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Why I'm angry - and what I'm doing about it
The Consulting industry used to frustrate me. Today it angers me. Consultants use fancy jargon, put together dazzling (and often meaningless) graphs, and try to make projects bigger than necessary. They often haven't done what they're advising their clients to do - whether it's executing strategy, implementing a marketing initiative, leading people, or orchestrating an effort to build a company. This unqualified advice is put into a large report that requires reams and reams of paper, which results in the unnecessary loss of trees, ongoing back problems (due to the weight of the report), and a guaranty that the advice is never utilized.
Worst of all, Consultants are finished with the client as soon as their final report is complete. Ideas are the easy part; the difficulty is in the execution. Does a pilot refer to a manual when something goes wrong during the flight? Of course not. But clients WILL experience bumps along the way, and Consultants shouldn't expect them to refer to page 46 in the report when that happens. But that's what they do.
If you work in the Consulting field and are reading this, you're probably fuming right now. Look, it's not personal. It's like I said - I'm angry at the management consulting world. But contrary to popular belief, anger is a positive emotion, because it focuses attention on the aggravating situation.
What I'm saying is that I can do something about it.
Worst of all, Consultants are finished with the client as soon as their final report is complete. Ideas are the easy part; the difficulty is in the execution. Does a pilot refer to a manual when something goes wrong during the flight? Of course not. But clients WILL experience bumps along the way, and Consultants shouldn't expect them to refer to page 46 in the report when that happens. But that's what they do.
If you work in the Consulting field and are reading this, you're probably fuming right now. Look, it's not personal. It's like I said - I'm angry at the management consulting world. But contrary to popular belief, anger is a positive emotion, because it focuses attention on the aggravating situation.
What I'm saying is that I can do something about it.
My mission
Since I don't like the rules of the management consulting industry, I'm trying to change the game. It will take some time, but I'm convinced it can be done.
Last year, I started an advisory firm that is focused solely on growth initiatives. I don't work with companies that are after the quick fix, like a short pop in earnings or a report to justify a personal agenda. No, I work with firms that are looking to change - the ones that want growth that is organic, predictable, and sustainable. That's hard to achieve, and it's not the kind of messy work that the Consulting industry normally takes on. So from the outset, I realized that the traditional advisory approach wouldn't work.
What's different? For starters, I'm obsessed with helping companies change how they work. Imitation still runs rampant in the business sector - and it drives me crazy. Why do so many still think there is room for another me-too business with boring products and services? In order to win, a company's strategy, marketing, and approach to talent management MUST be original. It's just not possible to have a distinctive standing in the marketplace otherwise.
Let me stop for a moment. Many reading this will probably say that they understand this already - and I have no doubt that they do. Some may consciously work at creating real change every day. But most don't. They don't because it's considered risky, and companies avoid this type of risk as much as possible - no matter what is said in meetings or to the press. So do Consultants.
OK - we've established that I only work with certain clients, and that I am trying to help those clients change how they do business. What else is different? Simple - it's how I work with the client. And how I do it is how EVERYONE should do it (yes, I know - that's brazen comment).
Part of my job is to provide advice. But in order to really help a company navigate today's economic realities, it's necessary to fully engage as a partner with the business. And that's what I do. When a business hits a bump in the road, I'm there to help with the heavy lifting. And while these partnerships are by nature much longer than a typical Consulting engagement, they're actually not expensive. Not by a long shot.
I don't expect to radically change the Consulting industry. It's been around longer than I have, and it will be there long after I've retired. But what I do expect is to make a difference - to help companies fight business as usual. That's a pretty good reason to jump out of bed in the morning.
I'll keep you updated on my progress.
Last year, I started an advisory firm that is focused solely on growth initiatives. I don't work with companies that are after the quick fix, like a short pop in earnings or a report to justify a personal agenda. No, I work with firms that are looking to change - the ones that want growth that is organic, predictable, and sustainable. That's hard to achieve, and it's not the kind of messy work that the Consulting industry normally takes on. So from the outset, I realized that the traditional advisory approach wouldn't work.
What's different? For starters, I'm obsessed with helping companies change how they work. Imitation still runs rampant in the business sector - and it drives me crazy. Why do so many still think there is room for another me-too business with boring products and services? In order to win, a company's strategy, marketing, and approach to talent management MUST be original. It's just not possible to have a distinctive standing in the marketplace otherwise.
Let me stop for a moment. Many reading this will probably say that they understand this already - and I have no doubt that they do. Some may consciously work at creating real change every day. But most don't. They don't because it's considered risky, and companies avoid this type of risk as much as possible - no matter what is said in meetings or to the press. So do Consultants.
OK - we've established that I only work with certain clients, and that I am trying to help those clients change how they do business. What else is different? Simple - it's how I work with the client. And how I do it is how EVERYONE should do it (yes, I know - that's brazen comment).
Part of my job is to provide advice. But in order to really help a company navigate today's economic realities, it's necessary to fully engage as a partner with the business. And that's what I do. When a business hits a bump in the road, I'm there to help with the heavy lifting. And while these partnerships are by nature much longer than a typical Consulting engagement, they're actually not expensive. Not by a long shot.
I don't expect to radically change the Consulting industry. It's been around longer than I have, and it will be there long after I've retired. But what I do expect is to make a difference - to help companies fight business as usual. That's a pretty good reason to jump out of bed in the morning.
I'll keep you updated on my progress.
If you take away just one thing...
If you're looking for someone to help you grow your business, run - don't walk - away from anyone that exhibits traditional Consultant behavior!
Here's the link to my business site
The Baby Gorillas
A (small) business blog
This blog is written for "baby gorillas" - the small, flexible, and fast companies that are the engine of our economy. Posts are short, useful, and even a bit entertaining.
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- My Meetup Profile
- I'm involved in a number of NYC-area networking groups. Let me know if you attend any of these meetings - I'll make it a point to seek you out and say hello.
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- DrErnie DrErnie Apr 29, 2009 @ 10:35 pm
- As a former management consultant, I completely sympathize with your critique. You may overgeneralize slightly, and I don't know if your proposal is "the" solution, but I agree that there is enormous room for improvement. Good luck, and let us know how it works out! -- Dr. Ernie
by babygorillas
Business builder who thinks big and acts small. Believe in actions and principles over appearances. Anti-karaoke. (more)
