House of Lies vs The REAL world of consulting

A colleague who was trying to figure out exactly “what I do” for a living said, “Hey, I found a show with characters that do what you do. I think I get it now, but how close is that show to real life?” When he told me the show was called House of Lies I immediately got defensive of course, saying that “no show” could possibly capture our scope blah blah blah…but having never seen the show I couldn’t truly speak on it.

So I did what any normal principal management consultant would do. I researched a.k.a, I binge watched two full seasons.

The opening scene on the first episode was enough to cause mild offense and I am no prude. I am sure it was there for shock value. It worked. But getting past the irreverent sex, gender fluidity, drugs and nudity, Galbreath and later Marty Kaan & Associates did vaguely…very vaguely remind me of CDJ & Associates. wo points on both sides. Two things that were kind of true:

And THAT made me nervous. Until I realized that there was more that was just ridiculous, than was accurate. But for the purpose of balance I will share two points on both sides. Two things that were kind of true:

1. The Pod (your group/team). It may not be called the same thing, but members of my team have certain skill sets and I depend on this POD whenever I engage a new client. I call my team the Navigators but it’s the same thought process. I have a team member that is analytical genius. They eat, sleep and talk data and dashboards! Another one is a millennial aged creative mastermind. Because she hasn’t been tainted with what “can’t’” be done she brings “what if’s “ to the table without fear and is usually right. Then there is the research guru who can find out how to do, say or fix ANYTHING with 5 minutes, a computer and internet access. Then, there is me. I am NOT Marty Kaan by any means nor the “real life” consultant the show was based on. But I am the wisdom, the closer, the implementer, the face of the company, I carry the weight and the buck stops with me. So, Marty Kaan…ish.
2. The field is dominated with men. You didn’t see many women in top consulting roles within the firm on the show. The ratio looked to be around 3 to 1. Even with private boutique firms such as mine, very few comparatively are run by women. I also know some that partner with a man to be the face of the company just to fit more comfortably into the stereotype. House of Lies shows that struggle well. They even have an episode exposing the sexual harassment and demeaning nature that can exist in those environments.

Now on the flip side, two things that were just ridiculous were:

1. The “partying” and seemingly unlimited expense account? No professional consultant that I know has the time or inclination to carry on like it is portrayed on the show. Do we eat dinner? Of course, but we don’t go out on drinking binges, do drugs like it’s a cup of coffee or hangout at strip clubs. Management consultants are for the most part the ultimate professional as their reputation, portfolio and how they are perceived is critical to the business.
2. The overly used consulting “jargon”. This is well… true and untrue. Is there a language in consultant world, sure. Are there acronyms and phrases that only “we” understand….yes. BUT do we use that language to purposely confuse and demean a client? NO. Leaders that engage a consultant are not clueless. They have an idea of what needs to be done. What they don’t usually have is the process, people or data to support and implement it. So to try to fluff and distract them with jargon is offensive and counterproductive.

Although seemingly a useless research experience that was basically fueled by my curiosity, I am glad that I had the courage to address the misnomers head on. I respect my field and to be able to defend and authenticate its integrity is important to me and to future clients. We bring value. We bring ideas. We bring solutions. We bring help. Bottom line: Don’t believe everything you see on TV. If your motivation is not solution oriented, you are in the wrong business.

Consultants can be as political as Netflix’s “House of cards” with all of the moving and shaking that sometimes has to be handled and managed. But a House of lies, I give that a resounding no.

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Cdj & Associates is a Midwest boutique consulting firm specializing in Change management, Business and Organizational Strategy, Event management and Crisis management. Our CEO, award winning author, Camille D. Jamerson is a Harvard University certified “dynamo” in business leadership and management. Her team has over 50 years of combined consulting experience and together they serve corporations, entrepreneurs, non-profits and public figures.