Grey Thin Line between Senior and Junior on Consulting Work Environment
— a junior can be “the senior” of senior consultant on some specific projects.
Seniority status on work environment can’t just be given to someone based on their profesional career services length only especially on consulting industry that use project based assignment.
A consultant may have 10 years experience on banking and considered as “senior” on that industry, but when the same consultant is assigned to non banking project, for example: core manufacturing assessment project, they are considered as junior employee even with 10 years of experience as both of the industry are completely has different business process and ecosystem.
Doesnt matter if such consultant has been working for 10 or 20 years, if its new industry then it require steep learning curve.
The After Math of Highly Competitive Environment
Such condition causing high competitive working environment between co-workers and ultimately ended-up stressing & pressuring the consultant as no consultant can choose their project assignment.
In many scenario, resource are allocated not based on their skills but highly depend on the market or project needs. This is where a senior consultant can be “junior” consultant.
Even high speed learner will have hard time if the learning curve is too steep with short amount of time (consulting project usually last between 3 until 4 months)
No wonder, there are a lot of news where consultant are reported to be mentally or physically ill due to their workload and pressure.
How to cope with Breakdown from Consulting Work Culture
Personally, i think that 5 stages of griefing concept model by kubler-ross are the best remediation to deal with any breakdown caused by highly competitive and volatile project-based consulting environment but with a ceveat during “anger” stages (see “anger” section below)
below is typical breakdown event that can be experienced by consultant.
- Laid off (due to PIP/performance imporvement plan), super destructive, might loss self esteem.
- Laid off (due to massive cutdown)
- Underperform and hauted with PIP or lay off risk
- On bench axiety (the expected project never came.. can only wait on a sorrow)
- Skill issues overthinking (am i still relevant on he industry after X years on consulting?)
ranked from the most destructive breakdown towards and go down to small non confortable conidition that cause overthinking (which still take mental stroll!)
note: every consultant will definitely experience at least one of it during their entire professional career lifecycle.
Denial
Can’t believe that we got a mental breakdown from high pressure environment or threat of lay off
When we can’t fully perform on one of projects or engagement it might ended up causing mental shock. It is a natural response as the layoff fear or bad performance appraisal will haunting us during such time.
However, try to remember that we are not a superman who know everything. Know that in consulting, the project assignment can be 180 degree different with our core capabilities. its all depend on the market needs and as profesional consultant we are expected to be able to deliver whatever task that was assigned.
say this mantra to accelerate the denial stages : “it is what is it”. it is what is it, its done — nothing can be done to change the past. try to move on (sounds easy but this is the hardest part)
Anger
Frustated, started to blame the condition/ecosystem
at this stages, there is a chance to turn anger into enermous energy to find new opportunities.
There is still time before the breakdown event turn into a real problem (for example, at the most extreme case, a lay off breakdown event. usually it takes at last couple months before termination will be proceeded and most likely the firm will give “sign”)
use those time to channel the anger into positive energy for updating cv and start applying
Frustation or anger or sadness will definitely come. Try to express and channel that emotion.
Objectively, the best way to channel that emotion is by updating CV and actively apply to the job market with hope that we can find suitable role and better compensation.
Bargaining
Started the what-if analysis.. why i do choose to work on this industry?
The most hardest stages. Most consultant will ended up to question their decision on why they choosing to become consultant (what if scenario)
Evetually started to become envy with their peers/friend career trajectory as they work on more secure (less pressure, stable assignment, moderate learning curve) sector (government, oil and gas, banking, etc).
again.. the best mantra for this stages is — it is what it is.
Depression
Lost of hope and stared to loss motivation to get to work
Loss of hope and started to gain appetite at late night is the sign of depression has been kicked in.
Most likey will be experienced by any consultant if they if are terminated/laid off or about to be lay off due to performance issue.
sadly “it is what is is” mantra might not work at this stage. We might wanted to start go to pspsychologist to get treatment.
a letter to my self if i ever got laid off in the future
Dear me,
You are not defined by your job
You are who worth more than the job and role the previously you had.
Everyone in this world has a role
Even a grass that never move from their position play crucial role to product oxygen for earth
Everyone alive in this world has their own worth.
Brush your tears, move on.
It also wise to add another mantra for ourself when experiencing this stage: “focus on what you can control”. Eventhought it might not fully overcome the depression, theoritically it will help.
Acceptance
The ultimate resolution. Accept it, plan ahead, move on. The hardest stages. Boucing back from desperate condition is harder than cracking first achievement
Accept that such condition is already happened and we are not perfect. Every human has its flaw. Be kind with your self. do not blame yourself and move on
Keep alive!
Prevention : The Second Income for Consultant
In my humble opinion, anyone who work on consulting must go down to this part (second income) , as our job security is almost non-existent. we are redundant and prone to get axed/replaced
There is a way to prevent ourself from experiening five stages of griefing due to the highly competitive working environment (especially in consulting world) that eventually could lead into major termination, it is called second or thrid income
use the earned money or free time during benchtime/low season time to improve skills and opening new revenue stream.
So when the bad time comes and we can held our head high as we already have backup plan to live!
