The Lies of Consultation -- House of Lies

Author: [US] Martin Keen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
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's ruthless exposé of big management consultancies. It's a stroke of luck for fresh MBA graduates to read this book, as it can shatter all their illusions before they formally enter this unique business field." — Kurt Andersen, Founder of Spy magazine and host of NPR's Studio 360 "All over the world, Dilbert fans will see this book as 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 filled with sharp insights and revelations about the secrets the industry doesn'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 just joined but have been habitually misled by the consultancy, or the corporate clients who know what the consultants are telling them but still pay them a fortune. 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 of the American Dream
Theoretically, a consultant's job is simply to tell clients where they're going wrong and how to improve themselves, in exchange for hefty 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 things up and providing useless information. Welcome to the castle of promises, where you'll have the chance to mix with the country's princes, from the self-absorbed, powerful figures—whose flashy reputation only makes a mess of the clients' businesses—to the humble, excellent partners who seem to hold the secret to providing effective consulting. These suggestions are valuable, but they're just common knowledge. Reading this book, you'll witness firsthand how consultants cause chaos—piles of termination letters, a flood of fancy reports, and massive losses.