There are things that strategy consultants know and the rest of the world doesn’t. If you’re in any doubt as to the truth of this statement, check out this post on Quora by an ex-McKinsey consultant who claims to have some special insights to share with the world at large. The ex-consultant in question is Robert Barham, who spent two years at McKinsey before leaving to join the ‘internet industry.’
This is what Barham thinks he can impart:
1. Think diagrammatically
Consultancy types believe life is far simpler if you configure problems in a logical and schematic way. Got a problem? Dissect it. Look at the paths you can take and their likely outcomes.
“Our brains function like diagrams,” opines Barham. To illustrate this, he offers the diagram below.
2. Let figures do the talking
Diagrams have a place. So do figures. If you employ figures to tell your story, you can help change clients’ opinions – but only if you have an instinct for finding the story behind the figures and explaining its meaning. This is what consultants have, says Barham. They know it’s not just about presenting a collection of figures, but presenting a version of reality – which is often complex and nuanced.
3. Speak to your manager every week
Some people in the banking industry interact with their managers rarely. This is not the case in consulting. In consulting weekly meetings with managers are the norm according to Barham. He says that consultants at McKinsey have weekly manager meetings that last anything from 30 minutes to one hour. During this time they will be thoroughly debriefed on the projects they’re working on. Every six months they’re also subject to an exhaustive formal evaluation. Barham says this time is “extremely precious.” If you’re going to develop at work, you need to know what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
4. Know how to work in teams
Bankers like to think they can work in teams. At Goldman Sachs, teamwork is one of the golden behaviours that will get you hired. But bankers’ team working abilities are nothing compared to those of consultants. Barham says consultants are masters of team achievements because their teams switch very often, as dictated by projects and turnover. For these highly mutable teams to function, the consultants comprising them need to spend a lot of time interacting while the projects take place.
These interactions aren’t just about the work to be done. They also cover the personalities of the team members involved, their work styles and their competencies. This is how you really optimize a team says Barham. Succeeding at teamwork is as much to do with the way the team is consolidated as with the fact that several people are working together, he adds.
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