Hi,

Sharing my thoughts having managed and coached experienced hires myself when I was a Project Leader/Principal. This is indeed a very common issue for experienced hires. 

• First, I would encourage you to reframe your learning. Instead of trying to ‘bridge' or ‘close the gap’, I really do think you should be approaching the consulting skillset as something fresh/new to be picked up from scratch
  • The reason for this is (depending on what exactly you mean by ‘bottom-up’ and ‘fact based’) that the consulting mindset/approach is rather different and in a way that many other corporate/public sector environments dont work in
  • Thus it will be very difficult to ‘bridge’ 2 different styles because sometimes they are really not meant to be bridged → rather, each of them have a role to play/an environment in which they are suited for
• Second - do know that the skills you are struggling with are skills that even homegrown consultants may struggle with as well, especially storyboarding and storylining. Thus, there will be plenty of knowledge and resources for you to tap on (esp if you are at MBB)
• Picking up these skills to me is a function of
  • Understanding what they mean and also why it is needed for what consultants do
  • Understanding what good looks like
  • Deliberately attempting / practicing these skills 
    • Depending on the specific skill, there are of course more specific suggestions I can give (e.g. some useful questions to always ask yourself when you are making a story/slide etc)
• Based on the above point, what you must learn how to leverage is what the firm has to offer, in addition to your own effort
  • Manager → in your feedback sessions, make sure you push your manager to explain to you what good looks like, where you could have done better and how you could have done better
  • Peers → very very important and powerful resource. Get practical tips and advice on specific questions you have; run by your thinking or storyline with your peers
  • L&D/training team → reach out for resources/materials
  • Yourself → review, question, and reason it out until you get things
    • E.g. When the manager has taken over the master and adjusted your content/storyboard for the SteerCo etc, take the time to review the material and what he/she changed and understand why those changes were made
    • E.g. Ask your manager/peers for killer samples of content that demonstrate the skills you are lacking - review them and dissect the logic. Even better, reach out to the authors and ask them to explain to you how they came up with their story etc

It is not easy but I have seen it done before. Happy to share more specific suggestions - just drop me a dm.

All the best!

Hi there,

To be very honest, I highly highly recommend coaching. Seriously. You have many years of ingrained habits and are looking for a fundamental mindset shift.

Sounds like your current role *might* be at risk due to this mindset shift need….why risk your entire job/career because you're relying on a simple Q&A (which will not magically fix your thinking) versus training.

It's like you're a professional athlete who was injured, and now you're deciding to do rehab on your own without a professional rehab/personal trainer!

Here's some reading in general to help you in your role: consulting survival guide

HEre's something I wrote on Frameworking/Case LEadership that also applies to your current issue

Frameworking/Case Driving

First, remember that casing isn't just about memorizing every step, industry, case type, etc. It's about learning how to be adaptable and nimble. So, always be prepared for the unexpected.

1. All cases are structured, wheather you realise the structure or not. It's your job to keep it organised and keep it to a good flow/framework!

2. Figure out what data/information you need and ask for it: The interviewer won't just give it to you (just like your client won't know what you need from them). Use your framework to dive into areas! If your interviewer insists they don't have data in that area (after you've gone specific), then go into another area of your framework (or expand out).

3.In this case try and keep a mini framework in your head. You can write as you talk as well.

When you say "not those kinds of questions an interview-led style would ask" this shows me that you're limited in your preparation....don't come in expecting a certain format/style! Be ready to drive your own case if needed. Think if you were on a real life project and asked to lead it...this is what they need you to demonstrate!

Frameworks

If there's anything to remember in this process, is that cases don't exist just because. They have come about because of a real need to simulate the world you will be in when you are hopefully hired. As such, remember that they are a simplified version of what we do, and they test you in those areas.

As such, remember that a framework is a guide, not a mandate. In the real-world, we do not go into a client and say "right, we have a framework that says we need to look at x, y, and z and that's exactly what we're going to do". Rather, we come in with a view, a hypothesis, a plan of attack. The moment this view is created, it's wrong! Same with your framework. The point is that it gives us and you a starting point. We can say "right, part 1 of framework is around this. Let's dig around and see if it helps us get to the answer". If it does, great, we go further (but specific elements of it will certainly be wrong). If it doesn't, we move on.

So, in summary, learn your frameworks, use the ones you like, add/remove to them if the specific case calls for it, and always be prepared to be wrong. Focus rather on having a view, refering back to the initial view to see what is still there and where you need to dive into next to solve the problem.

HOW to learn/think in the right way.

1. Frame based on the objective: Identify exactly what the objective is, then think about the areas you would look at to solve the problem.
2. Think of buckets as "building blocks" - understand the 10-odd buckets that exist out them (Market, Product, Company, How to Enter, etc.). Learn these, and what their used for, then think of them as ingredients that you then pluck out and tailor to your framework.
3. Practice with Introduction, then End, then framework:
   1. ​ Practice a number of cases where you hear just the introduction, then build a framework.
   2. THEN, look at the end of the case and what conclusion was made, and re-do your framework.
   3. THEN, look at what framework(s) was/were proposed as the answer.
4. Read the Economist religiously: The Economist is an excellent, longer-term base knowledge/thinking resource for you. I've found that reading the Economist over the years has been instrumental in helping to shape my thinking and holistically understand problems, whether political, economic, social, or anything in between. Feel free to throw in the Financial Times or BCG Insights into the mix!

(editiert)

Hey!

The fact that you're asking this question is great news. 

It already shows that you've identified these are to work on.

And they ring true. They're exactly the same ones industry hires usually have when joining consulting firms. 

The most important thing is not to freak out. See it as part of the process. The coolest thing about starting in consulting is the learning experience. So embrace that steep curve. 

There are two articles that I'll share below that synthesize the most important things I've (painfully) learned about being an effective consultant in your first year:

• Free Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Free Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Aside from this, I'd recommend that you find a mentor. 

Either somebody from within the firm that you genuinely look up to or a coach / expert from here on the platform. 

I play this role with many of my former coachees in their current roles and it makes such a huge difference to have somebody guiding you who has gone through similar experiences.

Best,
Cristian