Learn to Learn Well

The ability to learn in consulting is a superpower. The productivity delta between good and great consultants can be staggering. Those who can learn faster than others will get ahead in this game.

A few weeks ago, I talked to a Harvard Ph.D. turned consultant. It was the first time I had spoken to a world-class scientist.

He faced the typical challenges of any new hire: the job expectations were unclear, the learning tools were inadequate, and coaching and mentorship were scarce and sporadic.

He felt stressed, confused, and alone.

But I could see he had a very sharp mind and high motivation. He needed guidance, the right tools, and information to succeed.

I suggested that he reframe the problem.

I asked him to imagine that consulting is a field he needed to research as a scientist.

The less defined it is, the more interesting it is for him.

He quickly grasped the idea. Suddenly, that whole consulting thing didn't look so intimidating.

He also suggested a learning shortcut: using this newsletter as a source for the first hypotheses to test. I hadn't considered it this way, but it was a good idea.

Now, he has a solid approach to organizing his learning journey. He defines his development goals and forms hypotheses to address them. Then, he plans the experiments and starts testing which practices work best for him.

After a few weeks, he texted me to report his progress. He seemed much more confident and optimistic. He started to get good traction with a few partners.

I loved the new reframing.

I realized that this is how I was intuitively learning as a consultant.

I developed specific learning goals and best practices to test.

I tried a few things, journaled what worked and what didn't, and developed a new set of experiments.

Many things I tried had failed, but I knew I needed to try a few times before discarding them.

It almost became my second job besides my main consulting job.

You can't expect to do the work by brute force and become exceptional in this profession. You need an effective learning system that works for you.

So, in essence, you need to

Become a scientist in your development journey.

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P.S.

I feel your pain.

I struggled to perform as a consultant 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.

Nine years later, I designed the coaching program I desperately needed back then.

Its sole focus is helping MBB consultants 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.

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