CHAPTER 8STATUSTHE POWER OF SYMBOLS
The world more often rewards the appearances of merit than merit itself.
—FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD
Image Consultancy for Consultants
You can become a management consultant right after elementary school—even if you didn’t graduate. In contrast to auditors, doctors, or lawyers, consultants don’t need any formal training. Specialized knowledge plays practically no role in their services—not the ideal condition to be taken seriously and justify high fees. To avoid this impression, the “world’s newest profession,” as Oxford researcher Chris McKenna refers to management consulting, has deliberately copied the language and symbols of other professions that already have a high status.1 From the outset, these consultants ...
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