Witchdoctors and Business Consultants
FUNCTIONALISM is culture theory on how or why things work in society. If something in culture or business (family, religion, product) does not provide positive function it will cease to exist. In tribal societies one member of the community is the witchdoctor or shaman. (There is a difference between a sorcerer and a witchdoctor. The work of sorcerer is often meant to cause harm whereas the witchdoctor in animistic societies is meant to help the society and people.)
In the community of companies there are professional advisors called consultants. Their purpose is to help the tribal setting of an organization become more efficient. Functionally, a business consultant is very much like a witchdoctor. Here’s why:
1. A witchdoctor explains why things happen. In tribal societies the problem may be drought or sickness. People go to a witchdoctor, who may kill a goat and read its intestines and through this technique will interpret for people why things are not going well.
Companies secure the help of a business consultant to help explain why there are problems within their group, which may be a financial downturn or personnel problems. The consultant may use any number of analytical tools, give employees tests and from those analysis will explain what the problem is.
2. Witchdoctors function as tribal psychologists. Knowing the people in the village he is familiar with the personalities – those who are troublemakers, cheats and of ill temper. He also knows what people fear, what brings them peace and often works from that knowledge to prescribe a cure.
Using analytical tools the business consultant functions as a village psychologist. Along with personal interviews, the consultant’s job is to find out who may be causing the problem between co-workers and clients. From his position as an outsider he/she recommends steps for a cure.
3. Witchdoctors are seen as a mediator between the evil and sacred. If the spirits of the wind are unhappy and cause problems for the tribe, the witchdoctor is called in to mediate between man and spirit. The witchdoctor is not seen as sacred within himself, but acts as a go-between the spiritual and human domain.
Many problems in a company are because of a divide between the labor and management (depending on which side of the divide you are will determine if you are a part of the evil and sacred). If labor and management are not talking to one another they call in the business consultant to mediate. Business consultants don’t like unions because it takes away part of their function as mediators.
4. The shaman is a broker to bring about equilibrium, i.e. follow these steps and enjoy peace and forgiveness. Find the tail of a hawk and put it under your bed for three days; kill a goat and sprinkle its blood on the gate of your compound; smear cow-dung on your head and wear it for two weeks and you will have peace, prosperity and happiness.
For the business consultant, he/she gives action steps to follow: recommend terminating department or person; suggests the company restructure if they want to prosper or achieve of company cohesiveness.
5. Witchdoctors operate in emotionally charged situations. No one seeks a witchdoctor until there is a problem. It’s when a child is sick; the neighboring enemy tribe is near that people seek for help from the witchdoctor. No one invites the witchdoctor until there is a crisis.
Likewise, companies rarely seek outside help from a consultant until there is financial or personnel crisis. By the time the consultant is called in the problem is so dire that a consultant is brought in as a last resort. Like the witchdoctor, this works to the consultants advantage: (a) It keeps him/her in business and (b) they have little to lose if he/she fails but gains quite a bit if they can pull the company out of crisis,
6. Witchdoctors are seen as a positive function among tribal because they help people take action. Delays in making decisions can be both stressful and ineffective. Divination allows a person actually to make a decision and this, in itself, is valuable.
Business consultants are helpful in that they mobilize management and labor into action. Making hard decisions is often avoided, but by bringing in an outsider to tell people what they need to do is seen as a welcome contribution.
7. Witchdoctor fees are high. I observed a witchdoctor under a tree with a woman as he divined her problem by throwing sandals in the air. Tied to the tree was a goat, which was payment for services rendered. A goat in that society was the equivalent of a month’s wages.
Hiring a business consultant is not cheap and what some of them charge for their advice are greater than the average worker will make in a month or more. However, given their function, contributing to the bottom line or making the company work more effective, a consultant may be an investment that is worthwhile.
As an anthropologist, I am not making a value judgment of witchdoctors or business consultants. Functionally they are the same, for better or worse.
In the community of companies there are professional advisors called consultants. Their purpose is to help the tribal setting of an organization become more efficient. Functionally, a business consultant is very much like a witchdoctor. Here’s why:
1. A witchdoctor explains why things happen. In tribal societies the problem may be drought or sickness. People go to a witchdoctor, who may kill a goat and read its intestines and through this technique will interpret for people why things are not going well.
Companies secure the help of a business consultant to help explain why there are problems within their group, which may be a financial downturn or personnel problems. The consultant may use any number of analytical tools, give employees tests and from those analysis will explain what the problem is.
2. Witchdoctors function as tribal psychologists. Knowing the people in the village he is familiar with the personalities – those who are troublemakers, cheats and of ill temper. He also knows what people fear, what brings them peace and often works from that knowledge to prescribe a cure.
Using analytical tools the business consultant functions as a village psychologist. Along with personal interviews, the consultant’s job is to find out who may be causing the problem between co-workers and clients. From his position as an outsider he/she recommends steps for a cure.
3. Witchdoctors are seen as a mediator between the evil and sacred. If the spirits of the wind are unhappy and cause problems for the tribe, the witchdoctor is called in to mediate between man and spirit. The witchdoctor is not seen as sacred within himself, but acts as a go-between the spiritual and human domain.
Many problems in a company are because of a divide between the labor and management (depending on which side of the divide you are will determine if you are a part of the evil and sacred). If labor and management are not talking to one another they call in the business consultant to mediate. Business consultants don’t like unions because it takes away part of their function as mediators.
4. The shaman is a broker to bring about equilibrium, i.e. follow these steps and enjoy peace and forgiveness. Find the tail of a hawk and put it under your bed for three days; kill a goat and sprinkle its blood on the gate of your compound; smear cow-dung on your head and wear it for two weeks and you will have peace, prosperity and happiness.
For the business consultant, he/she gives action steps to follow: recommend terminating department or person; suggests the company restructure if they want to prosper or achieve of company cohesiveness.
5. Witchdoctors operate in emotionally charged situations. No one seeks a witchdoctor until there is a problem. It’s when a child is sick; the neighboring enemy tribe is near that people seek for help from the witchdoctor. No one invites the witchdoctor until there is a crisis.
Likewise, companies rarely seek outside help from a consultant until there is financial or personnel crisis. By the time the consultant is called in the problem is so dire that a consultant is brought in as a last resort. Like the witchdoctor, this works to the consultants advantage: (a) It keeps him/her in business and (b) they have little to lose if he/she fails but gains quite a bit if they can pull the company out of crisis,
6. Witchdoctors are seen as a positive function among tribal because they help people take action. Delays in making decisions can be both stressful and ineffective. Divination allows a person actually to make a decision and this, in itself, is valuable.
Business consultants are helpful in that they mobilize management and labor into action. Making hard decisions is often avoided, but by bringing in an outsider to tell people what they need to do is seen as a welcome contribution.
7. Witchdoctor fees are high. I observed a witchdoctor under a tree with a woman as he divined her problem by throwing sandals in the air. Tied to the tree was a goat, which was payment for services rendered. A goat in that society was the equivalent of a month’s wages.
Hiring a business consultant is not cheap and what some of them charge for their advice are greater than the average worker will make in a month or more. However, given their function, contributing to the bottom line or making the company work more effective, a consultant may be an investment that is worthwhile.
As an anthropologist, I am not making a value judgment of witchdoctors or business consultants. Functionally they are the same, for better or worse.
posted by RG Lewis at 8:25 AM
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