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.

While it is true that every company would definitely benefit from listening to its employees, taking their feedback and working on it, it is my honest opinion that an external consultant will always be a handy and at times necessary tool in helping a company decide where its flaws lie, and how it could possibly improve.

The biggest reason for my belief, that 'outsiders' are beneficial to a company's efficient functioning in the long run is simply this: An external agent will almost always be able to view a situation, especially difficult financial conditions(which often is when these outside experts are hired) with more impartiality and detachment. It can get very difficult for an employee to see beyond himself and keep the entire company's well-being before his own. Not so much for an outsider, whose very job is to do just that. These consultants get paid to be fair, analytic and logical, and not emotional in the least when they need to take some tough calls. Could you expect the same of an employee who is emotionally invested in the company?

I see the situation of a company being in a crisis pretty much like how I'd see a troubled marriage. You need to get some therapy at times. That does not imply that you love your spouse any less, or that their opinions aren't good enough. It's just that there are times when you really could do with a fresh point of view. There are times when you need some extra help, and that does not make you any less of a person.

People might say that an insider knows best, and that hiring someone new to help with a company's running is an unnecessary expense. There will be people who argue that one must listen to the people who will be most affected by these decisions and that it should be them who help take these decisions. But I maintain that while all this is true, and that employee feedback is extremely important, it should only be a factor behind major decisions being taken. One cannot expect someone to always put the company above themselves or give suggestions which aren't colored with their own biases and prejudices.

In conclusion, I’d like to reiterate that companies could always spend more time listening to their own employees, but consultants, like psychiatrists and marriage counselors, will be necessary