On misdirecting management

The authors argue that consultants are of two types: self‐promoting gurus and educators. Gurus that pontificate and promote their proprietary problem solving techniques do not educate their clients. They promote maxims that define rules of behavior but do not increase the competence of managers. They promote their proprietary solution as a fix for all problems instead of trying to increase managerial understanding of a particular corporate puzzle. They provide maxims that are really platitudes and panaceas without proof of effectiveness. A significant proportion of the advice produced by such management gurus is either incorrectly inferred from data (but nevertheless may be true) or is unsubstantiated by genuine evidence. Examples are drawn from the work of Peters, Covey, de Geus, and Hamel. Recommendations for providing management with defensive measures include: recognition that flawed research techniques produces flawed evidence; recognition that many seemingly wise maxims are really platitudes; and effective selection and use of internal and external consultants who perceive their mission to be the individualized education of managers and the solution of their organization’s particular problems.