Where are the Management Consultants?

28-Apr-2009 - Kam Eftekhar is a Top-Consultant reader frustrated with the management consulting profession. Having been a consultant for over 20 years with the likes of A.T.Kearney, Accenture, BearingPoint and IBM, what's troubling Kam is our profession's lack of dynamism in getting itself onto the TV and putting forward solutions for reforming industries on the verge of bankruptcy. With a golden opportunity to position our industry as a force for good - part of the solution rather than the problem - the leaders of our firms are nowhere to be seen.

So in the week that's coincidentally seen the Management Consultancies Association rebranded under the slogan "A Positive Force for the Economy", here's a guest piece from Kam asking:

Where are the Management Consultants?

The economy is being rushed to the emergency room with daily news on the failure of yet another of its critical organs. First the mortgage meltdown, then banks failing, then AIG, then the auto companies and who knows what’s next: all needing an infusion of cash and a bailout plan. A lot of bystanders and paramedics are panicking over the patient’s deteriorating condition while the doctors and surgeons are standing around, waiting to be asked to do something.

I am writing this article out of frustration with the management consulting profession. We have clearly dropped the ball; missed the window of opportunity to accomplish a lot at a time of need. As I watch CNN and other channels, all I see are so called “experts” (economists, news anchors, bankers, politicians) debating the consequences of what would happen if the auto industry fails. These so-called experts have done little to allay the fears of the American public. They simply don’t know the how! The taxpayer burdened with huge debt knows well that a Tim Geitner, Hank Paulson or the U.S. government are not in the business of transformations nor experts in the auto (or any) industry.

So I ask myself - where are the key players from the BCG’s, McKinsey’s, A.T. Kearney’s, Booz Allen’s of the world telling us how we can fix things? Why don’t we see any management consultants on TV showing the framework for a turnaround plan; giving examples of success stories; soothing the jittery public?

For added credibility and impact, they could have partnered with a Lou Gerstner, Jack Welch or other scion of American industry to lead the effort. A professional transformation plan evaluating different options and incorporating the best thinking from suppliers, auto experts and thousands of similar studies at world class auto companies would have:

a. Instilled more confidence with the apprehensive tax payers.
b. Boosted consumer confidence in buying American cars; knowing a viable company will rise from the ashes.
c. Potentially enticed foreign investors and private equity; reducing the burden from tax payer.
d. Generated consulting fees from the government; not the greatest rates but better than what we have now. Kept a lot of folks utilized.

One more thing: injecting ourselves into the media could have put management consulting on the map. An ongoing presence on TV by representatives from reputable management consulting firms could have explained this mysterious profession to the public and placed us at the top with other prestigious endeavors. Maybe we need an association of tier consulting, excuse me, management consulting firms to represent us all to the public and industry. So, let’s not wait for the RFP in the mail. It’s high time we knocked on President Obama’s door and introduced ourselves!