A consulting question for former GE Exec Bill Conaty at the

“What’s the prevailing attitude of executives towards management consultants in these times — is there a role for management consultants in the post-economic crisis world?”

Conaty’s answer will give cold comfort to those in the consulting field: while he did mitigate his remarks by suggesting that there are two sides to the issue, the bulk of his response was summed up as follows:

“If you’re not a high value-add, you’re getting closer to the unemployment line.”

Ouch.

Just for the sake of balance, the other side of the equation, according to Conaty, is that some companies are so stripped to the bone that they need consultants just to help them exist. Good luck finding one of those.

--Posted by Phil Stott, Vault Staff Writer