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arbitrary_nameyesterday at 10:32 PM5 repliesview on HN

i was a management consultant.

sometimes, employees are bad at their jobs, or organizations are unable to solve their own problems. people who have no long term loyalty or political agency within the organization can help resolve internal issues, provide external validation and new perspectives, and solve problems.

I tire of the snide arrogance of people like you; you think you can solve everything if you cared to. not every organization can afford to hire people as amazing and all knowing as you.

making talented people available on short contracts, for employers with terrible reputations who cannot hire the right people able to deal with ambiguity and short timelines can be a win win arrangement for both sides.

Are there issues across the industry, including misaligned incentives? absolutely. but that isn't a reason to dismiss the entire industry out of hand.

perhaps we should be equally dismissive of all software devs given the sheer amount of terrible software and predatory revenue models? or are we also going to blame some other faceless group for that as well?


Replies

throwawayffffasyesterday at 11:43 PM

> Are there issues across the industry, including misaligned incentives? absolutely. but that isn't a reason to dismiss the entire industry out of hand.

Misaligned incentives are alone enough reason to dismiss the entire industry.

But more widely if an organization cannot manage itself it has no business being an organization. It has to either go bust, or have senior management let go.

By hiring management consultants the senior management is acknowledging it cannot run the organization.

internet_pointstoday at 8:01 AM

Can you give an example, understandable to hackers, of how you fixed an organizational problem? Genuinely interested :)

tqiyesterday at 10:53 PM

Nah management consultants are leeches. If they really thought their clients could turn it around with One Simple Trick (that only 22yo ivy league alums could see) they would close up shop and move into PE.

smt88yesterday at 11:22 PM

Software devs have actually hard skills and don’t charge $1,000 an hour to develop a PowerPoint.

Why do only management consultants defend management consultants? Why don’t employees, C-suites, taxpayers, watchdogs, or anyone else ever sing their praises?

I also asked for an example of a good consulting project with real ROI. Please share one.

Taikhoom10yesterday at 11:04 PM

No defintley I would love to be consulatants, I think they can create value, It just depends.