Managerial Diagnosis

Abstract

In the work of a broad-profile management consultant (what is known as a "generalist,"), it is extremely important to know how to correctly diagnose actual problems and bottlenecks in an organization's management system. Whereas designers of management systems can sometimes afford to work on the basis of precedents and standard decisions, the generalist consultant cannot afford to do so, because what people typically expect from him is quick and effective help. And the effectiveness of this help is directly proportional to the actual weight of the problems to be dealt with in the enterprise's functioning. We can discern here considerable similarity to the work of the physician. In the same way that it requires a correct diagnosis of the illness for the physician's prescription to be useful, all of the consultant's accumulated experience will be useful only on condition that the enterprise's problems have been correctly diagnosed.