Early in my career my employer felt the need to bring in a consulting firm for a particular effort. I, and my colleagues were not impressed with their work. Ov

Early in my career my employer felt the need to bring in a consulting firm for a particular effort. I, and my colleagues were not impressed with their work. Over time I've come to realize that it's less the what and more the who. That is, if the company could do it themselves they would. But internal politics and such make the needed what too difficult. I work at a (small) company now that desperately needs some "outside influence." Anyone who speaks up interally is marginalized. At this point, no one speaks up. The level of dysfunction is impossible. I can't imagine things changing without outside help.