So a few weeks ago, I saw a tweet that asked about ‘most awkward’ presentation.
Given I’d just read a terribly superficial [and out-of-touch] document they’d written on China, it reminded me of something that happened with me and McKinsey in China a few years ago.
So I wrote this:
As soon as I posted it, I knew it had hit a nerve as my phone was continually buzzing – but whereas it normally stops after about 4 seconds, this carried on. In fact it got more intense. So intense in fact that within 48 hours, it had achieved this:
22,000 likes.
5,500 retweets
300+ comments
In addition to that, I got contacted by people in the US, Mexico and China who said I had set off a vibrant debate in their respective countries via their respective versions of Linkedin, Instagram and Twitter.
Hell, I even got contacted by Consulting Humour [which is apparently ‘a thing’] who wanted to post it.
MADNESS.
But what’s even more mad is that almost everyone who commented was nice to me.
Even the people who disagreed with what I’d written.
And yet, despite all that, I found it overwhelming … like being in a car that’s on the edge of going out of control.
It got so uncomfortable that I had to delete my Twitter for a few hours so I could catch my breath.
But what was obvious was a lot of people have a lot of issues with McKinsey and consultancies as a whole.
The main issue seemingly being they get paid a fortune for their advice but don’t have to take any responsibility for what they recommend.
This was the message a huge range of people working in a huge range of industries said … from small businesses to multinationals to entrepreneurs to ex-McKinsey consultants.
Now I am under no illusion that McKinsey won’t give a shit about what I said – and I don’t blame them – but I do think they should be a bit nervous that an innocuous tweet could create such a shitstorm of commentary and engagement.
However on the off-chance that last sentence encourages the McKinsey lawyers to come after me, I should point a few things:
1. The talk I referred to in the tweet was not a presentation claiming advertising was better than consultancy. It wasn’t even about advertising … more about how cultural innovation can achieve more distinctive brand growth and business optimisation. I think.
2. And while it looks like I pissing on the value of consultants, I wasn’t. I accept, in the right situation, they offer incredible benefits to business … however, when they have no skin in the game – or are offering analysis on cultural behaviour without ever actually interacting in culture – then the effect of their advice can be called into question.
3. But most of all, while I was a cheeky shit in the presentation I gave in Shanghai all those years ago … I definitely said it with a twinkle I the eye and the audience knew that … rather than looking at me thinking I was purely an antagonistic bastard.
Emphasis on ‘purely’.
So while this viral situation was an interesting adventure, I learnt something even more valuable than ‘consultancies’ are the silver bullet to influencer status.
I’m not talking about the grudging respect I might have gained for social media influencers.
Nor the fact I am worried so many people aspire to be one, without maybe realising the mental anguish they will face and the pressure they will place on themselves to perform even better.
No, it’s this …
There are so many people out there who face abuse, judgement and prejudice just for being who they are.
Not just in social media, but in every aspect of their lives.
I can’t imagine having to deal with that level of scrutiny … hell, I couldn’t even deal with 2 days of it and my experience was good.
This not only highlights their strength, but also my privilege.
Of course I knew I had that – but this situation helped me understand it in a way I could feel rather than just understand.
I honestly think it would be worth every white, middle class person to experience … especially the Karen’s of this World, who have the audacity to claim being in their comfortable homes to protect them from catching a deadly virus is equivalent to slavery.
You think I’m making that last bit up don’t you?
I know, it sounds utterly insane to think that could be true.
But in America, insane is often normal.