Had a consultant complain that I focus too much on formatting and thinks we should stop at good enough when it’s a random meeting/not key deliverable. Two thoughts:

1. Is there such a thing as good enough? I view it as formatted correctly or not and EVERYTHING that makes it in front of the client matters

2. If formatted correctly from the beginning we wouldn’t spend much time coaching and discussing format

In a nice way I said suck it up, it’s important. Am I being unreasonable?

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Q1. No - but there is value in recognizing diminishing returns. Ensuring a high standard internally is a great way to prevent client-facing problems, but are you sacrificing the capacity to do higher-value work in order to maintain that standard?

Q2. Take this as feedback that the baseline templates and formats need investment so people are setup to do it right in the first place

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I used to work with a team member that would focus too much on formatting and perfecting the smallest issues (putting the cursor on an excel doc on A1 even if it wasn't for a client, etc.). He agreed to try things my way and not pay *as much* attention to small things. The result is we work even better together, our internal deliverables are less time consuming, and our quality hasn't budged

The standards for a presentation with a potential new client should not be the same as an internal one. Otherwise you're running on high gear all the time and it's unsustainable and doesn't have the same rate of return

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Lol you’re the manager. The consultant does not tell you what goes and what doesn’t. If you want it formatted a certain way (assuming because the client likes it that way) that guy/gal better do it, or they should find a new job

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You got me, A4. You got me right in my feels.

Honestly as staff, excessive formatting is one of my biggest issues with the job. Its too much pretty and not enough meat or business substance in my work

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PS1, if they’re having to do that then it wasn’t “good enough”. The suggestion was that good enough works for random meetings and non-key deliverables.

A5, if it’s not even presentable then it certainly isn’t good enough.

Everyone seems to be ignoring that for the sake of making a point.

There is definitely such a thing as “good enough” in consulting, because there is always more that can be done than time allows. It’s an important skill for consultants to be able to prioritize their time and time box activities so that they can deliver high-quality work in a sustainable way

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The only people who over index on formatting are people who have nothing better to add. If the client doesn’t care about two different shades of grey, why should you?

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Agreed. It often feels like overcompensation.

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waste of time,
rather invest the time rehearsing the storytelling out loud so you don’t sound like a monotone robot

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This! I once worked with an MD on a blockchain based pitch who was so maniacally focused on the way the deck looked that I recommended the team use the limited time we had to brush up on the subject matter instead. Long story short, client put the deck aside and dove into specifics. Said MD didn’t even know what a digital asset was. But the deck looked pretty.

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Depends on the firm you’re working for. Do clients expect you to be good enough or are you charging fees that set client expectations higher than good enough?

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If you can’t count on them to master the details, how can you count on them to master anything more complex?

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I am a firm believer that people notice even if they don’t know they notice.

Formatting is incredibly important and if it looks bad, the message doesn’t matter. 99% of the time, a slide shouldn’t need explaining and my doing so should augment the message, not be the message.

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I aim for “good” and never “perfect” when it comes to formatting… I focus on “perfect” substance and ensuring each slide has a clear takeaway. I’ve been a successful consultant and have never had any issues with my approach.

I’d give guidance as follows: focus on the narrative and the take away.

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Exactly. I think “good” is where it should be at up until you present to the client and then you take an hour or so to make sure all formatting is consistent.

There is no point in getting formatting perfect early on because partners and other senior leaders will be asking for revisions on content up until the last moment most likely

likesmart

You ever consider that the consultant may actually be right? I tend to agree with them, why spend so much energy on formatting when it’s a random meeting or not a key deliverable. Clients care more about content.

likesmart

1. If it goes to the client, it needs to be tight regardless of the audience/meeting.

2. Internal I don’t waste too much time formatting. I think it’s more important that there is a basic structure and that your points are being conveyed.

3. Aren’t there basic templates/slide rates that your team can recycle and use over and over?

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roll them off - not client minded

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Formatting sticklers are typically extremely insecure and overcompensate for lacking substance.

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The difference between good enough and perfect for a random meeting or non-key deliverable likely makes zero difference for your client. The information/insights are what matter, not whether boxes and circles are aligned perfectly. It’s a waste of time, money, productivity, and brain power to nitpick until you reach perfection.

This is a major reason why I’m moving out of management consulting into a field where my conversations with clients are centered around substantial, business critical issues and not my ability to make pretty slides. I remember being so majorly disappointed in how much MC focused on that (my entire first year as an analyst was PPTs) and it’s ultimately why I’m leaving. My brain is atrophying from this mindless worthless waste of time.

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If it goes to the client make it look good. If its internal to the company keep it bare bones... my partners have started requesting nothing fancy, just plain bullet points, for internal meetings. Otherwise it's a waste of time

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You are correct.
Practice makes perfect.
Never show anything sub par to the client.

From the vantage point of the client, we are getting paid insane amounts of money compared to their regular staff. We can't look like normal people. We are supposed to act like humble rock stars.

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Don’t think any of us can actually answer this without seeing your standards and the consultant’s standards. I absolutely have worked with people who overly focus on formatting, and often what comes with that is issues with substance or unreasonable hours on that project. I’ve also seen people not care enough about formatting and put out work products that look bad and cause our firm to not look as professional. It’s a balance. I would take some time to consider what the consultant said moving forward and try to identify if there are areas in which they’re correct.

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The entire field of consulting is good enough -a former academic

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