Networking with partner at competing firms

Hi there,

Interesting question. Sharing a couple of thoughts based on my own experience, having also had conversations with seniors from competing firms during my time in consulting.

First off, I think 3 contextual questions I think might be helpful for me to give a better answer but also for yourself as you think through how you should approach this:

1. What level are you currently? Below Manager or above Manager?
2. Do you intend to only specialize in your previous industry, or are you open to trying out different industries?
3. Is the competing firm in another city a ‘better’ firm (in your opinion) that you would rather be at, even if you join it and don't end up specializing in your previous industry?

It's fine to build networks and maintain relationships

• Though most people typically focus on internal relationships, people also do build them with externals
• I myself have had relationships with people more senior to me in competing firms

But you should do it in the right way and carefully

• In my own instance, the senior people in competing firms were people that had helped me before I entered consulting, or had become informal mentors throughout my journey
  • I did talk to them about updates, what's going on in my personal life, how I'm finding consulting life, ask their opinions about high level career (i.e. stay in consulting or not)
  • There are certain shared experiences among consulting firms that everyone can empathize and give advice about (e.g. brutal travel, etc)
• Unless you are 100% certain you already want to switch, I probably would not do the following:
  • Ask about recruiting / openings at his firm
  • Ask about his practice area in his firm
  • Talk about any competitive information about your own firm

Nevertheless, there is always the risk of someone leaking information

• The world tends to be small, people may be unprofessional etc
• I have known people who have had your fear (i.e. rumor spreading) happen to them

So what does it mean for you?

• I'm not sure exactly what your short and mid term goals are, and also dont have the contextual information on the first 3 questions i posed above, so its hard for me to give a more reasoned POV
• But if I were to put a POV down now, I'd say its fine to ask for a catch up, and keep it as a catch up
  • If he had somehow to helped you prior to your process, take the opportunity to thank him
  • If you knew him from your industry days, sure take it as an opportunity to catch up 
  • You could ask for tips in general on surviving consulting e.g. “things he wished he had known”
  • But don't mention recruiting nor talk about any competitive information at all
• If you really wanted to switch firms later on, you could always reach out again, and anyways if your area is small and you have the right expertise, then I think getting an interview is not as difficult for you

It is an interesting and delicate question and you'd probably get a range of responses from coaches here. But it still doesn't have a fair bit of important context so happy to chat more if helpful. 

All the best!

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• First of all, I feel it is absolutely fine to treat the conversation as what it is - an attempt to stay in touch for a longer period of time. As such, I would advise you to communicate your ambitions with the partner so that he/she knows and can react accordingly.
• Moreover, it is understandable that you do not want to create rumors. As such, I would highly advise you to keep the conversation private and also ask the partner to do the same. However, there is nothing wrong with talking to people at competing companies, especially if it is with someone from a practice that your current employer does not provide.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there, 

thanks for sharing this question - quite relevant for many people.

To be honest, there's nothing wrong with maintaining relationships with senior people from other firms - it's something perfectly normal and many, if not most consultants will have active network across other industry players. As long as you don't share industry secrets / sensitive company specifics, nothing to worry about - just be mindful of the boundaries.

That said, if you do feel uncomfortable about the matter, suggest you just ask the other party to treat the conversation as a private matter.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

Just do it and build out your network. Partners especially are all about networking and there is usually not the expectation for any immediate next steps. Keep that door open for yourself and cultivate the relationship. Just don't reveal any internal stuff from your current firm to a potential competitor - that's all.

Best of luck

There's nothing wrong with what you are doing. Of course, there's a bit of risk of misinterpretation. But honestly, being good at networking is really important for a consultant. I don't see a big deal with it.

Hi there,

I do not see a major issue here. It's perfectly fine to network (by the way, “real” networking is not about trying to get a referral to a consulting firm, but rather actually building out relationships!)

I don't know your region/market dynamics, so if discretion is required make sure to use it!