Don't lose momentum when it's needed the most - EM promotion
Losing momentum before EM promotion can be dangerous. Then, a seemingly good case can turn negative almost overnight. This may lead to a counsel-to-leave decision as there is limited time to recover.
Imagine losing momentum when you needed it the most.
You don't want it to happen just before your EM promotion. But actually, this is quite a common reason why senior consultants don't get promoted to EM.
Consultants often get caught off guard by this.
Why does this happen? Most likely, they didn’t have sufficient sponsorship support, which becomes absolutely critical at the end of the second year as a consultant.
Here’s just one example of this situation. I took this screenshot from a Fishbowl platform where consultants anonymously share their struggles and ask questions.
As I mentioned, it’s quite a common situation.
Here is how it unfolds.
In the first year and part of the second, consultants worked fine, getting average ratings and generic feedback to improve. Nothing seemed too urgent and critical.
Suddenly, after the routine performance review, the average case turns negative. Then, consultants start a hectic battle for survival with little time to recover.
They didn’t know that expectations grow much faster than their organic development. What was average before is no longer enough.
As a result, consultants try to chase partners and ask for sponsorships, but it doesn’t work. It feels awkward for both sides. It’s almost like you asking another person to like you when in fact they don’t.
Of course, in the moment, partners will tell you they are ready to support and sponsor you. But when the moment of truth comes, you won’t feel their love and miss your EM promotion.
But why don’t they ‘like’ you? It’s unfair, right? You worked so hard.
Well, most likely, your work doesn't excite or impress your partners. You don’t stand out from the crowd of other consultants just like you. They are not ready to advocate for you in important decisions like staffing and performance reviews.
It’s not because you were doing a ‘randong walk’ in staffing, like the person in the Fishbowl post suspects. It’s not because you are not good at networking or navigating the political environment. It’s not because you don’t have some soft skills to charm your partners.
The real root cause is poor problem-solving. Well, even an average one won’t cut it here. So you can produce outputs that will truly impress your partners, who by the way, have a very high bar because they have seen a lot in their careers.
The best way to address this is by radically upgrading your problem-solving.
But unfortunately, you are running out of time. If you are a second-year consultant aiming for an EM promotion, you have only a few months to regain momentum.
Upgrading your problem-solving takes a lot of time, especially when you’re doing it alone. Typically, people struggle to see their own problems. You need someone to tell you about them.
This is where an experienced coach can help you, boost your learning, and unlock your performance.
You need a coach, just like elite athletes do.
If you look, all high-level athletes have coaches. Achieving peak performance requires external help and advice. I would argue that at MBB consulting, you perform at a similar level of intensity and pressure as elite athletes. You are an elite athlete in the business environment.
That is why I developed a coaching program for MBB consultants to help them upgrade their problem-solving and achieve high performance.
If you are an MBB consultant and want to improve your performance, I want to speak with you.
Book a Free 1-1 Consultation to discuss whether I can help you through my coaching program. There is no commitment, and you can ask any burning questions in a risk-free environment.
Read this post to learn more about the Hero’s Journey coaching program.
Watch my YouTube video explaining how you can radically improve your problem-solving.