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Michael O'Rorke
Associate
New York
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Monday morning – back to work. For a local engagement, commuting can be as easy as hopping on the subway uptown or catching a ferry across the Hudson River. Overnight locations could include the South, Boston, Chicago, or just about any and all destinations in between. Whether by plane, train or automobile, consultant travel is rarely routine.
Once at the client site, members of our team exchange stories of weekend diversions over coffee and orange juice: one Associate talks of a family outing to the beach; another colleague recounts an anniversary trip with his wife; and our team leader bemoans her Manhattan apartment search. But soon, the talk stops – and it’s time to return to the challenges at hand.
Working with clients is almost never the same experience twice. Whether it’s developing a digital strategy for a television network, building cost models for an automotive parts line, or sizing the market for natural gas processing equipment … the wide variety of industries and issues tackled each week demand nimble thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a broad but deep skill set.
Working with the client at all levels – from the receptionist, to the analyst, to the top executives – the problems we help them face run the gamut from developing new growth strategies to controlling costs to implementing a new organizational structure. A model built over two weeks of late nights, number crunching, and Chinese takeout becomes the basis for a cable network’s next online strategic initiative. A market assessment developed through interviews and analysis helps drive a firm’s decision to buy or pass on a potential new manufacturing acquisition. These are the kinds of problems that can’t be solved by theoretical or “academic” solutions alone – they demand practical approaches that enable implementation and deliver lasting results.
Putting that concept into practice each week means more than just finding new ways to run analyses (although that is also very important). It means finding ways to interact with clients on a personal level. An impromptu lunch, a few extra minutes to chat … and quickly you realize the people you’re working to help are as unique and diverse as your Booz Allen colleagues.
It’s these sorts of intangibles that help to establish trust with clients and build relationships over time. They are often the most rewarding moments for the consultant each week. Trust creates opportunities for additional information, improved assumptions, and deeper insights. Simply put, trust results in better work.
Every engagement demands a unique approach to both the problem and client culture – that variety is both challenging and exhilarating on a daily basis. Diversity is an easy word to toss around these days: an idea often used more as catchphrase or marketing hook than an actual value-building concept. Yet, one of the great and refreshing things about consulting – and particularly Booz Allen – is the way in which diversity – in all its forms -- genuinely impacts and enhances each week on the job. Spice of life, indeed. |
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Ross Coull
Associate
London |
Many people claim to hate Mondays (and some even hate Sunday nights!). The fun and relaxation of the weekend ends all too abruptly and is replaced by the depressing monotony of a car/train/bus journey to the office. However, such regularity is rare, if not non-existent, in the life of a Booz Allen consultant. The following passage was written by one of our London-based consultants and describes a typical (if there is such a thing) week in the life of a Booz Allen consultant.
During my two years at the firm, most Monday mornings have involved an early trip to Heathrow. Cab at 5.45am; automatic check-in machine; shoes off and laptop out for security check; one ham, cheese and tomato croissant (or two if I’m feeling especially daring); and a couple of hours’ sleep on the flight to Munich, Geneva, Barcelona or wherever the week’s work takes me. But this is where any routine element abruptly ceases. Once I land, the mind has to switch immediately to the reason I’m here: the client.
Once at the client’s office – where we spend about 75% of our time – the activities are always varied. Your level at the firm, the client’s industry, the functional work stream, and your specific role within the team are just some of the factors that will determine how you spend your days. The regular ‘value-chain’ of activities that we enjoy are client meetings and workshops (clarifying what the problem actually is), doing practical or computer-based analysis (working out the answer), and writing and making presentations (communicating the answer).
Working side-by-side with the client, I am truly brought into their world. Suddenly my ability to understand their challenges improves exponentially, and consequently the enjoyment that I take from the experience also dramatically increases. Unlike other firms, our consultants do not simply write a presentation from our offices in London, give it to the partner and let them present it to the client. Instead we dig in, working with the client’s in-house experts to come up with the most appropriate solution, tailoring our recommendations to the nuances of their situation. It is this breadth of service that makes my time at Booz Allen so special – one minute I’m writing a high-level strategic recommendation for the CEO, and the next moment I’m trying to implement it on the ground – which are both fantastic challenges.
The hours can be long, but there is no ‘face-time’ culture – when I’m finished, I leave the office. Evenings away from home often involve some sort of team dinner or activity, giving me a chance to discuss things other than ‘line 45 in Excel’; and this is the setting where some wonderful friendships are forged. The importance of team-bonding should never be underestimated, as it makes the work much easier and much more enjoyable – cultural and personal barriers are soon broken down over a Caesar salad and a bottle of Corona. I figure, if you are going to spend a considerable amount of time with your colleagues, then it is imperative that they are good people. Fortunately, and I say this with great sincerity, Booz Allen is crammed full of them.
With Wednesday or Thursday afternoon comes the return flight to London. Shoes off and laptop out for security, quick drink in the lounge, and recharge the body with an in-flight meal. Once back in London it is time to catch up with friends and loved ones. Booz Allen’s tremendous diversity of people is reflected in the variety of ways that they spend their free time.
Despite the energy and enjoyment I take from working with clients, Fridays tend to offer a much deserved change of pace in my home office. It provides the opportunity to catch up with colleagues (both socially and on internal issues), carry out many of the administrative tasks that cannot be done from the team room in Helsinki or wherever, and of course, enjoy the Friday evening drinks trolley … a lovely tradition in the London office that brings an end to the week in truly great fashion. |
