A damaging mindset mistake experienced hires make
In MBB firms, doing only what you were asked is very dangerous. Partners expect you to take the lead, overdeliver, and impress. Take extreme ownership of your work. That's how you win at this game.
You know, when coaching dozens of MBB consultants, I often notice one common mindset mistake.
Experienced hire consultants tend to just execute the tasks given by their partners, nothing more. They believe partners know better. They believe their job is to implement partners’ vision and wishes.
But it's a huge mistake!
Here's why.
This reminds me of how my robot vacuum cleaner works at my home. When it finishes its job, it parks itself and then waits for new commands.
Don't be like a mindless robot.
In MBB consulting, you’re expected to drive your work. Take initiative. Propose new ideas. Solve ambiguous problems. Uncover insights no one asked for.
If you don’t, you’ll stay average, and in MBB consulting, being average is not a safe place. You will not get the best staffing opportunities and will not work with the best partners. This adds up over time into a less-than-perfect career trajectory and mediocre experiences.
I made this mistake early in my consulting career. For two years, I just “executed.” I worked really hard, but my performance was average, and my sponsorship was weak.
You know, I joined McKinsey at 34 as an experienced hire. And experienced hires are more susceptible to this mistake because that’s how they were used to working in the industry, where excellent execution was valued more than original thinking.
Unfortunately, back then, no one told me this simple truth.
But now you know it.
Take extreme ownership of your work. Always generate your own ideas, perspectives, and next steps. Spell them out. Make yourself visible.
That's how you can get ahead in this game.
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