Political Dilemmas at Work: How to Maintain Your Integrity and Further Your Career

Chapter Five

CONSULTANTS RULE

You’re going to be judged on the success of a project, but consultants with a direct line to the CEO are doing most of the work and getting it wrong.

 

 

 

 

Top management in large organizations regularly brings in consultants for their external perspective and specialist expertise. They are often a powerful presence. Consultants sometimes have links with top people in the company, which could create a significant problem for internal people as they work on high profile projects.

What do you do when you disagree with the consultant’s approach and he or she has a direct line to powerful people? The difference of opinion about what needs to be done motivates consultants to take control and leverage their strong connections. How can you regain control and enable your project to succeed? To continue in opposition is likely to be a painful experience. Giving in totally to their wishes may have even longer-term consequences for your career, if not for your own self-respect. So what do you do when it seems as though the consultants rule?

The Consultants Rule Dilemma

I’m in charge of the Titan project. It’s a high-profile project, part of our new secret weapon to usurp the competition and position Xennic at the forefront of this new technology. The Research and Development vice president, Gus, said it would revolutionize the way our market works. So, it’s pretty important to get it right, huh?

The company has invested millions, and ...