As a lateral hire into the PL position at Boston Consulting Group, what are the pitfalls and how can you make the switch successful? What are the lessons-learned from those that unfortunately failed and were outcounseled before the Principal promotion and from those that succeeded? Would really appreciate open and honest guidance. That‘s challenging I certainly know.
Real talk, BCG has the worst staffing model out of MBB and beyond. If you don’t find a “Pyramid” ASAP, you will be dreading work. Hopefully, you knew some folks at BCG prior to joining and have a certain industry expertise. I would start hitting up those cases and try to get staffed with people whom you know (likely won’t be in your office unless you are in a major hub-NYC, WAS etc). Good luck-I never found my “Pyramid” nor anyone who took vested interest in my development or even giving me consistent feedback along the way so I left after a few years of sheer suffering.
The pyramid I thought I was aligned to was sooooo boring and straight up project management that expected perfect slides. Going to find a new project and hopefully a new pyramid. Let’s see how it goes.
My advice, don’t ask for guidance on anything just share progress along the way, and make everything client ready. Nothing can look half baked. There’s stupid standards here for everything.
The best thing to do is not join as a lateral PL. Seriously. If you do join the best thing you can do is be lucky.
OP, if you came from a similar industry this may not sound that bizarre….
Those who hired you, probably seemed like great people to work with, very nice etc. Since you are a PL a ton will be expected out of you. BCG doesn’t want you as an employee, they want your life for their gain.
The BCG way is a specific PPT font, format, storyline etc. it doesn’t matter if it’s necessary or not.
Also, Partners and MDPs need you to “talk in headlines.” No joke this was an actual point on my formal feedback. I was too conversation, gave too much context and needed to keep my statements to 30 seconds or less.
Since, I have left BCG and work for a company that allows me to live and work like a human being, not a teleprompter nobody gives a s*** about anyway…
^this, 100%