Internet news

Citation

Mann, S. (2000), "Internet news", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 21 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2000.02221fag.001

Internet news

Keywords Management consultants, Stress

In my Web meanderings this month, I came across a very interesting site for anyone who is contemplating the idea of bringing a management consultant into their organisation. This very thought is one that strikes fear in the hearts of some managers who feel that outside "experts" are expensive, irksome and difficult to work with. However, this site, run by the Association of Consultants and Trainers in the Voluntary Sector in the UK, includes an excellent section on "getting the most from management consultants". The home page lists ten menu items, including: "types of consultancy', "finding a consultant", "starting the consultancy", "expectations of each other" and even "what to do if you are dissatisfied". The pages are drawn up by "experienced management consultants who work in not-for-profit organisations" – but the advice given applies equally for organisations outside the voluntary sector.

If you are new to the concept of management consultancy and are not convinced that this is for you, then the many reasons for bringing an MC in that are suggested in this site might make you think again. Reasons given for engaging an MC include: to help clarify the organisation's mission and objectives; to help draw up a strategic or business plan; to help with staff restructuring; to help sort out communication problems; to help people work more effectively as a team; to deal with a specific problem; and to provide training. Once you are convinced that you need such an independent expert, the task is to decide what type of consultant you need and where to find them – and this is the site to guide you through these processes. The next stage is to create a brief for the MC and a list of what should be included and why is presented next.

Overall, this is a terrific site packed full of valuable information, advice and guidelines. Whilst it is inevitably geared towards the voluntary sector, it is definitely worth a browse by anyone thinking of bringing management consultancy to their organisation.

The Association of Consultants and Trainers is at http://www.act-assn.dircon.co.uk/index.htm

Stress management is such a huge field that you could spend days surfing the Net and never really find anything of use. Certainly, the majority of sites are devoted to selling – stress management is big business. However, I have stumbled across a couple of sites that are more than good enough to share. The first, at http://www.opinions.com/book-Self-Help-Stress_Management is a real gem for anyone with more than a passing interest in stress management (that's most of us, I think!). It is a site dedicated to reviewing stress management books and texts. Given the huge number of books out there on the subject, this is a godsend, and will help you sort out those books suited to organisations as opposed to individuals, those more technical from those more popular in approach, and those that work (according to the reviewers) and those that promise more than they deliver. And, as a bonus, you can add your review to the other site contributors, since the reviews are not written by "experts" but by readers themselves. The books are hotlinked to online bookshops so if one really seems to be the answer to all your stress problems, you can order it there and then.

Of course, you might want to know all the latest stress findings without having to buy a book. This is where ISMA (the International Stress Management Association) comes into its own with its excellent Web site devoted to stress management (see http://www.isma.org.uk/). As well as pages explaining what stress is and strategies for dealing with stress, there is also a section devoted to stress in the workplace containing the depth of information that you would normally expect to have to pay for (ISMA is a registered charity). However, the best part of the site, in my view, is the "Stress News" section which contains dozens of recent academic and practitioner articles on stress management. Examples include, "The psychological implications of the Americanisation of work in the UK", "Stress at work", "Problem-creating v problem-solving", "Workplace bullying" and "Using mindmaps for stress management". Each article is several pages long and can be downloaded to form your own invaluable guide to the topic of your choice. The most valuable articles for me, however, are the "Employer's guide to stress at work litigation" – rare and absolutely essential reading for today's manager or chief executive. Overall, a site well worth bookmarking.

Sandi MannUniversity of Central Lancashire, Lancaster, UK