All too often, companies hire outside consultants to suggest ways for the company to operate more efficiently

All too often, companies hire outside consultants to suggest ways for the company to operate more efficiently. If companies were to spend more time listening to their own employees, such consultants would be unnecessary.

The logic behind this point of view is pretty much problematic. It entails “such outside consultants would be unnecessary” from “companies were to spend more time listening to their own employees”.

Obviously, it presupposes a false premise that listening to their own employees would fairly often keep companies from operating inefficiently, and the result of hindering inefficiency is exactly what hiring outside consultants is usually expected to induce. Well, I shall argue that this false premise wrongly exaggerates the usefulness of listening to their own employees in next part of this essay.

First, let us ask, for most time, will listening to their own employees itself help companies operate more efficiently? Certainly, it will not. Rather, we fairly often hear only complaints which are lack of constructiveness from employees. At most, we can get to know what are their real needs by listening to their voice and attempt to take steps to satisfy those needs. A detailed plan after setting our goal is still needed. Who comes to help draw up such a plan? Well, experts. We have inside experts, but we still need to invite outside experts to evaluate situations of the company, who are less interfered in inner interests and thus are often in a more objective and neutral position to make such appraisal. This is a partial reason why the outside consultants in question are necessary.

On the other hand, there are also other reasons why the outside consultants are not unnecessary. Occasionally, the case is, some outside consultants are more insightful in company affairs and have a more established reputation than most or any consultants that the company has already hired. If the company hires them as well, it will enhance the chance of discovering mistakes it has made or of coming up with appealing ideas that their extant employees cannot propose. Under this circumstance, hence, hiring outside consultants is far more helpful than only listening to their own employees.

Based on above reasons, we see why the false premise that the original point of view postulates wrongly exaggerates the role listening to their own employees are actually playing. So, we can be confident to say, the original point of view is pretty much problematic.