Consultant.

Definition: Sharp-looking, suited knight in shining armor who barges in as the savior in a great entrance scene to save a failing firm.

Or not.

Check out these 7 corrected Myths about management consulting!

Myth #1: Consulting firms are just another face of the Hunger Games.

Origin: Many consulting firms adopt the “up or out” policy in which the consultant is either promoted or dismissed.

Truth: Up or out doesn’t mean getting rid of good people or firing them brutally. This policy was designed to make sure that people who fit stay, those who don’t, don’t 🤷🏻‍️. So, if you’re doing your best and actually producing high quality work, have great analytical, interpersonal, and team working skills, and love consulting, you’ve got nothing to worry about!

Myth #2: Consultants “steal your watch and tell you the time”.

Origin: Honestly, human indecency 😅.

Truth: Consultants put in many long hard-working hours and go nearly sleepless for nights in rows to deliver the best quality services to their clients.

1. Clients often face very tough questions and hard decisions to make, and they deeply know that they actually can’t solve them on their own. Why else would they hire consultants?

Myth #3: Consultants make PowerPoints all day long.

Origin: Consultants deliver PowerPoint slides to their clients.

Truth: PowerPoint is a core part of consulting, a very misunderstood one. Consultants use PowerPoint slides as a tool to deliver. However, they don’t use it all day long, they have many other responsibilities to take care of.

• So, how do they manage to deliver hundreds of slides?

  • Consultants use tools like auxi to make building slides easier and faster. They also have visual graphics support teams helping them sometimes.

Myth #4: Consultants live a glamorous life. 5-star restaurants, first-class flights, you name it, they get it.

Origin: Consultants might have to travel around a lot for work purposes on the firm’s expense.

Truth: They might have a medium rare steak every now and then, but they’re more often than not stuck in a middle seat on a 4 am flight heading to a far away town.

Myth #5: A consultant should always be professional. Never show your personal side.

Origin: I’m not sure, it’s probably the Hermes tie or suit’s effect...

Truth: Professionalism is a must, but it doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to show a weakness.

1. Be yourself, this is becoming more and more important for consulting firms. They want to make sure their teams are happy working there and feel at home, otherwise you would leave and they wouldn’t like that, if you are good. If you are not, then they should probably thank you.

Myth #6: Consultants advise what they knew, nothing new.

Origin: Consulting firms have a lot of experience and have worked with several firms in similar fields.

Truth: Consulting firms invest significant time in analyzing and understanding the system and business processes of their new clients.

1. It is true that each firm has its own problems, but very often they are problems the consulting firm already worked on when hired by previous clients. Imagine having a sink that is leaking, would you hire the plumber that fixed your friend's sink really well? or someone you just met online? you get the idea…

Myth #7: It’s a one-night stand. Consultants leave when they’re done.

Origin: Uh, bad experience?

Truth: Good consultants stick around till the very end. They’re there to overview the implementation of the plans they’ve put for the client to solve their problems. Even better, clients are always welcome to get in touch again and ask quick questions!

1. Even after delivering the end-product of their work, reliable consulting firms stick around for feedback and questions.

2. Long-term engagements are very important in the consulting world, they prove reliability, authenticity, and genuineness.

The biggest myths about management consultants are smashed! Now it’s time for you to decide, do you need an expert knight, or your business has a six pack?