The big-three consulting firms are usually mentioned along with its prestige and intense culture. A day in the life of consultants in these firms would not be easy: wrestling with “key-decision” analysis and dealing with C-level problems for leading companies around the world.
Rumors have it that us consultants barely have time to enjoy ourselves. Does this notion holds true? What is the view of a former consultant, and what advice do I give you to maintain work-life balance in this fast-paced environment? All disclosed below!
Hi Kim, what do you think about the long-held belief that consultant have no social life?
Work-life balance at McKinsey truly exists!
So what are your steps for that plan?
The key No. 1 is to manage “work” like a champ, thereby leaving a free space for “life”.
The key No.2 is to manage your “life” as you have done with “work”. Make it as efficient and as effective as possible.
In the working process, human problem is always the most complicated, how can you manage it?
I hate human. I mean… I hate the human factor in the workplace. It’s full of emotion and irrationalities. If everybody just works and runs like a machine, maybe I would have more “life”. There are many tips out there training you the best practices in professional environment, but all boil down to:
Understand the motivation!
People in the workplace have different motivations that contradicts with ours.
The middle managers on the client side always dislike changes and we consultants always brought changes. This is hard! But one of my very important keys is to understand that: People have more than one motivations.
Maybe the lady manager of the client doesn’t like changes… but she does need to be promoted. I can make her understand that what McKinsey is building here will be the future of the company. The better she involves and understands this new system, the better chance she has to climb the ladder.
Besides motivating people, putting work aside how can you strengthen your relationships with various parties within the firms?
We all want to maintain and build our good relationships even though it is not always easy to do given our busy schedule. However, by following 2 secret keys, you can see how easy it is to strengthen the connections with people.
The first key is paying compliments daily. Everybody likes to receive compliments. Those who don’t just haven’t got good ones yet.
So what makes a compliment “good”?
Well, to make a good compliment, you should fulfill 3 factors: genuine, unique, and specific.
For example, don’t say a girl is pretty. She has heard that million times and maybe she doesn’t believe it anymore. But if you look closer, maybe you will see that she has the most beautiful eyes you have ever seen. Say that! It will totally work better!
How about the second part of strengthening your relationships in general?
What I have found out after that many years in the field working with people is that: everybody, especially those with superior status, has the desire to share and to mentor. By taking the initiative to invite them a coffee, to ask for advices, to let them coach you …, the connection is greatly strengthened. And the better connections you have, the more you can get coached and so on. It’s a wonderful loop to be in. So, never worry if you have work-life balance at McKinsey!
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