SERIOUS OPINIONS ONLY: mgmt consultants - how do we do so so good at solving BIG problems for clients - sometimes whether they want to buy this firm or not or generally how they should transform to serve customers that spans triple digits.. yet I feel myself completely broken applying any of my skills to my personal life.. I got questioned today, “you are a big consultant, yet your professional background doesn’t add up to how you execute personally” - and I realized it’s true..seriously sad

Client issues vs. personal life / problems are vastly different. You may be able to apply some problem solving framework to your personal life, but at the end of the day you’re getting paid to solve client issues. That comes with compensation, recognition, and promotions. There isn’t someone standing there to pat you on the back or give you a bonus when you solve your own problems.

Essentially it comes down to motivation and rewards. There’s also the reality that we often put so much time and effort into our work, that we don’t have much left for the personal stuff. Or we’re pouring ourselves into work to avoid or escape our personal lives.

OP, you got this. You identified a gap , weren’t able to solve for it, sought help, were selective about whose help you sought, apologized when you realized you might have come across as insensitive or arrogant, withstood the blowback that ensued, and re-focused on the main problem.

That’s 90% of the battle. There’s no silver bullet for the rest but it’s probably applying the same thing to your personal life. Also listening, empathizing, course-correcting and balancing deep thoughts with strong action. In the professional world rational thought is prioritized over emotions but on the personal front, it sometimes it needs to be the other way around.

Good luck!

Does anyone else not understand what OP types? Literally sounds like 12 year old me on MSN.

just want opinions from MBB or D. P, MD, SMs, and Ms only, please. This is very important to me fam. If ya’ll amazing support structure can respect that.

OP’s replies make them come off as a child. Can confirm most consultants are not like this — it’s a you problem

I think your issue may be your priorities. Stop focusing on titles and labels and put in us much effort to developing yourself as you do solving your clients issues. This is a legitimate question, however qualifying that you only want MBB “or” managers + is problematic to me. I left consulting months ago and am now a manager, but don’t there are plenty of people who can balance both personal development and professional development (irregardless if they are at MBB)

Commenting since the arrogant OP doesn’t want my input.

...and this is enough Internet for you for today, buddy

And I’d just like to close out my contribution for the night by reminding OP that it seems like the top 3 most helpful responses to your question came from people who were not labeled as MBB or the senior level you asked for in their title. Again - you asked a compelling question that I think many have experienced and would have had a good viewpoint to help you think through - but please use this as a secondary learning opportunity (in addition to some of the meaningful feedback you have received here already to your primary) to consider your delivery and empathy

I’m taking bets on what drugs OP has done tonight. Comment below ⬇️

Not sure what specific personal life situation or decision making on your side, but think I do a decent job for that for myself

Did you wake up today wanting to get roasted or is this just a regular occurrence for you

Ideally a company should optimize for sustained financial performance, and a human should optimize for personal happiness. The drivers and frameworks relevant to the former are completely different than those that are relevant to the latter. I’m actually not sure why you think skills in consulting would correlate at all to skills in executing a successful personal life at all.

There’s lots of good literature out there in happiness. My suggestion would be to read up on some of that to help shift your thinking a bit.

Good luck.

I am still waiting for an MBB partner to tell me how to procure an MTA card in less than a day

Doers do and talkers consult

I am having a real problem here, I don’t wish to be judged, so I put the subject line. It’s a more psychological question and hence I targeted it to a specific cohort. Don’t judge my intelligence to be arrogance or belittlement. Just want a focused discussion across the board. Please, this is important to me.

Commenting as an associate here just to irk OP hehe

I know I'm not MBB, or senior partner. But let me google this for you 😂😂😂

I can say with confidence that what we do does not move the needle for org’s. We are there as a scapegoat and a means to an end. Yes, we are frauds and I want out.

Just make sure that all your choices are MECE when making a decision.

Also when talking to your girl, frame all your responses in the form of we should do x because of a, b, c, etc.

/s