Fix the Most Common and Damaging Mistake
Fix the Most Common and Damaging Mistake
You would be surprised how often consultants misunderstand their tasks. It is quite a basic mistake, but it hurts consultants in a big way.
When junior consultants accept tasks, they usually don't probe for more details. Then, they realize that they wasted their time solving the wrong problems. This is not only painfully embarrassing but extremely damaging to their reputation.
→ Instead, ensure you answer the right question. Clarify the task at the time of acceptance. Playback your understanding to avoid miscommunication.
Let me tell you Brandon's story. Unfortunately, it is not a happy end story.
AUDIO NARRATIVE - Listen to this post on Speechify
Brandon is a lateral hire and senior consultant with two years of tenure.
His journey was challenging. He didn't have enough project time in his first year, which hindered his development.
The second year was a battle of survival and catching up. A slowdown in the consulting industry resulted in even fewer staffing opportunities.
I was surprised to learn about his challenges. He seemed like 'high performer' material to me. He is intelligent, a great problem solver, resourceful, and mature. He has this magnetic presence and gravitas that clients love.
I could observe him in action while he worked on a parallel team. We did a few joint tasks together, enough to form a favorable opinion of him.
A few months later, I needed a standalone consultant to help me with an internal project. That project was important for my career, and I didn't want to take someone random I didn't know.
I remembered Brandon. He was available, but he hesitated to join my project. Typically, internal projects don't carry the same weight as client ones, which was a fair concern.
To motivate him to join my project, I promised to coach him intensively. I was confident that I could help him.
We started working together. Almost immediately, I could see the gaps in Brandon's consulting toolkit. He could work well, but his whole operating model was out of balance.
He wasted lots of time. He created too many random pages but didn't spend enough time on critical ones. His structuring was messy, and the quality of the slides was subpar. He used to bring me early drafts with no clear ideas.
The most damaging mistake he was making consistently was not accepting tasks well. He always said 'Yes' to everything, like a soldier. He never asked clarifying questions. He never challenged my thinking.
I was often unsure if he correctly understood what I was asking him. That made me ramble and repeat the same points again and again. He just listened and nodded.
Then, no surprise, he was not creating what I expected. Sometimes, it was completely wrong, wasting our time.
I started getting agitated, and my positive opinion of him began to deteriorate. That was a good moment for coaching.
The key challenge in this situation is that consultants may not be aware of this mistake. And then they can’t fix the problem they did not know existed. They can work for many years without knowing the root cause of their troubles.
Then, when they hear about it, it sounds too obvious, and consultants don't take it seriously. But applying it in practice consistently is super hard. For example, even for me with nine years of consulting experience, sometimes I forget to do it myself.
I learned this the hard way. After hurting myself so many times, I eventually figured out what was my problem. But it cost me dearly because of all the negative points I scored and the stress I endured.
Even though consultants know what they need to do, they often forget it in the spur of the moment. It takes real self-awareness and discipline to do it right.
For example, it took Brandon at least five tries to develop awareness and a basic routine. Every time, I had to remind him to clarify the tasks.
I was shocked by two facts: first, Brandon was still making this basic mistake even after two years of tenure, and second, he was completely unaware of it. That was a direct result of an under-apprenticeship. Nobody explained it to him in plain language.
After just a few weeks, Brandon's performance improved dramatically. He started to gain confidence. He became a versatile problem-solver, often coming up with unique and bold ideas. He was ready to take on a more challenging project and perform well there.
Apparently, he had a very strong problem-solving mind, but it was not showing due to all the noise and inefficiencies in his operating model. Once we cleared that, he could truly shine and solve complex problems with elegance and speed.
But remember, this is not a happy-end story.
Unfortunately, the staffing challenges caught up with him. His old reputation was holding him back. And in tough times like this, it can be a deal breaker.
He couldn't find a project for a couple of months. I tried to help by providing stellar feedback, but unfortunately, it didn't help.
Now, his prognosis doesn't look great. If he doesn't find a project in the next few weeks, he will get a Concerns rating in his next review. After that, it will become 10x harder to recover. This will likely lead to a Counsel-To-Leave decision at the end of this summer.
Sadly, he lost too much time and sustained too much damage. He simply ran out of time to make a sharp turnaround. Even if he is talented, intelligent, and capable, he will most likely be forced to leave.
He was so close to making it. Now, only a miracle can help him. Brandon really got unlucky!
My mission is to help consultants avoid Brandon's story happening to them. With this newsletter, I equip consultants with the right knowledge to achieve high performance.
If you want a more detailed guide on accepting tasks, read this post: Eliminate Work Waste.
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
Book a 1-1 Discovery Session.
Learn more about the Hero Journey coaching program.