Consulting as story‐making

Abstract

Story‐telling has been identified as a metaphor for management consulting which focuses on the consultant as “impression manager”. The convincing power of strong stories told by consultants is emphasised. In this article management consulting is conceptualised through the metaphor of story‐making, identifying co‐operation and reflection as characteristic features. A specific consultancy process is interpreted as a co‐operative effort between the consultant and the client in which plot lines and characters are constructed. Plots can be opened or closed, and characters can be settled or negotiated. Thus story‐making as a reflective act moves between enhancing reflection and preparing for action.

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