Hi there,

First of all, I'm really sorry to hear about your situation - this sucks.

A few thoughts here:

1. You need to get used to this. I have had some horrible managers (and some amazing ones). Believe it or not, I have had far worse than what you are describing…this is part of the professional world (sorry)
2. Aim to not take things personally. Aim to not overreact.
3. Just because you need to get used to this, does not mean you need to “accept” it. She sounds terrible. Bide your time and get out from under her ASAP. Recognize that if you don't perform well it's her fault, not yours. You will get a boss in the future who recognizes your worth and builds you up.
4. I personally would highly recommend not going around her and speaking to her superiors. I have never seen this work out well
5. I also advise you to not take advice from a Q&A like this one. This is an immensely complex situation and we only know part of it. You might want to hire a career coach (not case coach) to help you navigate this
6. Reach out to me for my consulting survival guide…it lists out 25 tips for surviving in consulting

For all issues dealing with incompetent managers you will have to force communication. She should by now have told you exactly what the issues are and why she is not communicating with you. Some people just have poor EQ and are uncomfortable having difficult conversations.

Since this is your career at stake, set up a call and have an open and honest 1:1 discussion asking for feedback and how you can improve alongside sharing observations of her behavior which makes you feel left out. I would also reach out to the Partner and HR as a proactive measure. Instead of complaining at this point just mention that you feel like you are not contributing much and that the manager does not seem to want to engage you so you would like their help in becoming better. This way they will be aware of the issue and you can get ahead of any negative feedback the manager might give them.

Hi there,

I'm sorry to hear that you're not having a nice experience: unfortunately, not many people are able to be good leaders, let alone mentors. If this is a high-paced project, then it's understandable why the acting manager might be overly stressed and not have enough time/energy to “babysit" the new joiner. Also, it is easy for people that exclusively worked in consulting their entire life to become a bit close minded and assume that their work process and knowledge base are universal and that, therefore, everyone must operate according to them.

My advice for the short term would be to seek help from peers that are 1-3 years more experienced than you are to channel most of your non project-specific questions to them and ask them for suggestions of where you could improve. Most consulting firms assign a buddy to new joiners, so leverage yours!

For the long term, as someone that worked exclusively on healthcare projects, I would advice to seek projects in the healthcare field, where you will be able to shine and contribute the most. Leverage your strengths and fill in the gaps that you have as quickly as you can.

Good luck!

Hi there, 

I think the expectations weren't properly set. I would recommend to ask for a conversation with the acting manager and explain well your situation (without blaming or much of the negativity) and share what are your expectations. This should help to clarify what is going on and how to move forward. If you don't feel comfortable, hire a coach to help you with this. 

Good luck,

Lucie

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Hello!

Sorry to hear about that, I have been in your shoes and it´s for sure a horrible experience. However, the problem is that is more common than what you would think! And dealing with those situations gracefully is part of the challenge. 

What I would do is address the manager first, and tell her precisely what you are saying here. Ask proactively for feedback and coaching. 

Only if that doesn´t make her react, escalate. But you would look very badly if she hears this from her leadership instead of from you first.  

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi,

Its not nice what you are experiencing but please get ready for tough situations and tough people. Its only one week, so dont draw too many conclusions straight away. You are very new & unproven and sounds like you don't have the credibility and trust yet.

Important thing is to not be get too emotional & sensitive here. People's behaviour is not in your hand. What's totally in your control is that you dont let such events bother you too much. Focus on giving your best and producing high quality work. If there has been any inappropriate behavior, then don't tolerate that at all and escalate by all means.

Build a relationship with the other BA, spend some time with them to understand how you can really add value.

Find some 1-2-1 time with this acting manager during a more relaxed time (Thu evening, Fri perhaps) and discuss the project, role and their expectations. They will open a bit more easily. 

Your performance/contribution needs to match or exceed their expectations. And you need to have clarity on this absolutely. 

Give it some more time and if situation doesn't improve, then approach the Principal.

Hope all goes well for you.