Consulting Career
How do I move from reporting facts to giving the "so what" on a project?
My manager says I need to improve my commercial insight. I can produce facts, but I don't always get to the implication for the client's problem. It feels harder than a case interview because I also have to decide what to analyse in the first place. How do I get better at finding the so what rather than doing a fact dump?
Ian’s Answer
Ultimately, you need to learn from your peers and your boss. A simple Q&A isn't really going to suffice here…for most people this takes a year+ on the job to really learn this. Again, keep pushing yourself, absorbing everything around you, asking questions, etc.
Another option is to hire a coach. For example, I actively/currently advise consultants at MBB in their day-to-day (helping them framework projects, figure out next steps, etc.). This would greatly accelerate your learning!
Always ask yourself why. Why does this data/info matter? What is our objective and how does this fit. Lean into the data by leveraging the project framework.