This blog was inspired by a post to a LinkedIn group by a gentleman by the name of Jason Thurwanger. I felt that his words could not be wasted in a group so took it upon myself to blog about it. Aside from layout and a couple of grammatical changes I have not modified this at all. Jason deserves 100% credit for this next section that I’ve quoted.
“Fee-Driven Consulting vs Purpose-Driven Consulting
Do you know the difference? If you have utilized consultants in the past, you almost certainly do.
Fee-Driven Consulting produces lengthy reports after the consultant spends “x” amount of time reviewing data, coupled with some first-hand observations. These consultants treat the workplace like a crime scene, careful not to get their fingerprints on anything that can be tied back to them. Routinely, these consultants justify taking such a “clinical” approach by stating that they don’t want to create confusion/blur the internal lines of communication by having people wonder whether they should listen to the consultant or their own manager. It sounds logical enough that most clients allow themselves to be led down this path of thinking.
However, there are many problems with this approach, including a real lack of accountability on the part of the consultant. You see, for a consultant that is interested only in a fee, they want to personally involve themselves as little as possible for two very prevalent reasons.