads for his other works, I did find them a bit distracting.
This volume of Secrets focuses inward, on a consultant's inner feelings, beliefs, and behaviors much more than the first work. Some readers, especially those looking for a quick fix, may not find this work as valuable as others might. However, everything that Weinberg writes is part of your toolkit, even if you've never used it.
I recommend this work for those working in a consulting-like role, especially independent consultants who have fewer resources available to them than those working in large firms. I can also recommend this to non-consultant looking for help in working with others. However, if you need to choose between The Secrets and More Secrets, go for the first one.