Business Leadership Monday: The Appearance of Impropriety

By Mary T. O’Sullivan, MSOL

After over 30 years in industry and many experiences with consultants, it’s hard not to start a discussion on the topic without a few consultant jokes. 

A consultant is …

• Someone who takes the watch off your wrist and tells you the time.
• A man who knows 99 ways to make love but doesn’t know any women.
• Someone who is called in at the last moment and paid enormous amounts of

money to assign the blame.

One consultant specifically stands out in all my years’ experience, Ken Markell. Ken was hired to bring “change” to the culture at a large aerospace and defense firm over a period of 10 years. It appeared that Ken was hired to be a “disturbance handler” as described in Harvard Business Review. Ken made a lot of money, but many employees felt that Ken did not provide the services for which he was hired, but instead led the company president, Tom Jones, down a rather circuitous path without addressing the “functional and structural changes” needed.  In fact, Ken’s nickname among employees was “Rasputin” for the undue influence he appeared to have over Tom. One change Ken instituted was a personality analysis device that all employees were required to take. The results were to be displayed on employee badge cards and on 5”X7” plastic stands in work areas. In addition, Ken and Tom selected certain employees to undergo “change management” training.

These people were called “Ninjas”. Something went terribly wrong with the selection process, for the Ninjas became more known for their arrogance and superior attitude, much to the chagrin of other employees. Ironically, becoming a Ninja seemed to be the path to promotions and better jobs, because at the time, just about every Ninja seemed to be promoted ahead of other employees.

Consequently, the only change that seemed to take place was to produce yet another crop of supercilious, insufferable coworkers. So, did Ken accomplish his mission of change management? Unfortunately for Ken, when Tom Jones was eventually forced out, Ken also lost his commission. The company reverted to its Six Sigma process and its employee diversity groups to initiate change. Employees tossed out the personality cards and displays, and the Ninjas became part of the change management bone yard, along with other futile change management programs: “Bureaucracy Busters”, “Game Changers”, “Strategic Development Program”, “Spartans”, and other “flavor of the month” efforts. 

It seemed Ken, like many others before him, led the company down a path it didn’t need to tread, and paved the way with the company’s dollars. Indeed, the consultant’s job was to serve the best needs of the client, to “undertake a special project on its behalf” as stated in the research, and in this case, the consultant failed. In neither case was the consultant’s role “supplementing” or “complementing” management’s role. It’s apparent that this consultant lacked the professional concern regarding his economic, moral or discretionary responsibilities to the clients.  

Consultants need to avoid even the slightest appearance of impropriety. Although there were many offenses by this consultant, truly the most damage was done to himself. By engaging in these misleading business practices, the consultant damaged his reputation, which is a consultant’s stock and trade. Without a good reputation, a consultant really has nothing at all to offer.

Connect with Mary:

Phone: 401-742-1965

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.encoreexecutivecoaching.com

Mary T. O’Sullivan, Master of Science Organizational Leadership, International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach (ICF-PCC), Society of Human Resource Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Coaching, University of Texas at Dallas.

Member Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Honor Society. Advanced Studies in Education from Montclair University, SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University.

Mary is also a certified Six Sigma Specialist, Contract Specialist, IPT Leader and holds a Certificate in Essentials of Human Resource Management from SHRM. Mary is also an ICF certified Appreciative Inquiry Practitioner, and a Certified EQi-2.0 and EQ360 Practitioner.

Mary O’Sullivan has over 30 years’ experience in the aerospace and defense industry. In each of her roles, she acted as a change agent, moving teams and individuals from status quo to higher levels of performance, through offering solutions focused on changing behaviors and fostering growth.

In addition, Mary holds a permanent teaching certificate in the State of New York for secondary education and taught high school English for 10 years in the Syracuse, NY area.

Today, Mary dedicates herself to helping good leaders get even better through positive behavior change.