Management Consultants, the Swiss Army Knives of Experts for Hire
In case there are any among us who don’t know, Swiss Army knives are a world-renowned family of pocket knives manufactured by Victorinox since the 19th century. A globally iconic brand, these amazingly versatile tools can be equipped with almost every conceivable device affixable to their (mostly) red bodies, true marvels of engineering, flexibility, utility, and quality. Smooth-edged and serrated blades, scissors, can openers, corkscrews, screwdrivers, pliers, toothpicks, tweezers, punches, hooks, wire crimpers, bottle openers, metal files, metal saws, seat belt cutters, hoof cleaners, you name it they have a tool for it. I own several and never voluntarily travel without one.
Management Consultants, for their part, can be considered the Swiss Army knives of experts for hire. They share many attributes of the famed multi-tool, offering unparalleled versatility by providing strategic and operational advice across a broad range of industries to solve problems, provide solutions, and improve performance. From consumer products to technology to real estate, and everywhere in between, there is really nothing the most capable of these firms can’t turn their hands to.
One, less obvious, yet equally valid, characteristic of the Swiss Army knife is that, because of the compromises needed to attain this incredible versatility, the Swiss Army knife is almost always the second-best tool for any specific job. While you can, no doubt, clean a hoof with a Swiss Army knife if you need to, if you are a farrier you would look to a specialist manufacturer of hoof cleaning tools to do the job. Likewise, if you need to open many cans, you can turn to your trusty knife and get the job done, but you will be better off using an actual can opener. It is when you may need to clean the occasional hoof, open a single can, crimp the odd wire, and cover all other eventualities with one tool that the knife truly comes into its own.
As an urban development consultant, I have lived immediately downstream from the management consultants, inheriting many strategy documents, highest-and-best-use cases, and the like over the years that I then had to help turn into actual urban plans and development programs. From this, admittedly narrow, viewing angle I have developed enormous respect for, and appreciation of, the capabilities these firms bring to the table, as well as an eye for some of the limitations.
The secret to this unparalleled versatility is the rigorous, structured, methodical, and data-rich analytical approach they apply to all subjects, plus their ability to develop a compelling storyline and communicate it clearly and concisely. This is mated to a firm-held belief that methodology and rigor alone can overcome almost any hurdle (a belief that was similarly drilled into my head during business school). And this brute-force analytical approach can accomplish many things - it is amazing what a clear eye and penetrating intellect can do - but it doesn’t place the same value on bringing a nuanced understanding of the subject matter to the table, at least not for subjects I am deeply familiar with. And it is the subtleties, the final 5%, that often colors the value of the results. The big guns, the partners and experts, tend to bring the right stuff, but the supporting cast doing the lion’s share of the work often lack a depth of experience with the subject matter. What I have seen happen more than once is that you end up with outcomes that are very precise, as in demonstrating an enviable exactitude, analytical and quantitative, but which may not necessarily be very accurate, as in hitting the mark and being the most appropriate and useful answer. In complex urban development projects, it is not enough to forecast the theoretical best uses and development strategy for a site, you also need to bring specific sector experience to appreciate, and integrate into the solution fully, the challenges waiting downstream. For example, factors that regularly upend big land development projects, beyond financing problems and unforeseen changes to market conditions, include embedded site constraints, overly ambitious assumptions about market share capture, the costs and complexities of utilities and infrastructure, delays getting through the environmental review process, difficulties securing the necessary permits, and troubles encountered while traversing the political minefield. These all constitute inconvenient “specialty” factors that don’t always fit nicely into “the model,” or at least its desired results, and are thus often discounted by the disciplined, mechanistic, generalists putting the pieces together.
The moral of the story? Never travel without your Swiss Army knife for its unmatched versatility and undeniable strengths, but when you have a specialist job to do, bring along a specialist tool to help you do it. Together they will deliver the best results.