Reputational Damage!!!???

There is an old saying, "any press is good press".  Well, I'm not sure about this...especially with Showtime releasing a new series on management consultants, titled, "House of Lies".  In Canada, this is on TMN, starting tonight.

I realize it is fiction.  I realize it is comedy.  I realize it is entertainment.  I realize that lawyers, doctors and other professionals have been portrayed and satirized in television shows, but there is something here that really is dangerous because it can shape the public's perception.

This show is based on Martin Kihn's book, "House of Lies"  How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Then Tell You the Time."  The show includes a sleaziness that includes the lead character doing whatever it takes to win the contract....including lying, sleeping with the clients, abusing expense accounts, using B-School acronyms to confuse and taking advantage of the situation....you get the picture.

Reputational damage.  Huge.

Are we concerned?  Big time.

Let's hope the series doesn't attract many viewers and it ceases to be an issue in a few weeks.

But, we are not taking this sitting down.  We are in discussions with IMC USA to see what can be done to minimize the impact on our profession's reputation.  The majority of us have worked too hard to see Hollywood inflict this kind of damage.