Chapter 18. Ethics and the Shadow Side of Consulting
CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, consulting is the world's oldest profession. The first consultant was the Serpent in the Garden of Eden. Amidst a scene of unprecedented peace and tranquility, the Serpent, with the encouragement of top management, took it upon himself to assume an advisory role with Eve. When Eve followed his advice and picked the low-hanging fruit, the consequences were grave and long-lasting. So in addition to what some have called Original Sin, we now have the concept of Original Advice. We still feel the chill of this ancestral shadow cast over our work.
I raise the ethical side of consulting with some reluctance as the term "ethics" is one I like to avoid. Living in a glass house, ...
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