The meta lunchpail

I knew I was getting somewhere in life when people began to impugn what I was doing: "that's not real work," they said. "Why can't you program anything?" is very much like saying I don't swing a hammer.

It's the same deal for "action-oriented" or "implementation" consultancies like ours or, more likely, clients -- critique the McKinseys and BCGs of the world. "That's bullshit" or "Powerpooint jockies," they say. Everybody jokes about consultants being bullshit, even on the occasional TV commercial. Royal Bank of Scotland's "Make it Happen" series of ads is the same sentiment in I-banking. MBAs are another classic butt of jokes: "what the hell do they know? What does that MBA actually teach you?"

And yet, the strategy consultants and MBAs keep getting paid. When CEOs are confused, they call people who know how to help out at a high level. The whole idea of coming up with "tangible deliverables" is a production line mentality.