http://workforce.com/wpmu/bizmgmt/2007/10/24/it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98caveat-emptor%e2%80%99-when-it-comes-to-consultants/ All about the issues that arise when workforce issues converge with business management. Thu, 8 Jan 2009 18:18:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.3-2.2.1 http://workforce.com/wpmu/bizmgmt/2007/10/24/it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98caveat-emptor%e2%80%99-when-it-comes-to-consultants/#comment-1492 Bo Carrington Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:09:22 +0000 http://workforce.com/wpmu/bizmgmt/2007/10/24/it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98caveat-emptor%e2%80%99-when-it-comes-to-consultants/#comment-1492 100% agree - to hire Brown would defy logic, however, the more I learn about human behavior and psychology, the more I learn that logic is rarely a factor. As for people (consultants fresh out of B' school) believing they have the expertise to call themselves "consultants," that would be a product of the overt and subliminal programming occurring within our universities, with both enrolled students as well as with prospective students. In other words, much like we believe many law schools turn out prima donnas, our B' schools sometimes do the same and it has little to do with actual learned knowledge, but instead more of a "fake-it-till-you-make-it" attitude that an eager public willing gives credibility to. FWIW, I am a consultant and have signficant experience and could do more than I do based on what I believe I can do, however, I hesitate to make a client a testing or proving ground for something I "think" will work! 100% agree - to hire Brown would defy logic, however, the more I learn about human behavior and psychology, the more I learn that logic is rarely a factor.
As for people (consultants fresh out of B’ school) believing they have the expertise to call themselves “consultants,” that would be a product of the overt and subliminal programming occurring within our universities, with both enrolled students as well as with prospective students. In other words, much like we believe many law schools turn out prima donnas, our B’ schools sometimes do the same and it has little to do with actual learned knowledge, but instead more of a “fake-it-till-you-make-it” attitude that an eager public willing gives credibility to.
FWIW, I am a consultant and have signficant experience and could do more than I do based on what I believe I can do, however, I hesitate to make a client a testing or proving ground for something I “think” will work!

]]> http://workforce.com/wpmu/bizmgmt/2007/10/24/it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98caveat-emptor%e2%80%99-when-it-comes-to-consultants/#comment-1489 Will Kenny Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:43:58 +0000 http://workforce.com/wpmu/bizmgmt/2007/10/24/it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98caveat-emptor%e2%80%99-when-it-comes-to-consultants/#comment-1489 Being a consultant myself, well, I just have to respond and say . . . of course, you're right. What you're talking about is part of our "cult of celebrity" approach to so many aspects of life, including business. Being famous has become tantamount to being an expert, and people in some businesses just can't resist rubbing elbows with celebrities who have some remote connection with their work. But let me add, first, that this doesn't just apply to individuals. There are some big management consulting firms out there that are sometimes living off their celebrity rather than the results they produce for clients. And second, experts are not the same as effective consultants. There's a big difference between knowing a lot about subject, or how to do something, and getting someone else to know it or do it, to transfer skills and knowledge. So when someone hires for celebrity, they compound their mistake, they are two removes from results -- they have equated celebrity with expertise, and equated expertise with truly effective consulting. By the way, while I don't think Brownie knows anything about "disaster preparedness", I think we should give him credit for his ability to "prepare disasters" . . . not prepare for them, just prepare them. Being a consultant myself, well, I just have to respond and say . . . of course, you’re right. What you’re talking about is part of our “cult of celebrity” approach to so many aspects of life, including business.
Being famous has become tantamount to being an expert, and people in some businesses just can’t resist rubbing elbows with celebrities who have some remote connection with their work.
But let me add, first, that this doesn’t just apply to individuals. There are some big management consulting firms out there that are sometimes living off their celebrity rather than the results they produce for clients.
And second, experts are not the same as effective consultants. There’s a big difference between knowing a lot about subject, or how to do something, and getting someone else to know it or do it, to transfer skills and knowledge. So when someone hires for celebrity, they compound their mistake, they are two removes from results — they have equated celebrity with expertise, and equated expertise with truly effective consulting.
By the way, while I don’t think Brownie knows anything about “disaster preparedness”, I think we should give him credit for his ability to “prepare disasters” . . . not prepare for them, just prepare them.

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