Stuck between mediocrity and excellence

As a counselor in my firm, I think that there is a fine line between communicating the party line and communicating what I think the reality of the situation is. I've found that people that I think are good mentors are becoming more and more representative of the party line and not giving me a straight answer. It's the proverbial, "They have done drank the Kool-Aid." So my question is, "Do I sacrifice giving the straight answer in order to march to the same drum as the group that I am theoretically trying to be a part of?" Is the collective really that cohesive, that there is a group that marches to the same drum beat? Not being on the up and up with people that I work with goes against everything that I believe makes an authentic leader. In the world that I live in, I think that top performers need to be challenged, otherwise they will go wherever they want. Even if they aren't challenged, the odds are that being at the top of the consulting food cha...

The end of August is here and 8 months of 2009 sure have flown by. College football season is about to start. The EPL has already started. It feels good to get back in to a whirlwind of activity. I feel like I have a mid-life crisis at every birthday. When the real thing comes, I'm bound to have a nervous breakdown. Anyway, it's good to get through another birthday and another great month of August. Here are my 3 things for today: If there is one core competency that I have, it's PowerPoint. I've been using it since 1992. That is a long freakin' time. Wanting to win and being in a competition is healthy. If self-motivation doesn't work. Have a punk start talking smack to you. That should fire you up. I keep hearing about all of these youngsters being told that they are all winners. When I have kids, they are quickly going to know the difference between winning and losing. Keep an idea book. I get these random thoughts of what I think a Big Idea is at the mos...

Reposting for my good friend Ben. Original post on my D Street page - Memorial Day, 2009. -------------------------------------- For the first time in my career, I will see a good friend leave from the time I interviewed him in B-school, through the time he's worked with me at a client, to the time he moves on. You learn a lot about people in this business. Granted, the situation is compounded by this down economy, but one of the things that I've learned is be aware of how you manage people - they may be your clients one day. In this case, the Sr. Consultant that is working with me is taking an executive position at a $Billion corporation overseas. Watching how different people react to his good bye email or communication is interesting to say the least. The responses range from a superficial "keep in touch (because you may be a client some day)," to genuine happiness that he is moving on; to just plain ignoring him. If you are on the receiving end of a variety o...

I've narrowed down the image of Consulting to three what I'll call "power" things. These are the things that every consultant must have so that everyone in the airport knows that you are a management consultant and you feel confident in yourself throughout the day. They are: A power watch. Every consultant must have a watch with a price tag that has a comma in it. A quality watch is a must have. Tag Heur is a good choice, if you do technical code for a living. Shoot for an Omega, Rolex (not gold until you are 50 please), Cartier, or Panerai. A power business casual combination. Given how our weight fluctuates depending on what dinner is that night in a different city, find the combination that always fits. We all have one. It needs to look tailored -- not baggy. What usually screams consultant is the Banana Republic light blue shirt with black slacks. A good pair of shoes is also a must. A power pen. You would think Mont Blanc would sponsor consultants at the rate ...

I was told by a seasoned consulting partner that I should be able to communicate two levels above my current level or the level of my client counterpart. I've gotten to the age and level where my client counterpart is either a Director or Sr. Manager. So this inevitably means that two levels above is a title that starts with a V or E (as in VP or EVP) or a C (as in CFO, CEO, CIO). So what about my communication style has changed since I was in my early 20's? The answer is -- not much. There is an air or aura surrounding executives with a certain title. In reality, I think the good ones are the ones that have an authentic communication style that can relate to people at all levels. Unfortunately, I think that those people are the exception and not the norm. I find myself struggling (right or wrong) to relate or connect to executives at large corporations either because I'm not like them or my communication style is just not "proper" enough. The one executive ...

I remember a few years ago when I was taking Harvard Management Essentials, that I took an online course that dealt with managing or dealing with difficult people. I think I remember the major steps, but don't quote me on it. Describe the behavior of that person to that person that makes you feel as though they are being difficult Tell that person how it makes you feel Ask that person what they think of your perception Offer to work with them to improve future interaction It went something like that. In all honesty, I think it's much better to be blunt and direct. Who has time to go through all of those steps? For example, let's say there is a person named John Doe that wants to drop a project on your plate and complains that nobody else wants it. Come to realize that the reason no one wants it is because John Doe continues to micro manage the project, even though John said he wants nothing to do with it! Now, I could follow the academic way of dealing with this person, or ...

I'm reading What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis and there is a line in there that got me thinking. "The notion of providing a one-size-fits all product that does everything for everyone is a vestige of an era of isolation." I wonder if that applies to consulting services as well. In my world of management consulting, I've spent the past 9 years as a generalist. Albeit I have a supply chain management or operations consulting label - but I still can't tell you that I have innate expertise in anything. We've all heard it before. "Jack of all trades. Master of none." As I begin to define my position in this profession or in business, I have come to find out that being a general problem solver doesn't really make you an attractive prospect. In sports, baseball players get drafted for a specific skill and basketball players get drafted for a talent (3 point shooting, slashing ability, scoring prowess). Why is it any different in our field? I don...