I am stuck in firefighting
Often, consultants find themselves working in a firefighting mode. It happens to everyone. But it’s easy to get stuck in this place, and even fall into a downward spiral. What to do in this situation?
“I am stuck in firefighting mode.”
A BCG consultant texted me at 2 am.
The partner had given her harsh feedback.
She was too slow. Her slides were not crisp enough.
Her PL made it even worse by giving her nothing but formatting work, which made it really hard to showcase herself.
She told me,
“I can’t get my slides right. They are either too detailed or too high-level. I do so many iterations, it’s embarrassing.”
If you are a consultant, you know how it goes.
You make mistakes, you get harsh feedback, it kills your confidence, you make more mistakes, and the cycle keeps spinning again and again.
It’s a vicious cycle.
You dig yourself into a deep emotional hole (unintentionally). It feels impossible to get out of that hole once you’re in it. The deeper you are, the harder it is to recover.
The problem is never just slides.
I see this pattern too many times. It’s never one thing. It’s a set of issues, both technical and psychological at the same time, feeding into each other.
What to do in this situation?
So I put her on a strict recovery plan.
A set of simple actions and mindset reframes.
To be honest, the technical fixes are fairly straightforward.
Make sure you understand the problem. Prioritize important things. Think before you produce. Produce high-quality outputs. That’s it, really.
But here’s the thing: when you’re emotionally drained, exhausted, and your confidence is shattered, even the simplest fixes feel like climbing a steep mountain.
That’s why the recovery has to start with very simple but effective actions.
You must stop the bleeding first.
Find what specific actions create the most drag. Fix them with the best practice techniques. Slowly, you start gaining momentum, and that will feel much better.
Emotional state improves, which will give you additional motivation.
I know it’s hard, but it’s possible. You just need to be more intentional, less reactive.
If you feel stuck in your performance and development, I wrote a simple guide on what you can do, a set of simple actions, and mindset reframes.
Free Guide: How to Get Unstuck
If you are an MBB consultant and want to improve your performance through personalized coaching support:
We will discuss your pain points, challenges, and aspirations. It’s a no-commitment call, just straight answers to your biggest questions.
If you want to learn more about my coaching program, read this post: The coaching program for MBB consultants.