Consulting Careers

It's not unique to consulting: the qualifications that get you the job are not those that make you good at what you are supposed to be doing a few years down the road. Scientists may be appalling lab managers, for instance. First-rate journalists can make horrible editors. And great consultants have been known to morph into awful project leaders. Take my case. Without going into details (this is covert consultant talking after all), my current PL used to be a super-efficient associate and consultant. I knew her back then, and while I personally thought her a bit on the dull side, I had to admire the way she gathered and analysed information at breathneck speed. The way she compressed it into neatly designed PowerPoint presentations. The way she did all of this at three in the morning. I once asked her, over a cup of tea at the crack of dawn (and it was a Saturday as well) whether she thought our sort of life was worth having. Yes! she said. For what, so she reasoned, had she missed? A couple of concerts maybe. I went back to work after that exchange.

So now the woman is my project leader. Project leaders are in a unique situation. They are facing pressure from three sides: the client, the partner, and the team. It's a tough spot to be in, and one that your previous consulting experience does not necessarily prepare you for. It hasn't in the case of my PL. She is losing it, crumbling as we speak. The team witnessed a shouting match between her and the partner in charge today. The client was dissatisfied with the progress we had made, complained to the partner, who reduced the PL to tears. Well, almost. A few more weeks and we'll see her cry. I'm not looking forward.