7 Ways to Destroy Morale And Job Satisfaction in Consulting Firms

One significant difference between physical workers and knowledge workers is that while physical workers' contribution is clearly visible during the contribution process, knowledge workers' contribution is typically invisible, and the knowledge worker herself is the only person who knows when she's contributing, that is, when she's working.

And here lies the problem.

Although Peter Drucker coined the term "knowledge work" and "knowledge worker" in the mid 1950's, many consulting firm leaders manage their firms as if they were some kind of industrial production plants, and regard their people as industrial labourers.

They regard work as an activity that can be observed and clearly documented.

That is, intellectual activities, described by words like judge, discern, reflect, contemplate, decipher, etc. are not regarded as work.

Specifically, the 90 minutes you take to write up a proposal is work, because it is the physical activity of writing. But the previous 90 minutes of contemplating scope options, pondering over fees and reflect over the buyer's specific requirements are not regarded as work. As far as management is concerned, this
90-minute time chunk is a waste of time.

And this is the problem.

This kind of thinking undermines the morale in any consulting firm. Over the years, I've observed some morale-wrecking management practices, and now we're discussing seven of them. You may recognise some of them in your firm, and maybe you can do something about it.

And this is what we discuss in this month's viciously intoxicating episode of Commando Consulting, entitled, 7 Ways to Destroy Morale And Job Satisfaction in Consulting Firms.

Enjoy!