Full Episodes, Softer Side

Episode 75: The One About Existential Angst

By -c

Management consultants often grapple with the challenge of articulating what they do while simultaneously questioning if what they do truly matters. Watch this episode for 6 takeaways you need to know about meaning and purpose in consulting.

We Discuss:

  • What do consultants even do?
  • Why do people struggle to explain what consultants do?
  • Is it enough to just be doing it for the money?
  • Are consultants who claim to be purely focused on delivering value being genuine?
  • Why do some consultants get stuck in unfulfilling roles?
  • How can consultants maintain perspective and avoid getting lost in the ‘consulting vortex’?
  • Why do those who leave consulting (‘out’ in ‘up or out’) often end up happier?

Key Highlights:

  • Consultants often struggle to explain what they do, as evidenced by a particular Reddit post. This leads to deeper questions about professional identity and purpose. (00:02:45)
  • Initial responses to “what do consultants do?” tend to be either overly generic or unnecessarily complex, highlighting a broader communication challenge in the industry. (00:02:59)
  • Consulting roles span a wide spectrum – from hiring smart individuals as “warm bodies” to bringing in entire teams for specific strategic outcomes, making it difficult to provide a simple definition. (00:07:24)
  • Many consultants start their careers focused on monetary gains, but later struggle with questions of purpose and value, leading to existential crises. (00:13:50)
  • Early-career consultants often chase financial rewards, but this motivation evolves as they advance, forcing them to choose between constant progression and work-life balance. (00:18:44)
  • Consulting work can be highly abstract compared to tangible professions (like construction), making it harder to see concrete results and feel fulfilled. (00:33:26)
  • The conversation addresses the “up or out” culture in consulting and how some people who leave (“out”) often end up happier than those who keep pursuing advancement (“up”). (00:44:36)
  • Emphasis on the importance of daily reflection and journaling to maintain perspective and avoid getting lost in the consulting “vortex.” (00:37:28)
  • Modern work culture has internalized destructive motivations, making people push themselves beyond healthy limits (“hustle culture”). (00:41:06)
  • The conversation touches on “hedonic adaptation” – the constant moving of goalposts for success and happiness in consulting careers. (00:43:07)
  • Many who exit the traditional consulting career path often find more happiness, though they couldn’t see this while still “on the ride.” (00:45:18)

6 Takeaways:

  • Difficulty explaining consulting roles often reveals deeper career doubts and questions of purpose.
  • The broad range of consulting work makes it hard to define succinctly, leading to oversimplified or overcomplicated descriptions.
  • Unlike tangible professions, consulting’s abstract nature can leave practitioners feeling disconnected and unfulfilled.
  • Starting careers for money without reflection leads to endless goal-shifting and diminishing satisfaction.
  • The “up or out” culture traps many in unfulfilling paths, while those who leave often find unexpected happiness.
  • Modern consulting culture has internalized self-destructive behaviors as necessary for success.

To read the Reddit threads that we are reacting to in this episode, check out these two posts: