The Consultant's Paradox: Why Your Best Advice Often Gets Ignored
Imagine this: a client pays €150,000 for a 3-month consulting project.
Your team spends 12 weeks analyzing processes, interviewing stakeholders, and crafting 47 slides full of data and recommendations.
The main advice: "Restructure the sales department and change the compensation model – this is the root cause."
CEO nods thoughtfully. At the end, he says:
"Excellent work. We'll implement everything… except the restructuring. Too political."
€150k later, the client hears what they already knew.
Welcome to the consultant's paradox – it happens more often than you think.
Why Clients Really Hire Consultants
Most companies say: "We need external expertise."
The truth is different:
-
Validation, not transformation
Clients already know what they want. They just need someone outside to say: "You're right."
Example: a CTO wants to move to the cloud. Decision already made. McKinsey confirms it. €200k for a stamp of approval. -
Political cover
"I need to lay off 30 people. If I say it – I'm the bad guy. If a consultant says it – business necessity."
HBR: 23% of companies hire consultants to provide cover for unpopular decisions already made.
-
Buying time
"The board wants a decision. I'm not ready. Hire consultants to research the topic – buy six months."
Looks proactive. Feels passive.
What Happens to the Best Advice
Typical scenario:
Consultant finds the root cause: "It's not the process. Four departments are duplicating efforts and competing with each other."
Recommendation: "Merge into one department."
What client actually implements:
- New processes
- Better tools
- Team training
- Restructuring (too hard, too political)
Result: 20% improvement, root cause still intact.
18 months later – same problem, new consultants.
Why ignore the best advice?
- Too disruptive – power shifts, VP may get fired, admit past mistakes.
- Sacred cows – legacy structures, long-term employees, founder's design.
- Lack of courage – easier to tweak a process than tackle the real problem.
How Consultants Adapt
20 years in consulting shows a pattern:
- Juniors: "I'll tell the truth!"
- Seniors: "I know they won't implement it. I'll propose something they actually will."
The result:
- Self-censored advice
- "Doable" solutions over "right" solutions
- Focus on what client accepts, not what client needs
What to Do
For Clients:
- Be clear: validation or transformation?
- Create safety for hard truths.
- Commit to top recommendations before seeing them.
For Consultants:
- Diagnose real intent in week one.
- Present options, not one "right" answer.
- Separate recommendations from what client will actually do – give a safe exit.
The Uncomfortable Truth
Consulting works because:
- Clients don't implement everything
- Problems return every few years
- More consultants are hired
If all clients implemented 100% of recommendations, the consulting industry would be half its size.
Exceptions exist: the best clients are honest, create safety, and actually implement tough changes.
The best consultants speak truth, don't self-censor, and deliver real results.
Ready for Real Transformation?
Smart People Global Academy delivers SAP SuccessFactors training that organizations actually implement.
Learn more at smartpeople-global.com