Office Politics - Lessons from my TOUGHEST Project
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- How to deal with office politics is a key question asked by young professionals. Office politics can often be unfair and frustrating. In this video I am sharing key lessons on how to win at office politics. I am a former consultant and these lessons are from my toughest project. Learn how to deal with workplace politics and master corporate politics in your job.
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Chapters
00:00 Politics at Work
01:36 Incident: Failed Kick-off
03:08 Incident: Unresponsive Client
04:43 Incident: Misunderstandings
06:18 Context on Consulting Politics
08:01 Perception is Reality
09:47 Document Checklist (free download)
10:32 Lesson: Driver Seat
13:05 Lesson: Agenda Setting
14:47 Lesson: Paper Trails
16:05 Lesson: Escalation Tactics
#consulting #careeradvice #officepolitics
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I may add two small contributions:
1 - most of the time, what you have done as a consultant is irrelevant when we speak about politics i.e. the Company sponsor (o Project Manager) has one or more internal enemies/competitors who want the project to fail. Those people will do everything in their power to spoil the project. If you have a significant role in the project, they will start hindering you (also because it is much easier fighting against someone external to the organisation).
2 - most importantly, as per every project, a stakeholder matrix should done before the first stages of the project to identify the power of the different stakeholders and their approach (i.e. if they are favourable of against the project), to manage their expectations.
I have a few contributions regarding point 1 :
- sometimes the project goal is simply not aligned with the strategy
- sometimes the sponsor is a ghost
- sometimes internal competition is at play in its utmost viciousness.
- draw a power map
- identify the blocker is key
- if there’s an original sin, you should know it
- look for books on the project that might be hidden in corporate furniture.
Regarding point 2:
- frequent lead and/or sponsor change are hinting at a recurring issue.
- the RACI chart is a must
- RACI is fine but insufficient, try the job activity matrix times the project roles and team
- be aware of any global strategy change
- a sponsor might be part of the issue
Often you have conflicting interests amongst various key stakeholders.
Your job is to bridge the divide across the different positions, and still deliver the outcomes.
To achieve this, of course you must pay close attention to how politics are played in your specific environment: the timing of highlighting concerns, the executives on the rise, who you align to, are some of the things to keep an eye on.
Here is an opinion from the other side of the table. I’ve worked many years at big companies and I have had the opportunity to work on projects with probably all of the big consulting firms. EY, PWC, Roland Berger, McK, BCG, Capgemini, Grand Thornton… you name it. What I absolutely hated about some consultants was first of all the attitude that they were the smart ass in the room coming to rescue us poor stupid corporates. Second, in many highly complex projects I worked management would put different consultancy firms to do different bits of the work so me and my colleagues would have to explain the same thing over and over and over again every time a new firm would come over. Such a waste of time. Finally, because consultants usually work on short assignments (8-12 weeks), many would have a tendency to cut corners, state opinions as if they were facts and twist data and information here and there to make their point. When it went south due to a bad decision they would be already gone with the wind! But to be completely fair, I also learned tons working with them, specially in the art of story telling and these are also very competitive and ambitious people who push you to be the best you can so it’s not all black or white.
This is it. This guy has the university qualifications but doesn't understand how relationships in companies work. Just one big complaint about not being able to manage the optics. I guess that's what he learnt in the end...
I feel like arriving to this video is a blessing. I'am a strategy consultant, and this right here is currently happening to me. Thank you very much for doing this video. God bless!
Much love, Maria. I know how psychological taxing the situation can be. Hope you come out of it on the top like a boss. Hugs!
Creating paper trail is no use, if the company wants you to leave, they will twist the truth/facts and let you go. Total politics and true reason is that they want to cut headcount and you are the sacrifice
Documentary evidence is always the better way to go.
If the company leadership don't care for documentary evidence, then maybe the courts would.
A paper trail will be very interesting for the audit or internal consulting division, or even to the HR. Don’t be afraid of it, it’s used in project post mortems, even internal resources used it on client side… since perception is reality, then there is also a first talker advantage.
The ones that keeps it a secret can rely on it. Don’t be a fool ;-)
paper trail is needed because the person complaining about you is not the one making the decision about you. so your job is to prove to that second person, for example the boss of the person complaining, or boss of his boss, that it is actually that person who is sabotaging the project. there are only two ways to do this - 1) trustworthy relationship with someone higher up who will believe you over that other person, 2) objective evidence (aka paper trail) you can bring to the table. there are other things you need to do to make your case convincing, such as early raising a flag about the risk (if you did not raise it, then all your further evidence would be worthless and negated by "if it was a problem, why didn't you tell us earlier?"), and you have to be very articulate and tell a story in a way which makes sense for others and at the same time you have to keep your emotions at bay.
Yeahp! Just lived through this experience. With all the evidence on my side I was let go and the people at fault for poor job execution stayed. They were sleazy and were really good at avoiding responsibility while throwing others under the bus at every turn. I became the pebble in the shoe for them as I would document everything. It took them longer than they were expecting to kick me out but they eventually did.
Naw, keep the paper trail. You have receipts for the next bastard and/or something interesting to release to the public
Good video. The best thing a consultant can do is listen. Reject the premise that office politics can be won. Instead, figure out what the best path forward is given the situation.
Inevitably however, you will make people mad as consulting work typically shines a light on various issues. Your client didn't bring you in to agree with everything they say, but instead to do a job that requires your skillset. Be direct when necessary, and be gentle otherwise. Show your client that you genuinely care about them. Always tell the truth (regardless of the consequences).
Do the above, and watch problems disappear.
Also a consultant and you are spot on. Been through a lot of this in my last firm and got out once my name was spoiled. The lessons/mistakes I made there made me a star at my next role
Sorry to hear you experienced similar things. But indeed - we grow and hopefully improve based on these learnings :) All the best to you! Heinrich
This is spot on.
When working with various consultancies in my big Telco in the past, I always found it puzzling that consultants (regardless if McK, BCG or Bain) would assume collaboration to happen by default. They never took time to explain their thinking or build a trusting relationship to the "lower ranks" that they depended on. No wonder nobody wanted to engange with you. Not your fault personally, but it's a discipline I saw many (young) consultants fail in.
It's very difficult; the consultants have little long-term need for rapport building due to being externals, they're engaging with senior staff and so the junior ranks seem terrribly... junior, and consultants often cannot share their thinking- either because they have hypothesis-driven, vague thoughts, or because the agenda is confidential for now.
I totally agree with you. In my mind part of the problem is these consultants are always too stretched, overworked, have to deal with dozens of people, are always under pressure and asked to move fast at speed of light by their management. true probably some of them are looking down, but I mean even for a well-meaning consultant it would be hard to do otherwise in this environment.
The fact that most consultants are under pressure to deliver in very tight timeframes surely plays a role in this behaviours.
I must say the content is superb! I usually seek for 1o1 talks with colleagues, friends about career advice and see that not many people are willing to share about such kinds of incidents. Invaluable lessons. I feel lucky to hear about this before starting my consulting job in Mar.
Political Games can be quite tricky. Great advice on when to push for things! The slide's checklist is super helpful too!
Super happy to hear you enjoyed the video and got value from the checklist. Thanks for watching Carolina! Best, Heinrich
Can totally relate to this. The biggest issue I have seen is that when people feel out of control, not respected, or not listened to, they can inflate gaps disproportionately, especially when things are not going well. The problem with wanting to deliver value diligently is that the lesser focus on rapport means that there are more situations where you are not a "friend", so those with misgivings don't have qualms about complaining. The other end of the spectrum, is close pals who rarely flag each other's problems. Must say, I wonder if companies like McKinsey should rather hire B players who are intelligent and social, rather than exceptional performers who can alienate others. I mean really, how much brilliance do you need to know to cust costs, acquire a competitor, invest in factory upgrades, to digitize operations etc.?
Heinrich, great idea for a video! Although I work in an entirely different field, I can relate to these situations and learned the same lessons the hard way. Your honesty is appreciated!
Great content Heinrich, thanks!
Every consultant will, sooner or later, find him or herself in one of those tough situations. You are very right that you need to create a safety net to protect yourself.
Unfortunately trying to figure it out on a personal level often backfires, so the tips you share in this video are very helpful in not getting into this situations in the first place. And yes, good project leads will protect the team at all costs, since most of them already have been on the receiving end of all this drama and learned their lessons :)
Hello, when listening to you Heinrich I recall all the times I have been sitting on the other side of the table. Let me just share a few experiences from my time interacting with with various consultant firms.
1. Normally the scope of the project is not clear for the different clients in the organisation and you immediately start to putting up a worse case scenario that will happen.
2. Most of the persons/clients have daytime jobs and getting hold of data and support that means additional work.
3. From a client perspective the work is often siloed which is not the case for the consultant, which means that the client will not clearly understand the importance.
4. Often the client has ideas that they want to drive.
The best cases I have seen from consultants is when the consultant listen to the clients. To see your own ideas presented by the project builds rapport.
Happy New Year Heinrich! Your Escalation tactics part was a great call out. It's so difficult to time the first escalation before the Client does and you are right, the first person to complain has the upper hand. Normally when an escalation occurs it burns part of the relationship and trust between the teams.
Very good content and brave of you sharing this Heinrich.
Indeed a reality. Overall I think it is very important to keep yourself prepared (and even defensive) and align also things with your manager in other to avoid misunderstandings so that in such situations you do not argue alone but have someone on your side supporting you.
These are points that indeed apply to any job, not only consulting. Thank you!
Thanks for watching the video and your comment! Agree that this should be applicable far beyond consulting. Best, Heinrich
I have been a bit blindsided by an experience like this recently. I think these tips are great, and I definitely have fallen into the traps you mentioned
This is one of your best videos. Good tips also for M&As or other company reorganizations where your reputation doesn't necessarily go with you to those higher up in the new organization.
Hi Heinrich, thank you for these lessons, there's so much gold in this bucket!
Im not not in consulting, other corporate role, but I wish i knew them ~7 months ago, because I've been put to very similar situations, and experienced almost exactly same outcomes. I then learned lessons you layed out in the hard way.
I'd say, in strategical projects, with high stakes and various stakeholders, be really careful, and watch out for them, even for people you report to, they have more to loose if project don't go as expected and can turn you into a scapegoat. And who would a Partner trust more, his direct suboedinate, or you, 2-3 levels below... Looking forward for more great learnings you captured over your career! 🙌🔥
Thank you, Heinrich for this video!
I've had a very similar experience, 0 months into consulting at an internship, with hostility from the internal team :D
And you've changed my mind, given it was a hard experience for you as well. Honestly, I've thought there was something wrong about me.
I quit on my own initiative, after 7 months in. And it took me 1 month to recover mentally.
Could've used more escalation, though no escalation ever worked for me. I was just excluded by other team members anyways.
I think it was the company culture.. And from anecdotes - the particular part of company where I was on a project.
In the end, I decided to quit, rather than be reassigned or try to fight.
It's funny they treated me much better when I was on the resignation period.
I'll do another attempt at consulting with another firm.
Again, thanks for all the videos!
Amazing lessons, thanks so much for sharing. This is a proof of why consultancy experience is so relevant in business in general.
Thank you very much for sharing this experience that you had. I haven't encountered such a situation, yet, but it is great to know that it might happen.
Happy to hear it is helpful, thanks Thiago! Best, Heinrich
Working on the corporate junior m.ment side and with consultants in the past, after slight feelings of inadequacy that we staff were not deemed adequate for a project, I enjoyed helping them out on sensitive matters such as who best to contact for information, checking their slide deck and generally sourcing hard to acquire information.
I admired their hard work ethic compared to that of many of my co-workers.
this is why some people come to prefer small to mid business or startups. the amount of corporate politics in modern enterprise is just crazy, can eat your whole day, and will leave you frustrated that you are not spending time productively and to something that really makes difference in the world. with regards to the video, I'd say an actual solution to this problem is moving from a transactional relationship to an actual working relationship , which is hard in most cases with consulting given time pressures and sheer number of people involved. However, what is possible is having an advocate in client org who can exercise his or her support and influence when needed over others, and such relationship building is always worth your while.
Tbh, the biggest lesson from this, is not how this could have been managed better via all these lessons, rather not to be in teams where senior members expose younger colleagues to such toxic environments, and secondly not to work with A-Holes. It seems both the customer, who did not want to change, nor the consulting team who did not have a grip on the actual things that were going on contributed to this massively. Life is typically much simpler than figuring out lessons from such situations ;)
Great in theory, usually a-holes are the ones with the most money (and problems) however so getting staffed on a toxic project is inevitable. That being said, I agree with the first part about bailing if leads or even the company you work for doesn't have your back. In that case you're getting it from both sides and are likely going to get crushed.
I worked in various coordinating and consulting roles for more than a dozens banks in my life and this video here is spot on!
Never having any guidance, it took me many many many years to bit by bit figure out these lessons completely on my own by just running into them.
Highly recommendable video for any young person without much experience in this field in any type of consulting role, if he or she wants to take a good shortcut to learn about it, I have to say. I am not aware, that I have seen similar good content about this anywhere, where I can confirm, that it comes from practice (and therefore works) and not from theory.
I would say, this is by far the best video I have seen on this channel. School of hard knocks is still the best school, as this shows once more.
Thanks for sharing this, happy to hear you see value in the video. Appreciate your comment!! Best, Heinrich
Great video! -- I'm no in consulting, but 15 yerars in different corporate roles, and this is not only very entertaining (like all your videos), but also spot on on some of the hardest challenges one will encounter in professional life. Very good insights, and also a reminder to my current self.
For me, a main lesson is sometimes to just sit it out. I left two very good positions, one because everything was too slow, the other one because my supervisor was terrible, and in hindsight in both situations I could have just waited. In the first company, I likely would now have climbed hierarchically. In the second company, I would have still enjoyed a very nice salary, and the person left a couple months after me.
Now, doing nothing and waiting is hard, and to a certain extent being an agent of ones one life (by changing jobs) is also an important thing to learn. But sitting, waiting, until certain things change, is also a viable course of action, and may sometimes yield better outcomes. Pros and Cons need to be weighed carefully here.
Hey, looking forward to more "personal" videos of you about cock-ups, or brags. I have a hunch they are particularly insightful.
Thank you for sharing!
Sitting things out can be a nightmare. Especially if the incompetent in question has been in the company for a long time…
These situations happen very often. I'd similar experiences, but you made a nice summary of how work through them. Thanks!
On a recent client engagement, it took me 1 month unfortunately to understand that my counter part would never be available to give feedback on the work I was doing. After strong advice from my company's mentor, I took the driver seat and I was able to steer the project to a successful outcome. Great Video Heinrich, Thank you very much 😀
Way to go - happy to hear it worked out well for you :) Thanks for your comment!! Best, Heinrich
I started 10 months ago as a Strategist at a € 5b revenue Retailer. I was also a little worried about the situations you described. I've worked on 4 projects now and i'm super happy that the situations you described didn't happen to me yet. Although I'm "only" 32 years of age (worked 6 years at a Research & Advisory firm before) it's going quite well and all people within the company are very open and willing to work with me. I've met people from a lot of different divisions and departments. The company has a great culture and is accepting the new internal strategy team which im part of. It was set-up only 1 year ago. Once again great content and I will download your free document checklist later wih my business e-mail when i'm at work.
Super happy to hear your new role worked out well for you! Indeed such a game changer to work for an organization with a great culture. Cheers! Heinrich
This is much more clearly put the same point which I often tell to my friends and colleagues - "optics are important".
very useful video for new consultants - thanks for sharing your experiences
Thank you for the video! It's truly one of your best. I believe it's also crucial to maintain emotional control, especially when facing political attacks. Could you share more insights and experiences on effectively managing emotions in such situations? Thank you very much!
Thank you for sharing this - it was really helpful.
This one is a banger! Indeed these points are almost congurent to my own corporate politics lessons . . I have a 5th point:
"The art of expressing criticism" is truly multifaceted. Every critique not only reflects our opinions on a particular issue but also unveils aspects of our own personality. It's intriguing how the way we articulate criticism adopts a political context, simultaneously revealing much about ourselves. In this process, expressing opinions becomes not just an act of discussion but also a personal revelation.
This was my hardest lesson by far.....and this is your best content so far 😊
Thanks for your comment and points on criticism - this is an interesting topic! Happy to hear you enjoyed the video :) Best! Heinrich
I'm not sure what you're saying here, sorry. it seems like you're implying that revealing your personality is a flaw?
This is one of your best videos...!
Thanks!!
I have loved to hear the thought process of the new project lead
This is truly a great video. Thanks a lot! ❤
I am glad to hear about your experiences, I find them very honest and valuable.
In my experience I lived through many similar things that still affect me... the corporate world is very diverse, there are all kinds of people and you have to know how to handle them. .... I think all the tips are very good... some of them are new... .... I think that keeping quiet or adopting a passive attitude does not help.... I think you have to be present...
I just add one initiative that has worked well for me and that is to discuss the points of the meeting with the person in charge... it helps me to realise if he/she is aligned... I usually tell him/her that I have to tell him/her something... I usually tell him that I have something important to say to him.... I try to put him in the situation and see how he responds....
Thanks for sharing your experience, appreciate your comment! Yes, fully agree that alignment before important meetings is key. So important to not "surprise" decision makers with anything in front of their colleagues. Best! Heinrich
Great episode!
Very excellent video. Has a similar experience in this professional graduate program. Definitely learned to document. Escalate. And collaborate this way.
Paper trail is a big thing...
Never needed to care much about this since I got along well with all my colleagues and clients.
Last year new manager in the company sabotaged me multiple times. Unfortunately I took some time to realise he was doing it on purpose and then blamed me for his failures.
Costed me my bonus + promotion to manager this year...
thanks for the video, very useful
Sounds like Middle East consulting, where the client wants to look like progressing but puts up obstacles and distractions and blame rather than genuine sustainable solutions or observations. The consultant is the scapegoat and the consultant director will change the consultant to keep the client happy peddling water and the fee coming in.
Hi Heinrich. I enjoyed your video and wished I watched those on my younger days. However I still find your videos useful as a reminder. Thanks for taking the time and sharing it.
With 226k subscribers you certainly have more followers then McKinsey & Co @ 139k.
Cheers from Indonesia. Herry
Hallo Heinrich.
Ich muss sagen, auch wenn ich nicht unbedingt der Meinung bin, dass man helle Knöpfe auf seinen Hemden zu tragen hat ( ;-) ), deine Tipps wirklich enoooorm wertvoll sind und mir über die letzten Jahre sehr in meiner eigenen Karriere als Unternehmensberater geholfen haben.
Wollte mich hier einfach mal bedanken und dir klar mitteilen, dass meine "Perception" der Reality ist, dass du ein Klasse Kerl bist. Weiter so!
good insights here. Ive been in meetings where one manager insisted on one thing and another the opposite and i was supposed to agree to both of their requests yet they were mutually exclusive, for example do the project using customer data and do the project but you cant use the customer data. Both requests were from managers in the same meeting, who failed to see there was a conflict in what they said and it was my job to resolve this. There is so much toxicity in many corporate environments and i think that's why they need consultants to break the deadlock else they wouldn't be able to accomplish anything. I think HR has a role to play in minimizing this psychological abuse they are generally pretty weak.
Establishing and nurturing strong relationships is paramount, as these connections serve as valuable pathways to address critical issues within the organization effectively.
Without garnering support and commitment, any proposed solution lacks efficacy.
We engage with stakeholders both in formal and informal settings, deeply understanding their context, requirements, constraints, and possibilities.
In close collaboration with our clients, we can co-create solutions which align with their goals and priorities.
Amazing!
Thanks for sharing! Working in McKinsey. My view is that in this type of situations is your responsibility that the client engages, if they do not you have to pull in the leadership to solve it. For example, you should explain to your EM in all check-in/check-out. Also you should ask them to join some of the sessions e.g., ask the partner to join. The key is ask for help before it gets to their ears in another way, always, no matter if the problem is with a client or with your team or you need help with the content
Agree!
Very helpful thanks
Your best video IMO
Heinrich vielen dank for the documents! Can thank you enough for your guidance :)
Happy to hear it is helpful, thanks Daniel!
Amazing Content!!!
Thank you happy to hear you like the video!! Best, Heinrich
Awesome🎉
One tip I would suggest if you notice this, talk to your manager and see how you agree to deal with this.
Document it formally.
Over the flow, document any informal fact or information.
Review your approach of the situation every week and when needed.
Another helpful hint: if your client acts that way, there’s a reason for it. One way to know might be to ask directly or indirectly why. It lays a sane base for inclusiveness and for discussion.
Understanding how it impacts your client personally is part of the job.
V good, I wish I had seen your video many years back I had similar experiences
Super happy to hear the content is helpful, thanks for your comment!! Cheers, Heinrich
Yes!! Psychology… perception is reality ( a generalised view ) to categorise a merchandise , here it’s the person but Alas!! Failed to convert into a machine!!
the same thing happened to me at big four in audit … so many mgmt are abusing their authorities to cover themselves and target juniors for mistakes they can’t fix
The fundamental fail in the modern management consulting model is that - Partners do the business development and promise the world along with world class expertise. Then come project execution time - the consulting firm needs to make money and therefore staffs project with lower level resources who are most of the time completely useless to the client.
A consultant is meant to add value to a client and therefore at a minimum should be a subject matter expert in either the industry or the service that they are offering. Therefore anytime a "consultant" with less than 8yrs experience shows up to your doorstep as a client, it won't take a rocket scientist to profess that things will fall apart!
For me "put yourself in the driver seat" is a key takeaway. It's very important to own you stuff and when it doesn't happen you can be sure you are not progressing and something needs to be changed
can you share more insight here? examples?
very helpful
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 ☕ *The speaker discusses one of the toughest situations faced in consulting, emphasizing the importance of lessons learned for viewers.*
01:27 🤝 *The consultant faced challenges in collaboration with clients during a project, leading to client complaints about perceived lack of value.*
03:50 📉 *Difficulties arose when working with a geographically distant client, impacting progress and causing dissatisfaction from the business unit head.*
08:40 🌐 *The central lesson is that perception is reality; how others perceive your contributions can significantly influence your professional standing.*
10:36 🚗 *Take control of your work; avoid being reactive and proactively set the agenda to ensure success in your projects.*
13:33 🔄 *Changing the project focus can be beneficial; a new project lead successfully redirected initiatives, improving relationships and outcomes.*
15:00 📄 *Creating a clear paper trail of decisions and interactions helps in challenging situations, providing evidence and clarity.*
16:29 📈 *Smart escalation is crucial; finding the right time to escalate issues can prevent defensive positions and maintain initiative.*
Made with HARPA AI
The first few points misses some crucial details in that the summary ignores the ways the clients actively obstructed Heinrich from succeeding in the project. this summary isn't on point enough
thanks for letting me know!@@yunleung2631
In the spirit of continuous improvement, some. Thoughts for the author...
. Good video overall
. If you consider each war story as diving deeper into a pool, and each resolution to swimming upwards, then I felt the structure of the video, with several war stories one after the other, left me gasping for breath
. I think "real world experience" followed by "resolution strategies" would result in a "dive then come up for air" feeling.
. You've then got the choice of putting each story as a chapter or separate video.
. My main takeaway was drive for what you need when you detect something going awry. Tricky balance, but I agree very much.
Thanks for watching and for your feedback! Great points to consider for future videos. Agree that getting the balance right can sometimes be tricky. Best! Heinrich
What a horrible experience, but such great advice.
Bin schon gespannt auf den Conetent, bei den Augenringen, kann ich mir gut vorstellen, dass es die thoughest stiuation war ^^ :D
it’s called bullying. more senior consultant colleagues should have supported you due to uncooperative stakeholders and show you what are the communication tactics, how to steer it. A lot is coming with experience and the confidence, also just assessing the situation, what environment are you in and knowing what behavior would probably work being aware that there are always risks even if you think you know what you are doing.
Pls answer this small question:
Is all you do word excel ppts?
How is ZS Associates as a consulting firm? I have been selected as a young consultant there. Should I look for better opportunities though?
Thanks.
Not too familiar with them to be honest
I feel you missed an important part - you need to let your internal team know what the problems are in advance. Then when the complaint comes, they are prepared and they understand the situation (or perhaps they can help support and get ahead of the problem before it gets worse). (Perhaps this is what you meant by 04. escalation tactics but you really brushed over this part quickly).
On the other hand it sounds like the team you were working with just sucked so perhaps there is not much you can do.
I grew up torn between 2 narcissistic cult families in a town that favored/required such families.
(This place must have been part of a secret twin study too....)
All of this makes sense.
The corporate stuff...
Broken families are sometimes doing a failing company deep down...
Larping a collectivist paradigm and faux agrarian cohesion as pastoralist barbarians at the gate...
In my families and town i lost
Guess not all bees go for cages
This sounds like every company in finance!
I'm not sure about the negative framing of "politics" here -- people feel threatened by new contributors in all sorts of situations and act out in all sorts of ways. insisting on contributing would not have helped in that context or documenting how they were wrong would have been even more threatening and they would have been even more combative, but what the new project lead you mention did sounds like the right thing -- finding a workstream that is less crowded, where your value-add was actually necessary and helpful, rather than the project some client leader wanted which but which was a "full lane" in the sense that folks working on it were not ready take on more assistance.
Screw firm politics
Agree! Though unfortunately easier said than done ;)
I'm sure you're a great conzultant
lol just saw the DLR trains, which means you are based out off London 😂😊
I wish that I could have watched this video 10 years ago
Hope you still find some value in it.. thanks for watching, appreciate it!! Best, Heinrich
I DEMAND CONSULTING MEME REVIEW
Company worker here. 99% of the consultants i ever met were useless. In my world, they do not have the required subject matter expertise the workers had. The consultants were hired because the boss was too dumb to take delegate the decisions ne couldn’t take. Most of the time, what we need is a proper project manager who can put some order in our ideas (we do not need your ideas, thank you), or we need temp workers to assist with the amount of work.
Consultants should stop believing they are there because they are smart.
Also remember: the project gets sold by senior consultants who may (occasionally) have the required experience, but what we get are the juniors. We train you at our expense.
For the price/cost of a consultant, we could hire 2 persons who could be truly productive.
Sorry to hear you had these negative experiences. Consulting teams are usually indeed composed of a mix of different tenures. The more senior people should have subject matter expertise and should guide the junior colleagues accordingly. Sounds like this did not work well in your firm. Thanks for watching! Best, Heinrich
Sounds like you were set up to fail by your own consulting company. Who was your sponsor at the customer company? What milestones did you agree with them?
Why?
Sorry to break it but this has very little to do with office politics.
He's talking about an early experience in his career, how can he attribute all those failures to pure politics? And if it was really politics, he failed to elaborate the hidden motives behind all the shenanigens. Moreover, none of the lessons teach you anything about real politics: who do you align yourself with and how; who to avoid and how to work around them.
Thanks for your comment! Sorry to hear the video did not meet your expectations. Not claiming - and also stated this in the video - that all failures were purely caused by politics. Appreciate you watching! Best, Heinrich
When we start consulting, we are all just well paid noobs
Client wants consultant to just wave a magic wand and fix it. Or, is resentful that there's a consultant at all and is using them as a scapegoat to avoid work and allow it to fail while appearing innocent.
Can happen..!
While this is a good video, this really feels like the typical consultant "Obviously I wasn't at fault at all" mindset... Since there's no counterparty to verify the claims... The tips are good though.
Hi Alex, thanks for your comment! Not at all saying that nothing was my fault, definitely lots of ways how I could have altered the course of action. Tried to share some thoughts on this in the video. Beyond that, I was a rather young consultant and probably did have also other ways to get to other results with everything I know today. Thanks for watching! Best, Heinrich
dein Akzent ist der Überhammer
🤓
Ausgezichnet
Sounds like you’re never at fault and full of excuses 🙄
No, thats not the point. Definitely lots of things I could have done better (also discussing some in the video).
Yawn...
Sorry to hear the video did not appeal to you. Still thanks for watching! Best, Heinrich
This guy talks a lot and doesn’t say very much.
As a top tier consultant by name german, why not invest in some proper English?
❤️
Heinrich, you articulated your points perfectly in proper English and with clarity. Thank you for making these videos. A lot of us can resonate with you, and your insights are truly valuable.
very good advice, I second that.