Thread regarding 3M layoffs

I’ll bite. Typical industry tenure at my new company at my level is 20-25 years. What we do specifically we have to have the experience - not an MBA. Not all consulting companies are made equal. Only these last two weeks my experience of pharma from working at 3M has played a big part in enabling us to find ways to save a business and 1300 employees from the scrap heap.

The point is to look smart to others (I am clueless as to how to grow the company or improve the stock price and hence let me rely on other clueless people for advice).

The point is herd mentality ( every other company does it , so why not me ? )

The point is ....this is what I learnt in my MBA class.

@2riu+1tFGYblq

I compete with them all day, every day - not a challenge. Knowing where the metaphorical bodies are buried in my division has some real advantages. Usually I send them packing with their tails between their legs until the next group haunts my doorway.

Saying the consultants are 'competent' is the tell you don't have any idea what that word actually means.

Here we go again with I was at 3M for 25 years….

Let’s see how long u last at the consulting company when you have to compete with younger, faster, healthier, and competent.

I have an interesting perspective on this. I was at 3M for 23 years and was let go last year. Took the leap and now work for a consulting firm - not MBB, not Big 4 - doing M&A and restructuring advisory. We do employ a lot of ex industry folks so we are a bit different - but I know what you are saying about a 20 something never seen a factory advising you on your business - all are not created equal - but the point about coming in when people are not listening is very true - we often have to come in and say "you will go bankrupt if you don't do this". I have seen some useless consulting in my time at 3M. I'd recommend it thoroughly - use that experience to help others and get paid handsomely.

The bottom line is that most current internal mgmt is not competent, so why not use the top consulting firms?

The great Paul Keel was a Mckinsey consultant. He was a real genius.

Consultants are typically brought in for several reasons (not saying its right... just saying what it is...)

• Someone within the company wants to do something but nobody will listen to their idea. Bring in a consultant to say the same thing after a thorough analysis and it lends additional credibility to an idea. "See, we have to do it... those guys/gals at BCG/Bain/McKinsey/Other Consulting Firm are so smart and that's what they're recommending!"

• Bring in a consultant to be the bad guy/gal for a gut wrenching change to be able to pass the blame to a third party. "It's not my fault your job is impacted, I really liked you, the consultant picked all people in _____ position"

• No leader ever got fired for bringing in a consultant, doing the conventional thing they recommended, even if it didn't work out. "I know it didn't work, but that's what the consultants recommended. We were led astray!"

• The organization wants to do legitimate external benchmarking on a process or structure to align with industry norms. This is probably the only honest/value added use of a consultant in my view.

The thing is... Consultants will never come back and say no recommendations, things look great, there's nothing you could do. Companies would ask why did we hire you in the first place if you don't have any recommendations?

The goal of every consultant is to make sure they get more billable hours in the future. While they are working on project X, they are keeping their ears open for opportunities where Y looks off. When presenting recommendations on X they make sure leadership knows that while they were in the investigating, they noticed the problem with Y, and it just so happens they are uniquely qualified to help with that!

A fresh perspective can sometimes provide new insights. However, the current corporate mindset that outside consultants always have better or more valuable recommendations for how to address the problems and opportunities within the company, compared to the people who work there every day, is crazy.

Consultants work through a standard generic playbook. When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

I am not pro consultants but I wish we had used consultants while planning layoffs last year.
Who would be laid off was decides by line managers instead of an external third party with a zoomed out perspective.
This led to extreme politics and favoritism.
Consultants can provide the benefit of a fresh outside in perspective but its sad that 3M does not have a strong internal consulting arm that has more skin in the game.

I don't remember many consultants in the 80s or 90s. It wasn't until Big Jim Mack brought the GE plague into the company that consultants seemed to be around every corner. Whether providing initial training and support for Sick Sigma, helping "develop" leaders like Vale, or giving Jimbo his kicks by telling him how he could simultaneously cut costs (people) and grow the company at the same time (doesn't work that way, but bring in some ex-GE "experts" and you'd believe that cows could fly) - that's when the wheels starting coming off and the McKinseys of the world realized it had a su---r. Buckley truly tried to put and end to this madness, but Inge doubled down after he left. Mikey was just overwhelmed and went along with the Thulin Plan. Then Gibbons shows up and Kearney is given plum assignments. Bill Brown likely has a 3-4 year plan to break-up 3M into 4-5 companies. Doubtful he trusts anyone by outsiders like Gibbons.

Steve Jobs on consulting, telling it like it is:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-c4CNB80SRc