Remember The Harvard PhD Guy?
Remember The Harvard PhD Guy?
The first few months in consulting are tricky. It's like an airplane taking off, the most vulnerable time. But if done right, it can set you on the best development trajectory.
Remember I told you about The Harvard PhD Guy in one of my previous posts - Learn to Learn Well?
I was shocked to learn he was rolled off from the project after two weeks.
I knew he was a smart guy, and he was gaining great momentum. But what happened?
Here is his story.
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Let's call him Tyler (not his real name).
He started working with one partner on a client proposal. The partner was impressed with Tyler's work. Then, three more partners approached Tyler, asking to support their client proposals.
Tyler got excited. That is what he craved: high demand and a good reputation.
At that time, he texted me with optimistic vibes. He said that the new learning approach worked well for him and that he had started to build momentum.
I was happy for him but advised not to spread too thin. He agreed, but he hesitated to say 'No' to partners.
For a few weeks, Tyler worked like crazy, with long hours, pulled a few all-nighters, and worked on weekends.
Then, the first partner asked him to join the project for a new client.
Tyler was ecstatic! It was the first time he had been staffed for his reputation. That was an outstanding achievement for his six-month tenure.
But the project was tough. Tyler couldn't keep up with the team. After two weeks, the team decided to roll off Tyler early. Cut the losses and move on.
It was a combination of Tyler being burnt out and lacking real project experience.
Tyler was devastated. He had significant momentum going for him, and now, he has a major setback. Finding the next project will not be easy.
In a matter of days, he turned from a high-performing consultant to an underperforming one. His confidence tanked.
The main lesson here is that it is better to focus on one thing and do it well than try to do many things with average quality. Nobody expects multitasking from a new-hire consultant.
Many new joiners optimize their networking efforts for broader reach. By doing that, they spread their 'average' reputation with greater speed. Instead, they should focus on quality outputs and better learning. Then, a positive reputation will spread itself.
Tyler is now in a difficult situation. He needs to find a new project before his mid-year review. Otherwise, he can slip into a downward spiral by receiving a Concerns rating.
My read is that it won't be a career-killer event. Yes, he lost the momentum. He may have lost the upside of getting to a higher trajectory. Who knows?
As a joke, to support him, I told Tyler I am ready to bet good money that he will be fine. He has great intrinsics, high motivation, and the ability to learn fast.
But Tyler said it was an unfair bet. I risk a small amount of money, but he risks his career.
Instead, he asked for help to get him back on track and accelerate further. Tyler wants to improve his odds of success as much as possible and use any unfair advantage he can get.
I told you, Tyler is smart!
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.