Joining MBB at Manager/PL/EM level

#1 Mistake: not asking for help (upwards, laterally and downwards)
#2 Mistake: not asking enough questions 

Basically you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders. Some people avoid asking for help and asking questions because they believe it will seem like they don't know what they're doing. This is a recipe for failure. You should do the opposite: ask for a lot of help to learn how to do things and to make sure you are doing everything the right way.

#3 Mistake: not recognizing the importance of the “internal client”. 

In consulting you need not only to deliver to the client (making the client happy is a priority, of course), but you need to deliver to the Partner. I.e., the partner OWNS the project, if quality (and process) are not up to the partners standards, it doesn't really matter how happy the client is, as the partner will lose trust in you.

Likewise, making sure you have good support from your team is critical. If people don't want to keep working for you (and don't have your back) you won't get far.

Mistake #4 Not assuming 100% project ownership

You are not an individual contributor anymore. You have to assume that you are the person responsible for the day to day project delivery. If something is off-track, of course remember #1 and #2, but never assume that something is not your responsibility, rather assume the opposite. You are there to make sure that the partner doesn't have a headache! (again, headaches are not caused by asking for help, but by the result of not doing so!). But aboid coming with the problem only - you should be able to suggest a few potential solutions and turnarounds!

Let me comment just to reinforce Pedro's comment, that is perfect.

Starting your career at MBB as a Manager is tough, in particular, if you don't have experience in consulting.

You'll have three stakeholders: client, partner(s), and team.
Of them, arguably the most important one is your partner. 

To perform well you have to hone the skills that brought you to the offer (top-down communication, hypothesis-driven problem-solving, presence) and you have to show pragmatism and great work-planning skills. 

If you want to discuss those topics, happy to go through them with a special coaching price because it is my favorite topic.

 

This is very exciting! Congratulations on joining.

It is more difficult to join at the manager level as your expectations on yourself are so high, but you’re moving into a different industry. My top tips are:

1. Be comfortable asking for help. There is a skill to running a project and you’ll need to learn this. Don’t pretend that things are ok when you’re drowning - it always becomes clear when things aren’t working and it’s better to ask for help early
2. Be intentional about what your strengths are. You likely have a wealth of industry knowledge and experience in managing clients. Give that experience to your team and get their help on things you don’t do as well - often powerpoint! 
3. Learn the process of how the firm works early. What are the resources it can give you to make your life easier? Research support, excel support etc 

And mostly, just have fun! 

Hello,

Congrats on the offer!

Tips and advice

If you are joining from a non-consulting background

Don't feel like you need to have the answer for everything, especially in the first few months

• Manager/PL is a tough role and firm leadership recognizes this, all the more since you are a lateral hire

1. Don't be afraid to ask questions
   • Building on the point above, ask and clarify - always better than assuming and getting things wrong or not meeting expectations
2. Leverage more experienced Managers/PLs
   • Reach out and get to know other Managers/PLs, and if possible those who came from a similar transition/background as you
   • Ask them for tips and advice
3. Leverage experienced Consultants/Associates
   • The homegrown consultants (the tenure right before manager/PL) are very experienced, and they often know how to do things better than a lateral Manager/PL
   • Don't feel threatened by them and leverage them as much as you can

If you are joining from a consulting background

1. Don't hold on to your pre-conceived understanding or expectations of how things work in consulting
   • Keep an open mind and be receptive to feedback
2. Don't be affected if people make reference to your previous job
   • You may hear things like “this is not how we do things at [firm]”, or "you are not at [ex firm] anymore
      

In addition to the other aspects mentioned I would recommend to get a bunch of previous project documentations from fellow managers at the firm - ideally of comparable projects. 

That will help you get an idea of what a final handover deliverable might look like, how the firm typically words things and what kinds of templates and standard analyses they use. It's also good to help you guide your team in terms of what they should be working on

Hi there,

Pedro has a fantastic answer.

I would just add that joining at Manager/Pl level is the hardest level to join at.

You're expected to learn the ropes while also managing everyone/everything.

Go easy on yourself and recognize you're not alone in the struggle. I also highly recommend you find allies in other PLs and lean on them to learn/ramp up as effectively as possible.

Good luck!