Hi all. Another one of my throw-a-question-out-there-and-see-what-happens posts ... LOLI am triggered by a recent thread on venting frustration (ref 25473), and also a number of others where someone wants to go from X to "management consulting".Strong views abound, but I'm interested in a reasoned analysis on this. Not an original theme, sure, but never actually addressed so far on this forum. There are several regular contributors here whose insights are worth looking at, so hope to hear your views.What is a consultant? How it this different from a management consultant, and is this different from a business consultant? Then we have those who believe that strategy is the only area worthy of the consultant name. How about HR consultants, or integration consultants, or operational improvement consultants.You get the idea.Geniune question. I hope to hear from you.

Why not consult a dictionary and find out?My view is that a consultant is somebody you consult for advice.It's all just a matter of semantics. The name is less important than what the job actually is. Think "refuse engineer" versus "dustman". Same job, different title.

Consultant is a term for anyone who offers advice based on some (percieved) level of insight.Those professionals grouped together under the term consultants (in the business sense as here) are so tenuously connected that it is no surprise that some become a little snooty and feel that the numbers in the ranks somewhat diminishes their prestige.What confuses me is why it is the strategy troops who seem to get most upset. You have a word of your own that the rest of us could not lay claim to in 'strategist' so why not use that?The problem with the overuse, and lack of definition, for the term consultant is that it is beginning to lose it's value.If everyone is a consultant then what is the differentiator?

The problem of course is that most of the (obviously) junior strat bods who get snooty, hardly do 'strategy' for clients. Heck they're lucky to ever see or interact with an actual client let alone help plan their strategy.Obviously the more mature ones who progress are a tad more sensible and well rounded than the trolls we get on this board.

OK, so based on the responses so far, we are defining consultant in terms of advice. Under these terms, only advisory roles count.Where does that leave the concept of consultants as providers of analysis, and even specialist skills, to a client?

In that case, you need to broaden the context and scope of advice beyond the conventinal view of what is construed as an advice.Providers of analysis and specific skills can be categorically recognised as consultants as long as they provide advice on their analysis as well as specific skills to clients. In construction industry for example, many senior or retired civil or structural engineers are hired as project consultants for their technical skills in the specific areas of the construction project.