Can You Create One Impressive Slide Per Day?
Consultants often prioritize process work over content. People tend to gravitate toward what they are comfortable with. But a lack of quality content leads to serious problems down the line.
Let's consider a typical scenario - the start of a new project.
The first two to three weeks of any project are uncomfortable and stressful. I hated them when I was a consultant.
The team is still ramping up, and clients are slow to provide data. But, leadership is already anxious to impress clients. They start applying pressure on the team.
Then, the team goes into a reactive mode of working. That is the moment when the team loses the strategic initiative, and consultants will suffer for that. They will experience 'fun' things like long hours, all-nighters, weekend work, and stupid mistakes.
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To prevent this, consultants must prioritize content creation. Even when it is extremely hard to do.
I have learned one trick that helps the team to gain momentum early in a project. I learned it from a business analyst who once worked with me. His name is Nick.
I staffed Nick on one of the most complex projects that I led. He was nice, always cheerful, smiling, and ready to help others.
His first problem-solving session was a disaster! He showed random numbers and confusing facts. I couldn’t understand anything.
That's not how a BA should approach problem-solving with a manager. Clearly, he wasn’t trained well, and I was worried I made a staffing mistake.
I asked him to gather his thoughts and come back to me in a few hours with a better answer.
The next time, he approached me with just one slide drawn on a notepad. It was a well-structured slide with a clear insight. I could take it to clients and have an intelligent conversation.
I liked it so much! I needed this insight to release the pressure from leadership.
I complimented him on his effort. I jokingly told Nick that he had earned himself 6 hours of free time without me bothering him. But then he needs to bring me another insight to earn another 6 hours of freedom, and so on.
I would be the judge of whether an insight qualifies. It would qualify if we learned something new that was relevant to our project and it helped move the needle.
Although it was a joke, Nick took it very seriously. He downloaded a timer app on his phone and started counting the time since the last insight.
Initially, he brought insights that were good enough to qualify and was always on time.
Basically, he gamified this approach. Like a kid playing a game, he was very excited about it. His motivation and confidence increased with each new insight.
After a few days, he found a game-changing insight. It was a severe financial problem that the client team wasn’t aware of. This completely changed our position with the client. They started respecting us, and everything became much easier.
I was really impressed. I told him that he could stop using his timer. He can do whatever he wants as long as he continues delivering me high-quality insights. He earned my trust and his independence.
I also learned a profound insight myself. The laser-sharp focus on quality content allowed consultants to get quick wins. Quick wins create momentum and lift motivation, making it much easier to work.
So, if you are overwhelmed and work reactively, focus on one impressive insight per day. There will be days when you can't do it, and that's okay. Merely trying to find that one insight will focus your work and lead to better outcomes.
Nick became a distinctive consultant after that project and never got a lower rating than that. One year later, he went to his Harvard MBA. When he returned, he worked on one more project with me and then left for a client, taking a Chief of Strategy role. Now, he is a very successful executive and delivers a fantastic impact. He works on a much larger scale than one insight per day.
My mission is to help consultants to achieve high performance. The purpose of this newsletter is to equip consultants with the right knowledge and best practices.
If you want a more detailed guide on impactful prioritization, read this post:
P.S.
I feel your pain.
As a consultant, I struggled to perform and faced an impossible situation with extremely high expectations and minimal support.
My life turned into relentless stress, pain, and anxiety. But I always suspected that there should be a better way.
All that pain was not necessary with the right support.
Nine years later, I designed the coaching program I desperately needed back then. Its sole focus is helping you excel and achieve high performance.
Only then can you build strong sponsorships, find great projects, and become confident.
If you are an MBB consultant and want to achieve high performance, please
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I love this - one really impressive slide per day is a great target to aim for.