> When company management wants to make a big change they hire consultants to provide cover and justification for it. [..] Companies like McKinsey will say whatever you want them to say, and there is no shortage of conflicting case studies to 'prove' their points.
Not really, there are plenty of cheaper companies you can hire to do this when you know the solution and just need to bring in someone to do something unpopular - McKinsey is expensive!
In my experience there are 4 key types of job. I've put my own percentages for what I have experienced, but different people in different companies will obviously vary dramatically.
* Problems where the client genuinely doesn't know the right solution, and wants you to help (30%-40%)
* Problems where the client knows a kind of half-baked solution, or has a load of ideas, and wants you to make a fully-baked solution (30%-40%)
* Problems where the client knows the solution, and you are assisting in implementation/further work because the client doesn't have resource or time to do it, or wants someone with specific skills that they don't have internally, for example procurement support, negotiating a merger/acquisition, time sensitive projects e.t.c. (20%)
* Problems where the client knows the solution, and just wants you to tell it to them in a report because that gives it authority or the consultants can take the blame (less than 10%)