What I hated the most as a McKinsey manager
Consultants often make this simple but damaging mistake. They rush to send their slides to managers without investing sufficient time in quality. But they underestimate the damage they make.
I hated receiving ugly slides from consultants.
When I say ugly, I mean not just visuals but also lack of structuring, insights, and ‘so-whats’.
Before you hate me, please understand one thing:
Being a McKinsey manager is extremely stressful.
You get too stretched and fragmented, working on too many fronts. You serve partners, clients, and consultants at the same time. All of them want something from you.
Your job consists of constant firefighting. If things go well, you are not needed. You constantly get pulled only to manage crises.
You crave working with consultants who bring solutions, not problems.
Now, imagine you are stretched beyond your limits...
...and then you receive ugly slides from consultants.
Instead of helping, you create additional problems for your managers.
You become a liability, not an asset.
This can’t be good for you. Your managers provide feedback on your performance.
I remember thinking:
“Why do I have to review these ugly slides? Clearly, this consultant hasn’t invested enough time in it. What is their added value here?”
If you are an MBB consultant, believe me, you don't want your managers to question your added value.
Don't hurt yourself.
Push for higher quality outputs.
Make your managers’ lives much easier.
Then you become the best consultant for them.
That’s how you make your career progression much better.
If you want to learn to create high-quality slides, read this post: How to create great slides.
If you are struggling as an MBB consultant, this is where I can help you.
The consulting journey is complex and treacherous.
Walking it alone is extremely difficult. It’s helpful to have the support of someone experienced (me, wink wink) who has gone through this journey and helped many others.
That is why I developed a coaching program for MBB consultants to help them achieve high performance and become successful.
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.
You know, I focus on a very narrow segment:
- active MBB consultants (generalists);
- experienced hires, post-MBA or post-PhD, in their 30s;
- 2nd-year consultants (>12 months tenure);
- in good standing (no negative rating);
You joined MBB Consulting to radically change your career. You can't afford to fail and waste your time.
This narrow specialization allows me to provide very precise and tangible advice to these consultants to accelerate time to impact.
PS: Don’t send ugly slides to your managers. Don’t make your managers work harder than they need to. Make their lives easier by producing high-quality outputs. That’s how you make your career progress much better.