The lie of consultation

Author: Geneen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: "Interesting, accessible, and to the point. Martin Keen has done for management consulting what Julia Phillips did for Hollywood." — Graydon Carter, Editor-in-Chief of Vanity Fair "Martin Keen is ruthless in his exposé of big management consulting firms. It’s lucky for recent MBAs to read this book, so they can break all their illusions before formally entering this unique business field." — Kurt Andersen, founder of Spy magazine and host of NPR’s STUDIO360 "All around the world, Dilbert fans will think this book is a revolutionary model. Keen uses the analytical skills he learned in business school to dissect an industry that claims to pursue excellence. This book is rich in penetrating wisdom and insights, revealing secrets the industry insiders don’t want you to know." — Tad POP-UPVIDEO founder "At the end, it’s hard to tell who the biggest idiot is: the young MBAs who have been assimilated by consulting firms and habitually spout nonsense, or the corporate clients who pay hefty sums to consultants who tell them what they already know. Fortunately, with this book, we believe there are still people like Martin Keen who dare to expose the emperor’s new clothes." — John Rolfe, co-author of Wall Street: Dreaming the Dream
In theory, the role of a consultant is simply to tell clients where they are going wrong and how to improve themselves, in exchange for substantial compensation. In reality, these consultants spend a lot of time mingling with the high-level executives of potential clients, patiently waiting for prey. But once they lure the prey into their trap, the clients realize they know nothing, only making empty promises and providing useless information. Welcome to the castle of promises, where you will have the opportunity to mix with the country’s princes, from the self-absorbed power brokers—who rely on their flashy reputation to mess up their clients’ businesses—to the humble, excellent partners—who seem to hold the secret to providing effective consulting. These suggestions are valuable, but they are merely common knowledge. Reading this book, you will witness firsthand how consultants cause chaos, with piles of termination letters, a flood of fancy reports, and significant losses.