Why Do Consultants Fall Behind?
Stuck on the Beach? Falling behind your peers? Why do some consultants hit a wall? And what to do about it?
Yesterday, I had a rather sad conversation:
ME: Hi Mike, how are you?
BA: Not good, stuck on a beach.
ME: What? How come? How long have you been on the beach?
BA: It's been three months now.
ME: Three months? What happened? [I was shocked. It's rare to see a consultant benched for so long.]
BA: I initially worked on a couple of lengthy implementation projects—6 months for the first and five months for the second. They weren't sufficiently intense, and I didn't learn much.
With the current slowdown, I've struggled to get staffed. I thought I had a good lead last week, but it fell through, and now I'm out of options.
ME: That's tough, especially for three months. I can't imagine the hell you are going through. Let's brainstorm how to get you on a project soon...
Sadly, conversations like this have become a new norm.
Many new consultants experience difficulties finding projects.
Internal competition has increased many folds, and consultants feel powerless and hopeless to change the situation.
Yet paradoxically, some consultants are always staffed. They transition seamlessly from one project to the next, immune to economic slowdowns and always in demand.
The best strategy for individual consultants is to become high-performing consultants and members of a ‘high-demand’ group.
So, let’s start by discussing why consultants experience difficulties with staffing. It's usually a combination of reasons:
1. New Hires Struggling to Get Staffed
In theory, new hires should be getting staffed easily, because there are virtually free resources.
Yet, if projects are scarce, the competition increases, and not everyone gets their first project immediately.
Also, managers hesitate to staff new hires, viewing them as liabilities, as they fear it will consume their capacity. The less experienced the manager, the more likely it will happen.
Often, consultants get staffed on the first project but struggle to secure the second because they are already costing the full price but still can’t work well.
If new consultants cannot get staffed for a few months at the beginning, they have already started from a disadvantaged position, losing confidence when they are most vulnerable.
2. Being Staffed on Low-Intensity Projects
There are categories of projects where the learning experience can be less effective.
These projects typically are in late implementation phases with existing clients. The intensity is not that high there, and the work there is often very mundane.
Junior consultants often get staffed on those studies as the risks are too low for leadership. I actually think that these types of projects are not the worst way for a new consultant to start.
But it becomes a problem when they get stuck there for 6-12 months. While it's better than being without a project, longer projects like this can delay their growth.
I know a case where the intern was placed on a year-long project on a remote site without leadership coverage. He ended up okay, but that must have been a terrible way to start a career.
3. Lack of Adequate Coaching
Getting on a demanding project is possible, but it is still hard to learn if the leadership team isn't skilled at coaching.
Without structured development, consultants' growth is ad-hoc and ineffective.
For example, I had a manager who demanded high-quality work from me but wouldn’t tell me what I was doing wrong. It was so frustrating because I had to guess all the time, and it wasn’t clear what I could do to improve. Maybe she just didn’t know how to coach me well or didn’t want to.
The problem gets exacerbated when you have an inexperienced or low-performing Manager. If this person is under the water, coaching you is not their highest priority. It is not your fault, but it will affect you directly, unfortunately.
4. Not Learning Quickly Enough
While rare, these things also happen, and some consultants don't capitalize on given opportunities.
Some are not receptive to guidance and coaching. Their reputation becomes negative, making future staffing opportunities impossible.
Turning around the situation will require miracles and heroic actions. But in many situations, this will lead to people leaving the firm.
If you are reading this post, it is highly probable that you don’t belong to the fourth category because you are actively looking for a solution.
Usually, consultants, when they find themselves in this situation, behave in two typical ways:
Desperation: Waiting for projects to come to them, expecting staffing coordinators to find good projects. People get at face value what they are being told: “Don’t worry, it is ok, it will be sorted out, something will work out.”
Nothing will be okay, at least if you don’t make it yourself.
They are shocked to learn that, very often, staffing coordinators have no say in staffing decisions. Partners and managers make the staffing calls and know nothing about consultants who just wait.
Panic: Frantic activities with no sense of direction, being fragmented, focusing on dozens of different things, many of which are probably not helpful anyway.
It's like witnessing someone drowning and making erratic movements.
But if you can swim, you just need one or two very intentional strokes in one direction, and then you will gain momentum.
But there is a bigger more fundamental problem that needs to be addressed.
The most shocking fact is how casually consultants approach learning. Acquiring knowledge of what they will need to do on the first and consequent projects.
Many think that the only thing they need to do is get staffed, and they will learn everything by doing through on-the-job training. Although this is the fastest learning method, it is not the most effective.
Imagine a boxer or an MMA fighter training only by fighting in bare-knuckle street fights, day in and day out.
They get injured fairly quickly, and the whole learning simply won’t work.
To perform at the highest level (that’s what strategy consultants do in the field of business), professional athletes have very sophisticated, well-planned training plans, coaches, training camps, sparing partners, etc.—and expect to perform on a higher level without an intelligent plan, at least naïve.
What consultants can do to improve their chances?
Breaking this vicious cycle isn’t easy, especially for newcomers. I like the word ‘hacking’ in this context. They need to hack their predicament when everything is against them. Of course, you could be lucky, but I wouldn’t count on that.
There are a few strategies that might help.
1. Hone your slide creation skills
Mastering slide-creating skills is paramount. I can’t stress this enough.
Devote time and allow yourself to become obsessive—practice, practice, practice.
Read books and materials on how to do slides. Watch YouTube on how to create slides. Create many slides yourself, even if you don’t need to. For example, some people do slides about their lives, interests, and hobbies. It seems excessive, but maybe you need extraordinary measures to break your vicious cycle.
Find someone who does slides well, and ask them to coach you. Ask specific questions to get specific answers. Maybe there is a tenured, high-performing colleague on a beach between projects who has time and willingness to help. ASK, PLEAD, or BRIBE, do whatever you must to befriend them. I mean it.
Organize a community in the office of people who want to build consulting skills. Learn from each other. I’ve seen that some BAs create cohort chat groups where they share their tips and tricks. They organize internal master classes, slide creation marathons, and competitions. Here, you can be creative.
Don’t be passive. This is the most important skill to learn in the first six months. If you are falling behind for whatever reason, chances are this is because you are not productive enough.
Read this article for more detailed recommendations: How to create great slides.
2. Leverage Beach Time to Expand Your Network
Use your beach work strategically.
Don’t consider it a burden or chore but an opportunity to expand your network and build your reputation.
Very often, I see people working with the same leaders they know. Although this is a very comfortable position to be in, it doesn’t allow you to expand your network.
Partners can very quickly judge you and your capabilities because they have probably worked with hundreds of people, and their calibration is very precise.
For example, I can quickly notice when I see a bright person who can work well, has a great mindset, and is proactive and energetic. I put that person on my mental list of staffable people.
When the time comes, I will remember that because, typically, there are not many great people who you want to staff. Make yourself the person on that mental list.
The protocol I advise new hires is the following: Try to work with a new leadership team every two weeks. Two weeks is sufficient time to showcase yourself and see if you are excited about these people.
If you do this, in 2-3 months, you will work with 4-6 leadership teams and know 10-20 partners in your office or region. This is already a very good network that you can leverage.
Be purposeful, talk to PD, and ask them to assign you to specific teams you want to work with.
3. Identify key people for networking
Not all office leaders are created equal.
Nurturing leaders. Some people are more inclined to develop others. They have an aptitude, spike, and passion for doing it. They are easy to spot. Usually, their reputation precedes them, and they are very approachable. Ask around.
Rainmakers. Highly successful partners. They are most likely to work like machines and have high demands. Typically, it is hard to get on their roaster. You probably want to join their team when you are more comfortable with your toolkit. However, you must learn to work with them to be high-performing and successful.
Well-connected. Some partners are just well connected; everyone knows them, and they are like radio broadcasting information to a wide audience. If you connect with them, they will spread information about you. It is helpful if this information is positive.
Tenured consultants. High-performing consultants who are older than 1-2 years. They are relatively approachable and can share many tips and tricks. They just recently went through the journey you are going through.
Once you identify your target segment, try to build relationships with them. Different people will require different approaches. Don’t forget the human side of relationships; ask about their interests and passions, not just work.
4. Reach out for help
Once, a new consultant told me he hesitated to network as he felt he had nothing to offer in return. This is one way of looking at things.
However, many are willing to help if only asked. Many experienced colleagues are willing to assist, share knowledge, connect you with others, and share new opportunities.
People get flattered when asked for help. They also remember the times when they got help from someone, so they want to pay it forward for all the help they have received.
The only thing is that you need to ask them for help. Rarely will people offer to help themselves, and many are afraid to come across as condescending and intrusive.
Ask specific questions. It is really hard to help someone if their questions are too generic. On the contrary, if consultants come up with a very specific question or situation, it is much easier to come up with very practical advice.
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.