How to manage up in consulting?
How to manage up in consulting?
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Hi there,
Great question!
First: Read the 25 tips in my consulting handbook here: https://www.spencertom.com/2018/01/14/consulting-survival-guide/
Second: While working making sure you:
1) Understand the context/prompt (what role are you in, what company, who's watching, etc.)
2) Understand the objective (what, specifically, is expected from you...both day to day, and in your overall career progression)
3) Quickly process information, and focus on what's important - Take a lot of information and the unknown, find the most logical path, and focus on that.
4) Are comfortable with the unknown, and learn to brainstorm - think/speak like an expert without being one
5) Communicate frequently and effectively with your boss - I.e come in with a view/solution (not just problems), flag blockers/delays early, and be succinct in your communication (get to the point quickly)
In summary, there will always be a flood of information, expectations, competition etc. and not enough time. Find out which ones matter when. (i.e. be visibile and focus efforts on the things that people care about)
How to build-up confidence: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/as-a-new-consultant-how-to-build-up-confidence-dealing-with-bossclient-7015
How to manage expectations: https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-manage-expectation-and-wow-your-boss-6954
(edited)
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Certainly an art in itself and most important - I ll try to keep it as short as possible:
- Clearly manage expectations (underpromise, overdeliver)
- Get exposure to them in the first place - high-quality exposure (e.g. them seeing you perform in client meetings)
- Be very clear on the big-picture goal of the case, not just the tiny unimportant goal of a specific analysis you may be working on
- Show deep interest
- Come across as intrinsically motivated and positive, always seeing the bright side in this quite hectic industry
- Know your stuff! Juniors are junior for a reason and have certain jobs, i.e. many want to be leaders as quickly as possible, striking deals etc. However, partners expect your to know everything on your workstream, all the numbers, all the content, all the definitions, down to the footnote - Why? Their job is to sell projects and make the client happy - not (primarily) to jiggle numbers
- Show confidence
- Have regular check-ins to demonstrate that they can rely on you - best way you make your boss happy is by saving him time and / or stress
- ....
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Hello!
To add on top of what has been shared: feedback is extremly important.
Furthermore, the very open and direct feedback culture is something unique and, at the beggining, shocking in MBB.
Cheers,
Clara
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Hey,
Great question!
This area is something you will improve over time. Dont expect to nail it overnight or in a few weeks. From my experience, there are five main principles to this:
- Regular interaction (i.e be visible and dont hide) and ask for their feedback & coaching. Clarify politely if something is not clear to you. Dont be afraid to say No but provide good reasons
- Become credible by knowing (really well) your content, industry of whatever area you are involved in. Become reliable by doing high quality work on time
- Social styles (https://tracom.com/social-style-training/model)- over time, try and understand their style and your own. Customise your communications style & approach to them to fit to this
- Think of them as "customers" . Whatever you do, try and make it easy for them to respond to you, advise you or help you
- Think of being part of the solution and not the problem. If you are going to them with a problem, come up with some ideas of potential solutions
This is an area I have helped numerous poeple with. So feel free to send me a direct message if you want to discuss further.
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