StrategyU

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

When interviewing for my first job in consulting, I spent a lot of my time practicing applying business frameworks to hypothetical case interview questions. I read Case in Point and Case Interview Secrets and spent a long time trying to find every last business framework via google. Second, I wasn’t thinking long-term.

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StrategyU

AUGUST 19, 2024

But, after nearly a decade of working in consulting and teaching consulting skills, I’ve come to believe that problem-solving is the most important skill. But what is problem-solving? Why is problem-solving at the core of consulting? It’s a fair question.

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StrategyU

MAY 29, 2024

I was taking part in the Basic Consulting Readiness training and talking to my new friend Josh. He detailed how he had decided in high school, after getting into Stanford, that he would work in strategy consulting. I downloaded the book in 2006 to prepare for my consulting interviews.

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StrategyU

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Think about a problem that you are facing today. “I But if you told a consultant about the problem, they would likely ask you a bunch of questions before saying that. This is a very different problem that needs to be addressed very differently (and reducing your caffeine intake won’t help!).

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StrategyU

AUGUST 22, 2023

To demonstrate this, I asked Bard , googles AI chat tool, the following question: “What are three ways someone might use a tool like Bard that would help them work like a strategy consultant?” This information can then be analyzed to identify trends, patterns, and insights that would be helpful to a strategy consultant.

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StrategyU

APRIL 19, 2022

What’s the difference between an “associate consultant,” “business analyst,” or “associate”? In terms of responsibilities and time in role, the roles at the top three consulting firms (McKinsey, Bain, and BCG) are very similar. When Do Most Consultants Leave Consulting?

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StrategyU

OCTOBER 6, 2024

But I didn’t appreciate how rare that was until working at consulting firms where I found it incredibly hard to do that same level of work. From working with many different organizations as a consultant, I’ve started to notice that the companies that are able to build a culture of excellence all have a few things in common.

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StrategyU

OCTOBER 2, 2023

In consulting, I was taught to start with the answer. The tendency to feel like you need to “prove” to managers or senior leaders that you spend a lot of time working on something. Do you have a toolkit for business problem solving? You can’t just tell them the answer briefly. Or can you?!!

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StrategyU

OCTOBER 2, 2023

” The job of a great consultant is not just to repackage information. ” The challenge in consulting is that often the client AND the consultant don’t actually know how to work together. The same pattern can apply to a knowledge professional and a manager. ” to themselves as they analyzed the data.

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StrategyU

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

You’ve set your sights on joining one of the world’s most prestigious consulting firms, where every move you make in the application process counts. It’s not just any test; it’s a game designed to challenge your thinking, and your problem-solving abilities, right from the start—every click you make counts on how you will be perceived.

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StrategyU

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

And does it even matter outside of consulting?” But even if I hadn’t gone on to work in consulting, I now know that MECE is a valuable tool for anyone who wants to think more clearly and solve problems more effectively. I thought, “What the heck is MECE? Funnily enough, I’d soon use that resume to get a job at McKinsey.

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StrategyU

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

McKinsey was one of the first firms to invest heavily in “knowledge management” in the early 2000s. Before going under the fancier sounding “knowledge,” most consulting firms had libraries with physical books and resources that were managed by professionals with a background in library science. It was really good.

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StrategyU

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

“Strategy” is a word that attracts a lot of excitement in the business world. In consulting, I worked with many companies helping them to develop strategies. Although these were often focused on different levels of the business and different topics, all of the “strategies” were similar.

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StrategyU

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

Barbara Minto’s The Pyramid Principle has been one of the most influential books for business writing. It has sold millions of copies and shaped the nature of work done at the top consulting firms, especially McKinsey & Company, where she first popularized her ideas. This is what made working in consulting so different.

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StrategyU

JULY 5, 2020

The history of strategy consulting starts with Frederick Taylor and the Scientific Management movement but took many twists and turns as it evolved into its current state, an industry looking inward and pondering where it fits in the new technology-powered business world. Chapter 1: Frederick Taylor: “The System Must Be First”.

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StrategyU

JULY 23, 2021

Having made this transition after working in the consulting industry was easier than it would have been if I had made the leap from industry but there was still a lot I had to figure out along the way. Managing this delicate balance is vital to ensure you lay the groundwork to building a lasting freelance business.

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StrategyU

SEPTEMBER 28, 2022

This book is one of the seminal texts in the consulting world and is increasingly popular in the broader business world. If you’d like to go to the previous section you can find the following links to each: Logic In Writing Logic In Thinking Logic in Problem-Solving Logic In Presentation.

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StrategyU

OCTOBER 31, 2024

“Consulting” is a broad term in today’s world. When people think about consulting, they often think about the most famous firms: McKinsey, Bain, and BCG. The most famous kinds of consulting The three biggest areas of consulting are strategy and operations, technology, and financial and transaction advisory.

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StrategyU

OCTOBER 29, 2024

The most valuable professionals and leaders aren’t just smart – they consistently demonstrate an ability to solve complex problems. Analytical Thinking Analytical thinking is the ability to break down complex issues into manageable components and identify patterns in data. They may feel defensive.

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