Roland Perry wrote:


You probably wouldn't be surprised to learn how many managements are
convinced that no good ideas will ever come from the staff, so those
ideas end up being laundered through a consultant.


I have to say I (as a staff member with ideas) only realised the
usefulness of this relatively recently. The consultant, having been
brought in to have ideas but without any idea of how the place runs, is
going to reach for anyone willing to explain things to him like a
drowning man for a lifebelt. If you can get a couple of hours alone
with him you have a good chance of getting your ideas in front of people
with far less effort than it would normally take through conventional
bureaucracy.

This does require that you aren't expecting to be thanked or recognised
for you contribution, and that you have sufficient self control that
when management order you to drop everything and run with the exciting
new idea the consultant has proposed you don't go 'hey, that was what
I've been saying for years'.

Sadly it's a common human bias to value something that cost a lot of
money more.

Tom