I read with interest the article from August 20 in the Huffington Post about management consultants (I would encourage all to read The Great Management Consultancy Scam). While the article focused on downsizing recommendations by consultants, it was quite critical of the profession.

In a few short days, the article has touched off quite the firestorm of discussion regarding the profession. Indeed, a reading of the comments posted following the article shows the authors of the comments to be polarized, either very critical or very supportive of management consultants and the profession.

I have reflected on this article for several days and am reminded of the quote (usually attributed to the comedian George Carlin), something like, "Somewhere in the world there is the worst doctor, and people are lined up to see him." Every profession, from doctors to management consultants, has a range of competencies and capabilities -- from the worst to the best with most practitioners in-between the extremes. However, there is a tool out there that can help clients separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak, the Certified Management Consultant™ (CMC^®) certification issued by the Institute of Management Consultants USA.

The CMC^® certification is the Gold Standard that executives should take into account when selecting a management consultant. Recognized in 47 nations across the globe including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, China, and many others, CMC^®s are recognized as experts in their profession; the Mark represents their achieving highest global standards of competency, professionalism and ethical practices as a professional consultant.

The earning of the CMC^® by a management consultant is no trivial matter; it can be likened to an attorney passing the Bar examination, an accountant receiving a CPA, or an engineer obtaining their PE license. A candidate must submit to the most rigorous vetting process in the profession which includes receiving multiple positive client satisfaction surveys, taking in-depth examinations covering consulting competencies and ethics, and sitting for an exhaustive panel interview by senior CMC^®s.

Clients can be confident that the consultant who has earned the CMC^® certification has a history of excellent performance in delivering results to clients; has met world-class standards of competence, ethics, and client satisfaction; and has maintained this level of professionalism through continuing education and periodic certification renewal.

IMC USA is about professionalism, consulting competency and ethics. From professional educational opportunities through the Academy, to our annual conference Confab (coming up in October), to thought-leadership teleseminars of Consultapalooza, to a rigorous Code of Ethics with its enforcement procedures, to the local Chapter meetings and online Communities of Practice, and through its CMC^® certification, IMC USA differentiates its members as the best of the best.

Which brings me to the newest news and one more reason for my optimism. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a worldwide federation of national standards bodies, has now accredited our certification process (this prestigious recognition is known as ISO/IEC 17024:2003).This globally accepted accreditation further emphasizes the higher professional standards and ethics that IMC USA s as the benchmark for its certification process and the Certified Management Consultant™ (CMC^®) credential.

How will this help you? Think differentiation. Just as ISO 9000 established the global standard for providing quality management systems, ISO’s accreditation of our certifying process will provide assurance about the quality of management consulting, and enhance client satisfaction in the process.

I feel badly for those folks who have had unsatisfactory experiences with consultants, but I suspect they were working with consultants who were not certified. If you want to ensure you get the results you expect (i.e., what you are pay for), require your consultants have the CMC^® - the highest global standard for professionalism, consulting competency and ethics of the profession.

To download a copy of IMC's brochure "How to Hire a Management Consultant and Get the Results You Expect," please click here.