[535188B17C93743]

I really don't want to be a conspiracy theorist, but it honestly feels like a pyramid scheme. The MBAs/consultants help out the MBAs/consultants. Their effectiveness isn't super important. It's very rare I see a coworker who is actually effective get promoted––it's always the ones who are loudest, steal credit from others, and who are really social/fun to be around.

[simianwords]

Why would shareholders and board agree to pay massive amounts of money for such a minimal value - the ability to pass blame?

[spwa4]

Because as soon as you're 2-3 levels up it's all politics, no content. All information comes from people who know better than you. All execution is done by people who are better at what the company does than you are. The "base" level of playing politics, the table stakes, is to never get blamed. And there's regular fuckups who need guilty parties. Look up the 3 envelopes parable.

Let's put it this way: consultants provide a new envelope every 6 months or so.