Like the seafarers of old, managers are constantly searching the horizon for dependable clues that can help them navigate often treacherous business environments. Consultants provide those navigational  guidelines and pointers. They bring ‘evidence’ to bear, or so one would assume, in their efforts to help managers reduce the uncertainty they face when implementing change. When ‘evidence’ is hard to come by, insights based on ‘providence’ and ‘eminence’ may be useful, but must be added to the equation carefully and conscientiously.

This article is a translation of the Dutch article: Ten Have, S., Otto, M., & Barends, E. (2015). Adviseren als gewetensvolle onzekerheidsreductie. Holland Management Review, 159, 27-34.