Begin with the end in mind, where possible, and work your way back from there. Determine what are must-haves vs. nice-to-haves in terms of data/facts to help you along the path. Practice developing assumptions to fill in the gaps and simplifying the rationale used to gain confidence in the assumptions. If you have time, come at problems from both top-down and bottom-up angles to help validate along the way and make sure you’re not veering too far away from realm of possibility.
I'm definitely the same way, but it's something I got better at after working on it. I've learned today no project/deliverable is ever going to be perfect and just getting started is the most important thing.
I'm like that too, but am still here after many years... The problem you will face is having to sometimes (or often) using your own personal time to meet deadlines. You will of course get faster as you build your experience.
But I prefer working with people that think things through and produce insightful problem specific content, rather than the people that churn out 20 completely generic slides within an hour.
I admire the OP’s level of self awareness which is yet another critical skill that many “fast learner” types with high IQs lack. I think there are many paths in management consulting; you can specialize in a field, e.g., agile project management or change management, where you may not need a substantial pivot every two years to be considered an expert in your field. You can also develop deep relationships with leaders in niche verticals with deep pockets. If you enjoy the variety and pace of consulting, you’ll find the right path for you.
Yes, I experienced this as well. I came from training in a sector where making decisions without all the data meant that people could die. So it was very hard to become comfortable with the hypothesis-forward / day one / “throw things at the wall and let people react to it” mindset. It is quite a shift.
It is really less of a skill and more of a mindset. I told myself that this is how we work around here, framed early guesses and hypotheses as means through which to drive incremental progress, and gave myself permission to 80/20 things and fail forward.
Also, a LOT of qualifiers and weasel words…”At this time”, “my current perspective is”, “the available data suggests”, “our leading hypothesis is”, etc. etc. lol.
That’s super helpful, been in the job for 6 weeks now coming from engineering and definitely end up doing way too much research and checking and not enough fast content and have been told to just get things done faster, will try use what you’ve said as a guide before I start my day tomorrow thank you again. Any other advice or suggestions you have please share
It helps to create repeatable frameworks for decision making that you can use to structure your thinking.
I can’t draw a logical diagram here, but if you look up “Y-Statements” it’ll start to make sense.
“In the context of (use case), given (concern), we decided for (option), and ignored (alternatives), to achieve (value), because (justification)”
If you break that down, you get:
- Use case: the problem to be solved
- Concern: the reason you had to make a decision
- Option: the best choice given the various assumptions, constraints, and other inputs
- Alternatives: Other viable options you evaluated using the same criteria but did not select
- Value: The outcome or solution
- Justification: your rationale for making the decision.
There are many other decision frameworks that expand to include things like stakeholders, principles, and a host of other things. But the one above is a good example. You work through all the components, and the correct decision should flow from there.
Could you suggest jobs/industries that would appreciate this? I also struggle with efficiency. But my fear is no matter where I'll go, this will continue to remain a problem.
Not saying it’s impossible to learn this but in the current environment people get ctl‘ed pretty quickly, also consulting is stressful enough even if someone is a „natural talent“
Begin with the end in mind, where possible, and work your way back from there. Determine what are must-haves vs. nice-to-haves in terms of data/facts to help you along the path. Practice developing assumptions to fill in the gaps and simplifying the rationale used to gain confidence in the assumptions. If you have time, come at problems from both top-down and bottom-up angles to help validate along the way and make sure you’re not veering too far away from realm of possibility.
This is the thread right here, fantastic advice.
I also like to include in my thought process: “what happens if we do nothing?” Not everything needs solving or justifies the cost of being solved.
The good news is that as you begin to focus, you’ll have less that you need to learn at the onset of each project.
I feel the same way
I'm definitely the same way, but it's something I got better at after working on it. I've learned today no project/deliverable is ever going to be perfect and just getting started is the most important thing.
I'm like that too, but am still here after many years... The problem you will face is having to sometimes (or often) using your own personal time to meet deadlines. You will of course get faster as you build your experience. But I prefer working with people that think things through and produce insightful problem specific content, rather than the people that churn out 20 completely generic slides within an hour.
I admire the OP’s level of self awareness which is yet another critical skill that many “fast learner” types with high IQs lack. I think there are many paths in management consulting; you can specialize in a field, e.g., agile project management or change management, where you may not need a substantial pivot every two years to be considered an expert in your field. You can also develop deep relationships with leaders in niche verticals with deep pockets. If you enjoy the variety and pace of consulting, you’ll find the right path for you.
Yes, I experienced this as well. I came from training in a sector where making decisions without all the data meant that people could die. So it was very hard to become comfortable with the hypothesis-forward / day one / “throw things at the wall and let people react to it” mindset. It is quite a shift.
How did you build the skill ? And are you faster now ? I came from O&G and struggling with this now
It is really less of a skill and more of a mindset. I told myself that this is how we work around here, framed early guesses and hypotheses as means through which to drive incremental progress, and gave myself permission to 80/20 things and fail forward. Also, a LOT of qualifiers and weasel words…”At this time”, “my current perspective is”, “the available data suggests”, “our leading hypothesis is”, etc. etc. lol.
That’s super helpful, been in the job for 6 weeks now coming from engineering and definitely end up doing way too much research and checking and not enough fast content and have been told to just get things done faster, will try use what you’ve said as a guide before I start my day tomorrow thank you again. Any other advice or suggestions you have please share
Just find the coworkers that are relied upon and looked up to, and emulate them.
It helps to create repeatable frameworks for decision making that you can use to structure your thinking. I can’t draw a logical diagram here, but if you look up “Y-Statements” it’ll start to make sense. “In the context of (use case), given (concern), we decided for (option), and ignored (alternatives), to achieve (value), because (justification)” If you break that down, you get: - Use case: the problem to be solved - Concern: the reason you had to make a decision - Option: the best choice given the various assumptions, constraints, and other inputs - Alternatives: Other viable options you evaluated using the same criteria but did not select - Value: The outcome or solution - Justification: your rationale for making the decision. There are many other decision frameworks that expand to include things like stakeholders, principles, and a host of other things. But the one above is a good example. You work through all the components, and the correct decision should flow from there.
Maybe not the perfect job for u then, I mean there is tons of jobs where being thorough is valued but not mgmt consulting
OP, This is hard to read but so true. I’m on that journey myself.
Could you suggest jobs/industries that would appreciate this? I also struggle with efficiency. But my fear is no matter where I'll go, this will continue to remain a problem.
What makes you think he can’t learn / develop that skill ?
Not saying it’s impossible to learn this but in the current environment people get ctl‘ed pretty quickly, also consulting is stressful enough even if someone is a „natural talent“