Consulting’s Dilemma: Loving the Craft, Loathing the Game

“Do something meaningful” they say. Meaningful relationships, friendships, career. Everything you do should be with a purpose. But what do you do when you are stuck doing something you think is meaningless, for a living? How does one even realise they are in such a position? Do we in fact, as in many other cases, voir la vie en rose, and consider everything in our life to be meaningful? Because what would be the point of doing something otherwise?

When we think about doing something meaningful, our mind usually takes us to brain surgeons, rocket scientists or maybe social activists. But has anyone ever thought of a consultant's work when asked to associate the word to something? Probably not. Although we do not have a written record of everything anyone has ever said or thought, it may be safe to assume that a job aiming at helping the rich become richer, in the pursuit of capitalist endeavours - is not considered very meaningful by many. Yet, this assumption dismisses the complexity of consulting work and its potential for creating real impact.

We tend to think that "meaningful" work must address the greater good - solving social, environmental, or humanitarian problems. However, is it fair to assume that only work related to societal or environmental virtues qualifies as meaningful, and not boosting the economy? Certainly not. Consulting, at its best, helps companies navigate complex environments, stay relevant, and adapt to change. Whether it is IT and change management that helps firms stay up-to-date, audit that differentiates the white from the grey, the ‘green wave’ that is shaking the business environment with issues of climate, sustainability and ESG or public policy recommendations that influence societal outcomes. Consultants have the capacity to create real, tangible impact.

Take, for instance, ‘Flavia¹’, our interviewee from PwC who highlighted this heterogeneity in consulting, where certain areas such as strategy consulting may seem “fluffy”, while areas of IT consulting can lead to more tangible outcomes. Nonetheless, as ‘Flavia’ pointed out, it is all an art of trying to guess what the client needs and thereafter deliver the best results. The impact may not always be visible to the public eye, but within the client’s world, it can be transformative.

A Love for Learning, But at What Cost?

‘Sabrina²’, an ESG consultant at EY India, offers insight into the more positive aspects of consulting. “I love the learning potential and the exposure to different stakeholders,” she says. In her view, consulting is dynamic, intellectually stimulating, and offers the opportunity to influence key decisions. Consultants often operate as the architects of change, often acting as catalysts, helping organisations adapt to new realities. 

Yet, consulting is not without its dilemmas. ‘Sabrina’ touches upon the challenge of "confirmation bias" i.e., aligning our deliverables with what clients want to hear, rather than offering a truly objective perspective. For instance, when the client wanted to prove a point to its competitors to avoid a legal suit, EY carefully extracted selective information to help favour the client, proving their point. This raises a broader ethical question: Are consultants genuinely delivering transformative insights? This tension between real value and perceived value lies at the heart of the consulting profession. 

Meaningful Work or Just Well Paid Theatre?

As we delve further into the industry’s workings, the critique by Porter and Heppelmann³ becomes relevant. They argue that consulting interventions are often more theatrical than practical, with junior consultants delivering surface level solutions wrapped in polished PowerPoint decks, a claim also echoed by Sidney Finkelstein, another critic of the industry. So, this raises the question, if the advice given is just repackaged common sense with a premium, how meaningful can the work truly be?

However, dismissing consulting as mere "packaging of common sense" would be a mistake. While some critiques are valid, consulting - when done right - can lead to real, substantive changes within organisations. For example, ‘Flavia’ quoted an instance where helping a client navigate through the ever emerging legislative landscape in regards to cyber security ensured the company remained compliant. Additionally, ‘Sabrina’ prepared an ESG report, which was the best her client had ever had, leading to the overall improvement in the client’s standing and creating new benchmarks. The issue is not whether consulting can be meaningful, but rather whether consultants themselves perceive their work as such, amidst the often profit driven framework in which they operate.

Can Consulting Be Redeemed?
These days, consultants face a difficult situation as they attempt to balance their desire for meaningful work with the reality that their industry is one focused on profits. Ms. Vasudeva's passion for the vibrant and analytical aspect of consulting contrasts sharply with the unethical practices prevalent in the field. Although consulting offers the potential to have a significant influence and is an interesting intellectual challenge, can one truly enjoy the work knowing that, occasionally, profit should take precedence over true impact?

To move consulting from a "packaging of common sense" to a truly meaningful profession, there needs to be a shift in how both clients and consultants perceive value. Consulting firms must encourage more transparent conversations, where the pursuit of profit doesn't overshadow the
need for ethical, evidence based solutions.

In the end, the question remains: Can consultants love the craft, but loath the game? The answer lies not in the nature of the work itself but in how the industry chooses to evolve. Only when the aforementioned changes are incorporated well, can consultants completely accept that they are
not just suppliers of business strategies but also agents of real transformation. Until then, consultants will likely continue to navigate the delicate balance between making a difference and making a living.

¹ Interviewee from PwC, name used to maintain anonymity

² Our interviewee from EY India, name used to maintain anonymity

³ “The problem with consultants” Harvard Business Review (1996)

Manoli Arora, Christopher El Khoury El Melki & Julia Jankovic

Dans le cadre de leur MSc Business Strategy & Consulting, les étudiants d’Audencia participent à un concours d’articles portant sur les enjeux liés à l’organisation des cabinets de conseil et aux carrières dans ce domaine. Chaque semestre, le sujet est différent. 
Lucie Noury, responsable de ce cours et spécialiste du conseil, invite les étudiants à développer un point de vue réflexif sur les tendances du secteur, en lien avec les apports du cours. Les étudiants sont appelés à trouver un angle intéressant et original sur le thème qui leur est imposé, à interviewer un ou plusieurs professionnels du conseil sur ce sujet et à en tirer des conclusions argumentées pour y porter un regard nouveau. L’objectif est double : aider les étudiants à développer un point de vue critique sur les actualités du secteur, et mûrir leur projet professionnel. 
Ce semestre, les étudiants ont été invités à s’interroger sur le sens dans le conseil à travers le thèmes « meaningful consulting ». C’est un sujet particulièrement d’actualité dans ce secteur, que ce soit à travers des enjeux de renouvellement des pratiques de travail et de management dans le but de rester attractif et de retenir les talents ; ou bien à travers la question de l’impact du conseil sur les organisations clientes et les parties-prenantes externes. 
Les six meilleurs articles ont été sélectionnés. Trois d’entre eux seront publiés par le Management Consulting Journal, formidable vitrine pour les travaux de nos étudiants :
•    Rita Dakkoune, Elie Barakat & Lily Atteia, for their article entitled “How to: Keep your head up in public and find meaning in your consulting work “
•    Noah Malka & Guillaume Rogeau, for their article entitled “Independent Consultant: Myth of Freedom or Reality of Overwork?”
•    Marion Grange, Quentin Hoang & Inès Rambaud, for their article entitled “Big Three or NGO? When the quest for meaningful work becomes a dilemma…”
Trois autres sont publiés ici :
•    Oussama Tannous, for his article entitled “The Giga-Project Maze: Can Consultants Really Lead the Way?”
•    Manoli Arora, Christopher El Khoury El Melki & Julia Jankovic, for their article entitled “Consulting’s Dilemma: Loving the Craft, Loathing the Game”
•    Antoine Bouat, Vlad Avarvari & Gaspard Pochy, for their article entitled “Battling the Quiet Resignation: How consultants confront brown-out in client organizations”
Tous articles abordent le sujet sous des angles variés, allant de la question de l’image du conseil et des consultants, à celle de l’impact des cabinets de conseil en stratégie, en passant par la réalité des consultants indépendants, les enjeux liés à la perte de sens dans les organisations ou encore la difficulté de faire sens de projets de très grande ampleur à l’échelle individuelle. 

As part of their MSc in Business Strategy & Consulting, Audencia students are taking part in an article competition on the issues surrounding the organization of consulting firms and careers in this field. Each semester, the topic of the competition changes. 
Lucie Noury, head of the course and a consulting expert, invites students to develop a reflective point of view on trends in the sector, in line with the course content. Students are asked to find an interesting and original angle on a given theme, to interview one or more consulting professionals on the subject and to draw well-founded conclusions for a fresh perspective. The aim is twofold: to help students develop a critical viewpoint on current events in the sector, and to mature their career plans. 
This semester, students were invited to consider the theme “meaningful consulting”. This is a particularly topical issue in this sector, whether in terms of new work and management practices to remain attractive and retain talent, or in terms of the impact of consulting on client organizations and external stakeholders. 
The six best articles were selected. Three of them will be published by the Management Consulting Journal, a great for our students to showcase their work:
•    Rita Dakkoune, Elie Barakat & Lily Atteia, for their article entitled “How to: Keep your head up in public and find meaning in your consulting work “
•    Noah Malka & Guillaume Rogeau, for their article entitled “Independent Consultant: Myth of Freedom or Reality of Overwork?”
•    Marion Grange, Quentin Hoang & Inès Rambaud, for their article entitled “Big Three or NGO? When the quest for meaningful work becomes a dilemma…”
Three others are published here : 
•    Oussama Tannous, for his article entitled “The Giga-Project Maze: Can Consultants Really Lead the Way?”
•    Manoli Arora, Christopher El Khoury El Melki & Julia Jankovic, for their article entitled “Consulting’s Dilemma: Loving the Craft, Loathing the Game”
•    Antoine Bouat, Vlad Avarvari & Gaspard Pochy, for their article entitled “Battling the Quiet Resignation: How consultants confront brown-out in client organizations”
All the articles tackle the subject from a variety of angles, from the image of consulting and consultants, to the impact of strategy consulting firms, the reality of independent consulting, the issues linked to the loss of meaning in organizations, and the difficulty of making sense of very large-scale projects from an individual perspective.