---
id: "quote-obelisk-evolution"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ The Rise of the Consulting Obelisk"]
tags: ["organizational-design", "future-of-work"]
related: ["concept-consulting-obelisk", "contrarian-structural-change"]
speaker: "David S. Duncan, Tyler Anderson and Jeffrey Saviano"
speakers: ["David S. Duncan", "Tyler Anderson", "Jeffrey Saviano"]
sources: ["reskilling"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-reskilling"
originDay: 10
articleStem: "hbr-edu-44-ai-changing-consulting-structure"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-is-changing-the-structure-of-consulting-firms"
sourceTitle: "AI Is Changing the Structure of Consulting Firms"
---
# The Necessity of the Obelisk

> "More than just a cost-efficient response to automation, the obelisk represents a necessary evolution of how consulting talent is structured and deployed. As AI takes over routine tasks, human energy can be reallocated to what matters most: insight, judgment, and trusted partnership."

— [[entity-david-s-duncan]], [[entity-tyler-anderson]], and [[entity-jeffrey-saviano]]

Frames the [[concept-consulting-obelisk]] as a *reallocation of human energy*, not merely cost-cutting — the emotional and strategic core of the article, and the setup for the three roles in [[framework-obelisk-roles]].