Authority Quote by Keith Waterhouse
“A consultation process is what some authority sets in motion preparatory to doing what it intended all along.”
About This Quote
Authority often initiates a consultation to legitimize actions they planned all along.
In simple terms: Consultations can mask pre‑planned decisions.
Key Takeaway
Question the motives behind formal processes.
Themes
power
process
transparency
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
advice
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- corporate strategy
- legal proceedings
Key Concepts
political science
organizational behavior
Questions to Reflect On
- Why are consultations sometimes token?
- Who truly benefits from the outcome?
A Different Perspective
Consultations may be performative rather than genuine.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)