It was going well until it wasn't
Consultants work really hard. They may feel it's going well. But then, they get completely caught off guard when they receive a negative rating. Let's discuss why it happens and what to do about it.
Imagine you worked hard and always received positive reviews, but then one piece of negative feedback derailed your progress.
I got a really sad message from one of the MBB consultants.
He performed well until his manager was replaced.
Then, almost overnight, he was labeled as an underperforming consultant.
Read our message exchange:
He asked if this situation was common. Unfortunately, it’s quite common, and there are two main reasons for this.
1. Expectations grow very fast
Consultants often don’t understand how fast expectations grow.
What is normal today will be unacceptable in a few months.
They might stagnate in development due to slow projects or sloppy leadership.
Then, they find themselves in a very unpleasant situation.
Suddenly, they get a negative rating and fall into a downward spiral.
And often, it’s too late to turn things around.
2. Feedback is highly subjective
Consultants often don’t understand that feedback is largely subjective.
Leaders use feedback to express their feelings about you.
If leaders like how you work, they will find the right words to express it.
The opposite is also true.
If they don’t like how you work, for whatever reason, they will provide dozens of critical development points.
That is why you should work on developing strong relationships with your leaders. They should know you well and like how you work. That’s how you ensure positive feedback.
The best way to do it is to learn to work very well.
When you produce outputs that excite and impress your leaders, they can’t help but become supportive and enthusiastic about you.
Typically, the fastest way to learn is to get support from great coaches and mentors. It’s like using a cheat code for faster development.
But finding great coaches and mentors is extremely difficult.
Your leaders are not always available to you. They are often preoccupied with their own survival.
They don’t dedicate the time needed for your success, at least not at the level and intensity you need.
They also like to work with high performers only. But for you to become a high performer, you need to receive extensive coaching and mentoring.
It’s a vicious cycle that is hard to break.
That is why I developed a coaching program to help MBB consultants achieve high performance and become successful.
The consulting journey is complex and treacherous.
Walking it alone is extremely difficult. It’s helpful to have the support of someone who has experienced this journey and helped many others.
If you are an MBB consultant and sick of struggling with performance and development, I would like 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.