Management consultants might be those well-dressed people who
charge huge amounts to tell you things you already know, or they
might be the fresh pair of eyes that provide crucial insight. There
is evidence for both perspectives in Mobilizing Minds, written by
two senior figures in McKinsey - the granddaddy of the consultant
industry - but generally the weight is on the latter view.
The starting point - not in itself very startling - is that most
companies are poorly-designed for business in the digital age.
Piecemeal attempts to manage information flows and intellectual
capital have led to unmanageable complexity, which undermines both
profitability and worker satisfaction. Bryan and Joyce acknowledge
that most executives cannot start from a clean slate, but they
believe that there needs to be a comprehensive 'diagnostic' - a
process which can take several months but can do much to identify
blockages and problems. They conclude that a crucial metric should
be profitability per employee, and that the organisation should be
designed for clarity and robustness instead of theoretical
elegance. Walls should require justification, rather than growing
of their own accord, like weeds.
Bryan and Joyce see information technology as a double-edged
blade. They accept that it can create what they call 'knowledge
marketplaces' which allow physical and intellectual assets to go
where they are most effective in the company. But IT can easily
lead to overload and congestion. The point should be to treat
computer systems as a means, making sure they do not become ends in
themselves.
A cynic might see Mobilizing Minds as an attempt to drum up
consultancy business (especially the 'diagnostic' stage) but really
it should be approached with an open mind. It might just be a key
signpost for the future of business.
- Derek Parker
