Yes, but what does it mean?

The Life: Competition is fierce in the UAE's consulting industry, which is why some experts are aiming to be creative without resorting to gimmicks during their work.

Mark and Astra Rogers brought their consulting firm Sound Impressions to Abu Dhabi last year.

In the classic rock 'n' roll mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, the lead singer dismisses the band's critics by commenting: "It's such a fine line between clever and stupid."

The same could be said of the consulting game, where professionals aim to be creative without resorting to gimmicks in order to keep the audience's attention.

According to a study from the University of Munich's school of management, clients are often disappointed with consultants for taking a one-size-fits-all approach to companies and relying on too much "consultant-speak".

Avoiding these traps is doubly important because the field is so competitive in the Emirates, with hundreds of companies vying for consulting gigs on the promise they can improve the communication, leadership and overall productivity of employees.

Mark and Astra Rogers, who have worked with companies including ExxonMobil and T-Mobile in the UK, brought their firm, Sound Impressions, to Abu Dhabi last year.

Their pitch is that they can help staffers by tapping into training techniques gleaned during their days as professional actors on the stage, radio and television.

To improve the enunciation, modulation, pace and rhythm of someone's particular speech patterns before an important presentation, Mr Rogers writes personalised pieces around the employee's specific interests.

Individuals then practice reading the scripts for a few minutes each day in, say, the bathroom while getting ready for work or during a morning commute in the car.

"We know if we give people traditional vocal and acting exercises, they will say, 'thank you' but won't use them," says Mrs Rogers.

Other consultants with more traditional backgrounds say the key to being rehired, or getting a recommendation to other firms, is keeping employees engaged by whatever means necessary.

"My main focus as an entrepreneur is to bring training solutions to the region that weren't previously available so that training is fun and engaging for participants," says Natalie Sejean, who quit the corporate world to open her own consultancy, 10 Degrees North, last year.

"You don't want to sit in a classroom with someone droning on."

Ms Sejean's arsenal includes a variety of games such as Thumball, which is tossed around in group sessions as an icebreaker to start conversations, as well as GlobalTech, a computer simulation game designed to train leaders to become more efficient managers.

During one of her sessions last week, Lara Christopher tried her luck at a board game called DrawSuccess. It relied on dice and cards, where players such as Ms Christopher and her colleagues from a marketing agency in Dubai responded to different scenarios and had their answers matched to a certain personality colour.

After a tentative start, the group seemed to get into the activity.

Ms Christopher was ultimately labelled as green, which is defined as someone who demonstrates leadership and is more goal and task-driven.

"I'm hoping to become more blue," says Ms Christopher. "Blue is softer, a bit more sensitive and doesn't come across as so harsh when giving instructions and being critical. It [the game] was effective. People had a good time but learnt a lot."