A Day in the Life of a Consultant

Trying to pin down a typical day in the life of a consultant feels a bit like trying to capture the essence of "a day in the life of a doctor" – it's a tall order given the ever-changing landscape of our job. No patient is the same, neither are our projects, our customers, and most often our workdays.

While the doctor usually does not know what to expect until they walk into the room, us consultants usually have a rough idea of what's on the agenda. Yet, every day manages to throw us a curveball or two. There will be days when you walk into a fresh project, encounter new faces, and see new operations and brand-new challenges. You're constantly learning and sharing insights gleaned from past experiences. Sometimes, it's as straightforward as applying a band-aid, like rolling out a new supply chain tool. Other times, it's more like conducting an in-depth operational audit or navigating the complexities of integrating a new system.

But let's be real – there's no such thing as a "typical" day in consulting.

There are days when you curse your alarm clock for ringing at 5 am in the morning to start a trip to a customer site. Then there are days when you cannot wait to get out of bed because you are heading to a Miebach training to meet and reconnect with your colleagues from across the globe.

There are nerve-wracking moments, like presenting to a Steering Committee, where the fate of the project hangs in the balance. And then, there are days spent elbow-deep in a client's warehouse, getting to the nitty-gritty of their business operations. Amidst the chaos, there are also days you get to spend in our modern open floor plan office. Equipped with everything you need to collaborate, communicate, and interact with your colleagues – the ones that are also physically in the office as well as the ones at home, or in other office locations, or even other countries. Those days in the office may be the most predictable in consultant life – except you never know who you may bump into and where you end up after work.  

Coming back to the doctor comparison and to the final truth:

Not every day will be a day where you save a life (or switch the light on in a new facility with a new IT system). There are days when we find ourselves wrestling with mundane tasks, like tinkering with tools or compiling seemingly unremarkable requirement specifications. It's all part and parcel of the consultant's journey – not always sunshine and rainbows, but never without its silver linings.

In the end, who knows what's waiting for us outside the office doors or what tomorrows got in store? And you know what? Therein lies the beauty and excitement of life as a consultant.