Let’s start by looking at why I joined MAC in the first place. One of the main reasons was the people I met during my rather extensive interview and assessment process. The old cliché regarding first impressions certainly holds here. Everyone was down-toearth, enthusiastic, and friendly. There was also a consistent openness from everyone I interfaced with. No-one ever tried to do a “snow-job” on me, responses to my questions were always honest and forthright – even when digging into delicate issues around organisational culture and politics. And now that I work here? One of the important lessons I learned early on was what the MAC approach to its clients is.

When I asked a few people what MAC holds most dear regarding its clients, the answer was consistent – trust. Not some trite “touchy-feely” type of emotion, this is about aligning with the client in terms of values, mindset, attitudes, and business outcomes. Client engagements must never be self-serving, they are always about doing what is in the client’s interest. Coming from a non-consulting background, MAC has also helped to educate me, in more ways than one. One of my concerns about becoming a management consultant was that I had previously viewed consulting as being a little theoretical and academic, somewhat removed from the rigours of business.

I had operated in what I considered a much more practical environment where I had to see tangible results from my efforts – something I had suspected might not hold true in management consulting. My experience to date has dispelled this notion, and I have found that MAC consultants feel exactly the same way as I do. MAC does not focus on the theoretical, academic or “latest flavour” in management thinking; everything is about extracting insights which will help to drive results in a real, pragmatic, and measurable way for the client. There is a pride amongst MAC consultants at being able to reflect that “company ‘A’ implemented ‘X’ because of the work we did and what we recommended”. Where MAC consultants have been involved, there seem to be few instances where the deliverable never again sees the light of day after the engagement ends. This is testament to the relationships that MAC establishes with its clients.

I’ve also learned some harder skills, which will stand me in good stead for future engagements. For instance: that you have to challenge all your assumptions about the client’s business – and that the foundations on which you’ve based your insights will be pressure-tested to see how they stand up to scrutiny. If you are unable to clearly articulate your thought processes, your thoughts need more processing. Management consulting is about facts, but mostly it’s about insight. Discovering data or developing metrics in themselves is interesting, but it’s what the data or metrics tell you that is value adding.

Also, I’ve learned how to adapt to and operate at many different levels, sometimes at the same time, and to work effectively with a wide range of people. And maybe most importantly: how to work in a team, where you have access to the collective intelligence and experience, but where everyone demands the best from each other. My experience prior to joining was valuable - but the MAC Consulting experience so far has been invaluable.