The Fall Guy Information Management Consultant

I once told a client that information management consultants are sometimes hired as fall guys. Not officially, of course, for how would you request this in an open tendered bidding process? But unofficially, as an additional “value for money” kind of benefit, consultants can take a bullet for the client, shield them from blame or function as the sacrificial lamb (to mix metaphors).

How so?

Many times an information management consultant is hired to provide analysis, problem solving and propose an array of potential solutions. Many times this work produces recommendations that cause turbulence within the organization, disrupt standard business processes, alter roles and responsibilities, or compel people to invest time and effort to learn new types of technologies. Many times people don’t welcome these changes and prefer their status quo because although not perfect, these processes are familiar and people have learned how to cope with the inefficiencies. But many times change is necessary and it’s going to happen whether or not people resist.

Moving people through change can be difficult for a variety of reasons. The more I work with organizations the more it seems to me that they are guided by laws of physics.

An object in a state of motion will remain in that state unless an external force acts upon it

- to paraphrase Newton’s first Law of Motion

An inert object requires an external force to set it in motion

- to paraphrase Galileo’s Law of Inertia

After the information management consultant has made their recommendations the organization is left to implement the plan. Most often people willingly accept these changes because they understand the collective benefits but, particularly for plans that introduce changes in turf and reshuffling of responsibilities, this process can be difficult.

This is where the fall guy angle comes in it.

People want to know why they are forced to change. They want to know the external force that acts on them to change their motion or disturb their state of inertia. Ultimately everyone must work together afterwards so for these types of changes the information management consultant is a good fall guy. For those who are outspoken and resistant, the explanation that the change was approved because the information management consultant made these recommendations can have value. As stupid as it sounds, it allows people to focus their bitterness on the consultant instead of their coworkers, which in turn helps them to salvage their working relationships.

There I said it. I don’t encourage people to do this, but I understand why it happens. It doesn’t happen a lot because most of the time it can be avoided with clear communication. But when it does happen, it can be the last contract you have with the client for a while. In this case, turn out the lights, close the door behind you, and don't look back. In time the phone will ring again to discuss a new requirement.

A follow-up to this is now required: The fragile reputation of the information management consultant.