Mistakes CTL (counsel-to-leave) consultants regret about
Mistakes CTL (counsel-to-leave) consultants regret about
CTL cases have risen dramatically as the consulting industry continues rightsizing through layoffs. Unfortunately, many consultants haven't been given a fighting chance in these difficult times.
Here is a letter from a CTL-ed lateral hire consultant I met last year.
He struggled to find projects, and his development trajectory flattened.
He received a Concerns rating in his first review and CTL in the second one.
The following letter was slightly edited for better readability, but the main messages remained intact.
Hi, my name is Andrew.
Receiving a Concerns rating shocked me.
Everyone assured me the first review was just a pulse check—nothing to worry about.
My work became a constant battle of survival.
Staffing became impossible.
Nobody wanted a troubled consultant when dozens of normal ones were available.
But I had my good moments.
Miraculously, I found a project. I showed some positive progress there.
For a moment, I thought I was going to make it.
Until I didn't when I received a CTL rating and had to leave the firm.
Maybe I would have survived in better times, but not this time.
I was deeply hurt.
I had never failed at anything on this scale in my life. I had so many plans, and now I wasted that great opportunity.
It took me some time to recover and share my story.
Here’s what I wish I had known earlier.
1. Learn to make great slides
Before this job, I had never created a single slide in my life.
I thought, who cares about slides if we solve real problems?
But I missed a critical point.
Whether we like it or not, this’s how we communicate our ideas with clients, and how they assess our work.
Hence, my leaders cared a lot about the quality of the outputs we produced.
As a result, my work became a never-ending hamster wheel of mistakes, comments, and iterations. I was always behind and didn't have time to think.
Unfortunately, I put no effort into improving my skills.
I didn't look for additional training within or outside the firm. I was exhausted all the time and just wanted to survive another day.
I never asked anyone for help. I was afraid to look stupid or inexperienced.
If I could do it again, I’d become an obsessive learner.
I would create systems and processes, ensuring I learn these skills as much as possible.
2. Manage Your Journey Proactively
I was quite passive in how I managed my career trajectory.
I used to believe if I did my job well, it would sort out itself.
I expected PDs to find me projects. They did, but these projects were pretty bad. They were leftovers that nobody wanted.
Then, it was impossible to perform on these projects.
Additionally, I didn’t prepare proactively for my performance reviews.
I didn't ask for leadership feedback and didn't manage my narrative.
As a result, I got what I got.
3. Find Your People
Other consultants had sponsors who helped them to find opportunities and navigate the firm.
In hindsight, I understand that I couldn't work with great people because of my poor performance. Then, I couldn’t learn to perform well without working with great people.
It's a classic chicken and egg problem. But I didn't do anything about it.
People were generally friendly, but I had no one to really care about me.
I wish I had invested more time in finding my people in the firm.
Consulting isn’t an ordinary job. Doing good work isn’t enough.
Learning to work smarter and build strong relationships and reputation is crucial.
But, if you were forced to leave, take it as a step of your journey, not the end of your career.
Take a break, reassess your long-term goals, and get ready to open a new chapter.
Good Luck!
Andrew.
How I met Andrew
Last year, I considered launching a coaching program.
I had some ideas about the segment and product but wanted to test for market demand.
So, I created a simple landing page outlining my program's benefits.
Andrew was the first to pay $200 for my non-existent product. Others were interested, too.
That was a good sign of market demand, and it motivated me. I started by writing a newsletter and then launched a coaching program.
Later, we connected with Andrew, and I refunded his money, explaining it was a market test.
Andrew's situation was totally preventable.
I regret not helping him. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me he had Concerns; he was too ashamed. Only a few months later, I learned he was CTLed.
But you don’t have to make the same mistakes.
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.