Working With Porcupines
Hard-won lessons for dealing with difficult people, challenging workplaces, leadership problems and the moments when the boss is wrong.
Working With Porcupines
Get it on Amazon here: Amazon
Serious problems. Practical answers.
Experience you can put to work.
Mack McKinney is an author, former Air Force officer, consultant, teacher and business-development specialist who helps people solve tough problems, communicate clearly and lead with confidence.
About Mack
Problem solver first.
Mack's career has crossed military operations, advanced systems, business development, proposal writing, teaching and consulting. The common thread is simple: understand the real problem, cut through the noise, and help people act on what matters.
Many of his leadership principles were learned in aircraft cockpits, radar-control environments and decades of work with technical teams. He brings that same practical approach to writing, project risk, capture strategy and leadership.
Books
Ideas built for real life and real work.
Persuade & Conquer
A guide to modern writing for people who need emails, proposals, presentations and technical material to be clear, convincing and memorable.
Read an excerpt and buy it here: Persuade and Conquer: A Guide to Modern Writing
Amazon
Resilient AF
A practical look at resilience, setbacks and the habits that help people stop merely surviving and start thriving. The manuscript is in development.
In development • Not yet published
To be notified when it is published, email Cindy at Cindy@MackMcKinney.com.
Services
Useful help, without the machinery.
Consulting
Experienced outside perspective for difficult business, program and leadership problems.
Proposal & Capture Support
Capture strategy, technical proposal writing and review focused on customer needs, compliance and persuasive content.
Project Risk
Identify risks early, challenge assumptions and reduce the chance that unseen problems become program-stopping events.
Teaching & Coaching
Practical instruction for technical teams, leaders and professionals who need concepts they can use immediately.
Speaking
Thought-provoking talks, podcasts and team sessions grounded in lessons learned rather than canned motivation.
Writing & Editing
Research, technical writing, editing and help turning complex ideas into language people can actually understand.
Endorsements
What others have said.
“Mack's leadership and management guidance is fully developed, illustrated, and substantiated in a way that allows a reader to seamlessly apply it to a broad array of current and future problems.”
“Mack McKinney has an engaging writing style, and his books are worth reading even if you have no plans to manage projects or lead people. Reading his books provide a roadmap not only for successful program management but also for a fulfilling and happy life.”
“Mack McKinney is a uniquely gifted man who can boil down incredibly complicated concepts and issues into digestible elements that anyone can understand and then put to work.”
Noel Longuemare portrait: U.S. Army photo by Scott Davis, 1997. Public domain.
Resources
Papers Mack will email you.
Modern BD Techniques That Win Jobs
A practical business-development resource preserved from the former site.
Building Risk-Resilience Into Projects and Programs
Ideas for recognizing threats early and preventing avoidable failures.
Working With Porcupines Workbook Companion
A companion workbook for readers who want to put the book's lessons into practice.
Contact
Have a problem worth solving?
For consulting, teaching, speaking, proposal support or writing inquiries, get in touch.