Why is it important to examine management from different perspectives and what do you achieve

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21st Century Management Consulting

According to Peter Block, the first management consultant was the Devil. "When Eve

followed his advice and picked the low-hanging fruit, the consequences were grave

and long-lasting."

Others have seen the origins of management consulting in 19th century British accountants

who began to advise businesses on different aspects of their operations. Analogies to

management consulting can also be seen in guidebooks for overseers of farms and

plantations and in other books of advice, but generally this field did not exist until the 20th

century.

Beginning with Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management, a wide literature accumulated, and

numerous practitioners began assisting businesses and other organizations. Although there

were many forms of such endeavors, two streams can be more or less recognized:

academics who applied theory and research to workplace environments and business

leaders who had made discoveries that they wished to share.

By the second half of the 20th century, as specialization necessarily became the norm due

to the growth of knowledge, consultants became commonplace. The advantages of seeking

advice and assistance from outside the organization were obvious. Given the challenges of

a fast-paced and growing economy, it was hard enough to keep up with developments in,

for example, information technology, much less to keep abreast of new developments in

management. And even if one had a good general business background, it was scarcely

practical to be up to date on current trends in areas such business strategy, operations

management, and organizational development.

By the end of the century, specialization and new fields of practice had increased so rapidly

that hardly anyone could keep track of them all or see where the significant trends were.

The number of consultants seemed to be rising faster than the number of organizations. As

many of these tried to establishment niche markets or sought to promote a particular

viewpoint, one could almost say that anyone with a two-word phrase (dynamic facilitation,

radical honesty, appreciative inquiry, emotional intelligence) could have a consultant

practice.

Of course in addition to the tapping of expert knowledge, there are many other reasons why

organizations need consultants. Perhaps the most commonly appreciated is that

organizations have problems that they cannot solve themselves. Less appreciated is that

fact that organizations frequently have problems that they cannot see themselves!

Still, the strongest advantage of management consultants is their ability to offer an

objective and informed view. Just as every individual can profit from coaching and

feedback, so, too, every organization can benefit from someone who cans see things

differently and provide new insights and introduce new techniques.

As the 20th century closed, the impact of information technology had already created amazingly

fast paced change that put all organizations under stress. Indeed new forms of organizations

were beginning to arise, and even the concept of "the organization" seemed possibly destined to

pass away, as those who previously thought of themselves as employees became independent

agents more loyal to ideas, trends, and cultures than to any business or employer. In what was

perhaps the center of new economic trends, people would say that they worked for "Silicon

Valley," not for any particular business, and that they could change employers without changing

their parking space.

Such developments mean that for the 21st century a new kind of management consulting is

needed. New practices are required that can deal with new realities and that utilize new forms of

knowledge.

While the extreme fluidity of business conditions and of scientific knowledge makes any form of

prediction of almost questionable value, the basic outlines of new dimensions of 21st century

management consulting are apparent. Some of the most significant considerations are as

follows:

Consultants and clients need to be equal partners. The model of consultant as expert

still has some value, but the idea the consultants have all the ideas and take over the

responsibility is obsolete. In a post-empowerment organizational world, partnership and the

team approach are the norm; and consulting practice will exemplify such models.

Consultants and clients need to work on whole systems. While there will always be

some need for specialized interventions regarding compensation issues, business processes,

and the like, it is no longer feasible to work on one part of the system without paying

attention to the whole. In modern organizations, each part of the whole interacts with each

other part to share information, responsibilities, and goals; and consultants will help map and

improve these relationships.

Consultants and clients need to involve all levels of the organization. Hierarchy may

always exist and interventions may be made at the top, but contemporary organizations know

the decision making process must be extended through every level. In an era in which

traditional organization charts are passé, consulting will be characterized by increasing the

involvement of all members of the organization.

Consultants and clients will work with a longer term focus. Although problems will

always exist and consultants may be called upon as result of them, the model of the

consultant as problem solver no longer holds. In an environment of continual learning, the

job of the consultant will be to building problem solving ability into the organization through

use of tools such as dialogue.

Consultants and clients will make change management business as

usual. Reorganization and reengineering will remain useful practices, but there no longer be

an expectation that one-shot endeavors can solve organizational difficulties. In a time of

constant and fast-paced change, external consultants will work with clients, internal

consultants, and employees so that facilitation, consulting, and related skills are built into the

organization.

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21st Century Management Consulting According to Peter Block, the first management consultant was the Devil. "When Eve followed his advice and picked the low-hanging fruit, the consequences were grave and long-lasting." Others have seen the origins of management consulting in 19th century British accountants who began to advise businesses on different aspects of their operations. Analogies to management consulting can also be seen in guidebooks for overseers of farms and plantations and in other books of advice, but generally this field did not exist until the 20th century. Beginning with Frederick Taylor's Scientific Management, a wide literature accumulated, and numerous practitioners began assisting businesses and other organizations. Although there were many forms of such endeavors, two streams can be more or less recognized: academics who applied theory and research to wor ...
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