The Vendor Mind-Set: The Devolution From Organizational Consultant to Street Peddler

The contemporary world of organizational consulting is composed of a variety of specialties, perspectives, approaches, and value systems. Although the growth of the consulting industry and these influences have clearly led to a number of positive advancements and opportunities, they have also contributed to a number of negative outcomes and issues. One particularly troubling consequence is the formation and rising popularity of the vendor mind-set. Roughly defined as the propensity to apply a moment-to-moment, cost-driven, commodity-based transactional-exchange orientation to a given consulting relationship, the vendor mind-set is significantly contributing to the rapid devolution of the perception of the organizational consulting profession from one based on unique knowledge to one that is product based. After an introduction to the basic issues inherent in the vendor mind-set, a case example is provided to help illustrate the issues and concerns involved. This is followed by an overview of the origins of the vendor mind-set and its inherent link to the rise of the consulting profession. A summary of the conceptual underpinnings of the vendor mind-set is then presented, followed by a discussion of the implications for the future of the consulting field.