A retiring consultant’s advice on consultants

A retiring consultant shares advice on how to manage consultants, including tactics used by consultants, questioning their recommendations, and using them as a human shield.

August 21, 2023 . 8:14 AM

1 min read

Beware of the 'bait and switch' tactic used by consultants, where veteran consultants are replaced by inexperienced juniors.
Consultants are masters of the 'land and expand' strategy, where a small project turns into a long-term engagement.
Question everything and divide big numbers by two, consultants often make up benchmarks.
Use consultants as a human shield to take the blame for bad decisions, but also steal their good ideas.
Experiment with hiring multiple consulting firms to create competitive tension and better results.