Not to be glib, but is there any industry where management consultants have been shown to make a statistically significant difference either way?
The management consulting industry wouldn’t work without them.
Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
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Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#12One contributing factor I experience is that keeping competent, opinionated, leadership who are a good fit is an expensive proposition, and the "hold fast" position will always be challenged by whatever board is scrutinizing the budget/plan/forecast. The only play where no top brass has to catch a parachute is to bring in a consultant to scrutinize the business, read the crystal ball, and pitch a plan to weather the coming storm.
Medicare funds are dust in the wind, Covid-era opportunities are dead and over, and the big axe has swung so much it needs sharpening. None of these are easy decisions to make and the result of "we're still doing what we're doing" is success.
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#13Good to know I'm qualified. I am confident I can make no measurable difference.
In fact, I’m prepared to make no difference 80% faster and 50% cheaper.
If we’re bidding on this job, I can make no difference in zero time for one penny. I will want a minimum of one second of employment though, gotta pay those bills.
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#14"Hospitals navigating challenging financial and regulatory landscapes may call on these specialists for advice on strategic planning, cost-cutting, reorganizations, or revenue-boosting initiatives."
I think it's been stated in this thread, and I learned it reading the comments on HN, but consultants are not hired to optimize processes but instead to provide decision insurance. If you take a big risk by yourself and it goes poorly, your job and reputation are on the line. If you hire a consulting firm that advises you take the risk, and report that the risk is properly characterized and understood, and then it goes wrong - well sometimes the best laid plans fall victim to circumstance.
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#15Not to be glib, but is there any industry where management consultants have been shown to make a statistically significant difference either way?
In, fire 30% of the workforce, new logo, out.
You are now a fully trained management consultant. (Alan Johnson, Peep Show)
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#16"Hospitals navigating challenging financial and regulatory landscapes may call on these specialists for advice on strategic planning, cost-cutting, reorganizations, or revenue-boosting initiatives." I think it's been stated in this thread, and I learned it reading the comments on HN, but consultants are not hired to optimize processes but instead to provide decision insurance. If you take a big risk by yourself and i…
Which immediately begs the question, how do you become one of these faceless people waving vaguely in the air saying "fire a whole lot of people, that should mean you spend less right?"
I submit my thesis. The PE/consultant class. A crust of slime buoyed about on the waves of capital to provide cover for the horrors underneath.
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#17"Hospitals navigating challenging financial and regulatory landscapes may call on these specialists for advice on strategic planning, cost-cutting, reorganizations, or revenue-boosting initiatives." I think it's been stated in this thread, and I learned it reading the comments on HN, but consultants are not hired to optimize processes but instead to provide decision insurance. If you take a big risk by yourself and i…
Which immediately begs the question, how do you become one of these faceless people waving vaguely in the air saying "fire a whole lot of people, that should mean you spend less right?" I submit my thesis. The PE/consultant class. A crust of slime buoyed about on the waves of capital to provide cover for the horrors underneath.
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Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#18"Hospitals navigating challenging financial and regulatory landscapes may call on these specialists for advice on strategic planning, cost-cutting, reorganizations, or revenue-boosting initiatives." I think it's been stated in this thread, and I learned it reading the comments on HN, but consultants are not hired to optimize processes but instead to provide decision insurance. If you take a big risk by yourself and i…
That’s not the only reason the other reason is these processes and ways of doing things are so bureaucratic and hard to navigate that you actually do need very specialized information from consultants that it’s not easy to come by
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#19Not to be glib, but is there any industry where management consultants have been shown to make a statistically significant difference either way?
The management consulting industry wouldn’t work without them.
I mean does it work? Other than profit making for the consulting companies?
Like someone else pointed out, if people are hiring them in order to provide cover for decision making, then maybe the whole thing being a charade is the point.
Re: Nonprofit hospitals spend billions on consultants with no clear effect
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
The management consulting industry wouldn’t work without them.
I mean does it work? Other than profit making for the consulting companies? Like someone else pointed out, if people are hiring them in order to provide cover for decision making, then maybe the whole thing being a charade is the point.
You missed the joke.