Watch this if you are an INTROVERT
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- Опубліковано 16 лип 2024
- Are you an Introvert working in Consulting, Corporate, Banking or a similar fast paced work environment? Watch this if you are an introvert to learn key strategies to succeed at work as an introvert. Do you have an introvert personality and are you facing typical introvert problems, such as feeling without energy after a long day with lots of social interactions? Based on my experiences as a former McKinsey consultant, I am sharing why this is the case and what you can do to improve. Are you an introvert working in consulting at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Big 4 or a similar company? Watch this video for tips on introversion and strategy consulting insights.
Chapters
00:00 Introverts in Consulting
02:16 Storytime: Why Introverts struggle in Consulting
10:57 Strategies for Introverts to succeed at Work
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“How’s your weekend?” Is one of the hardest questions in life as an introvert😂damn, I just stayed home to recharge myself, what am I supposed to say😂
This is gold! It’s me 😂
That's definitely me!
It was awesome! I had a chance to sleep in, work on my garden, and just chill. Don't you love it when it works out like that every so often? What about yours?
Haha! Absolutely
lol thats a good one ;) Thanks for your comment! Best, Heinrich
Summary:
1. Introverts are people whose energy DRAINS from being with people
2. Consulting typically involves many situations that are draining for introverts: draining work hours, maintaining client relationships, work at client sites, social activities, feeling the "pressure" to interact with more senior people, like partners
3. Introvert survival strategies: 1) Learn extroverted behaviours, e.g. "trust equation" 2) you don't always have to small talk, move the conversation to topics that are meaningful to you, 3) your thoughts don't have to be super meaningful or perfect for you to share them, 4) remember barrier of silence = the longer you haven't spoken in a meeting the harder it is, 5) focus more on your strengths, 6) recharge on the weekends
3 parts
1:00 1. what does it mean by introvert?
social anxiety.
social situation drains the battery when exposed to other people.
1:55 while no problem giving public speech.
2. consulting storytime
3:55 breakfast with the team: be for yourself and relax. but hey, i'm a project lead and i cannot let these people alone.
4:05 team room situation: where someone will constantly on the phone: conference call & video calls in parallel.
5:30 evening activities: many examples.
1. once or twice a week, a senior person in the team, partner and similar will fly in to spend the rest of days with you.
it would not at all be unlikely that then in the evening, you would go out and have team dinner for several hours, and you'll have more work to do after being back. --> very likely
6:55 when i was a junior associate, i often felt more or less pressed to need to talk and interact. to entertain the partner. --> visibility, promoted.
7:30 evaluation season: what associates get what rankings, bonus, speed of promotion.
8:20 office activities: on fridays. see coworkers and networks. also will help your career.
10:10 client events:
of course you will have formal meetings during days, but can you build beyond the formal ones and potentially walk by their desk and pick up a coffee with them, maybe invite them for lunch.
also build relationships with clients, this is evaluated to at least with important clients.
10:50 all of the below. challenging for introverts to get fast-tracked promotion. and I do personally feel the struggles.
3. introvert survival tips: these picked up
11:50 trust equation: don't require to spend many time with them, chitchatting a lot.
12:40 shape the conversation.
13:20 simple minds talk about other people, mostly negative; mediorce: experiences; great minds about ideas.
if you talk about experiences, you can also start,
1. what's your memorable experience working in this firm ...
2. what are you looking forward to in a couples of months...
14:50 set lower the bar to talk, just small talk.
16:00 barrier of silence: when a meeting starts, say sth earlier would be easier than later.
16:55 focus more on strengths: active listening, empathy - people business, analytical skills. double down the advantages.
19:10 make use of weekend. it's good to go out on saturday evenings, but rather could sleep in.
I've been feeling insecure about being an introvert recently and this video definitely comes at the right time for me. Thank you so much all the valuable sharing!
Great to hear you were able to take something away from the video - lots of success to you going forward!
The responsibilities also fall under the leadership to draw insights from both extroverts and introverts. The pandemic has also taught us that introverts work much better independently so introverted tendencies are not “all bad”; instead of the traditional thinking of how introverts should be more like extroverts, companies should also push extroverts to think more before they speak as well.
Hi Richard, agree that leadership can play a part in helping professionals with different personality profiles succeed in the workplace. Thanks for your comment! Best, Heinrich
Thanks a lot for the tips Heinrich ! As an introvert these type of videos are so helpful. Continue the good work, I have been enjoying the last videos recently.
Thanks very much for being so humble, so honest and always willing to really help others.
Pure gold! Thanks a lot Heinrich
Thank you for this video, Heinrich!
Very precise and you gave some nice tips
Spot on. Your examples resonated with me very much. Thanks for the coping strategies, I will try them!
Always choosing great topics to talk about. Thank u, Heinrich!
Happy to hear you like it, thanks for your comment Khaled! Best, Heinrich
Such amazing advice, thank you! Also - use your sick/vacation time!! No one should ever feel bad for taking some "mental health" time off to recharge when everything just gets a bit much.
Agree, definitely put health first. Thanks for your kind comment! Best, Heinrich
You spoke everything I have been thinking and facing! Thanks! ❤❤❤❤
Very helpful, thanks for sharing these stories!
Thanks for watching.
This is gold for me! Very insightful and opened my eyes
Happy to hear that - thanks for your comment! Best, Heinrich
Ein großartiges Thema! Auch eine Beratung braucht nicht nur die Extrovertierten vorne auf der Bühne. Sondern auch solche, die die Arbeit machen. Für mich waren die Introvertierten immer die interessanteren Gesprächspartner.
Genau so ist das - Danke für den Kommentar! LG, Heinrich
This channel helped me so much I haven't had time to watch because I've been so busy working in consulting :)
Hi Nick, thanks for your kind comment - and also BIG thanks for your support as a member. Much appreciated! Lots of success to you in your role :) Best, Heinrich
I'm in a corporate/public sector environment, and many of the points which you bring up here are so relevant to establishing oneself in the workspace. Wished I found you earlier when I started out! As an introvert, I'm trying to own my personal brand and also be more comfortable speaking up (you hit the nail on the head on voicing out "useless" thoughts). Learning a lot from your channel and thank you for making these videos!
Thanks for your kind comment and sharing your experiences. Happy to hear the video resonates - all the best to you! Heinrich
Thank you for this video Heinrich! Just started at a new company recently and felt a bit stressed as an introvert. Really appreciate your advice
Happy to hear it is helpful - thanks for watching! Best, H
be true to yourself and you will never fall - most one of the hardest things in the daily grind of being an introvert consultant. Now it’s time to reflect, improve, change or adjust some things like you did. Thanks for sharing your experience Heinrich 🙏
Definitely better to double-down on your strengths than to trying to be someone who you are not. Thanks for your comment! Best, Heinrich
The barrier of silence is what I used to experience but it’s so so much relieving to engage from the beginning especially making it an opinion according to your experience & knowledge
OMG thank you for this video! I could find myself in all points. I always dreamed about working at a strategic consulting firm, as I like discussing business directions and ideas for the future - but I thought that maybe I am not able to cope with the environment at these companies. I‘m currently doing my PhD in Wirtschaftsinformatik and I‘m also confronted with the problems you mentioned, but I guess it helps me to slowly make myself more comfortable with the situation. Ooh and now I understand why I am so tired the whole weekend :D Thanks for the video! Would love to see more „introvert“ tips :)
Thanks for your kind comment and sharing this. Definitely feel you - and want to stress again that there are lots of people pursuing a successful consulting career who are more on the introvert spectrum. Lots of success to you! Best, Heinrich
Great points and thanks for sharing.
Happy to hear that, thanks for your comments Frida! Best, Heinrich
Hi Heinrich, you are super sympathetic! Keep up the great work ☺️
Super kind of you - thank you!
Very insightful! thank you!
Awesome content. Very helpful. Thanks
Thank you for another excellent video full of valuable knowledge and experience.
Thanks for your kind comment Ahmed, much appreciated! Best, H
Omg thank you for this video! Now I know I am not alone!!
Happy to hear it is helpful - you are definitely not alone! Best, H
This topic is evergreen. Cool stuff!
Indeed.. thank you for watching Radtai! Best, Heinrich
Very valuable advice, thank you!
Great to hear that, thank you Marie! Best, Heinrich
Your videos are very elaborate and grounded in real world experiences . The only question I have on my mind after watching this video is what are some differentiating factors of a great consultant? Would very much appreciate your perspective.
As a new MBB consultant with no business background and a big introvert, this video made me feel understood and less out of place in my job. Using our strengths is very important for client relationships for example, who appreciate an active listener that is empathetic to their problem. I think the hardest thing is facing the struggles of always being in a social environment where there is no time to just exist and think on your own.
What I have found is that after COVID people are more forward about their boundaries, especially senior people. I think if you need the Friday to recharge every now and again, it’s better to work from home. Otherwise this social fatigue can really pile up !
Thank you so much for the great video! It’s an excellent description and insight into consulting life as an introvert. Your success inspires me as well!
Thanks for your kind comment, can definitely feel you! All the best and lots of success to you - Heinrich
So true, had experienced all the situation and same feeling
Hey man! Thanks again for the great video. I have a video idea, maybe you could do a reaction video on a few scenes of House of Lies? This has been done in the past by lawyers watching suits. It's interesting to see.
I just love your videos. wish i could experience all this for once. Cheers.
Thanks for your kind comment, appreciate it! Best, Heinrich
As to one of your points on chit chat Heinrich, I feel that in some cases it is actually not beneficial to skip the chit chat. After reading a book called The Culture Code, it highlights that this chit chat is actually a good way to provide the people in the meeting or team a safety net to open up. Once people open up and feel more connected, they tend to be more extroverted, voicing their ideas and opinions more so. So I think ultimately, it depends on the situation as well as who you are talking to.
Thanks for sharing Pao, definitely some good points. Will add this book to my reading list :) Best, Heinrich
The hardest things for me (whether during my time at Big 4 or traveling with companies I’ve worked for) were 1. Breakfast - I really need this time to myself, 2. The actual travel - I’ve adopted travel routines that take away a lot of the travel stress, but they seem to be the polar opposites from how most people like to travel, and 3. the dinners - I always enjoyed the first hour or so of the dinner, but by hour 3, I was always wiped out and long overdue for some alone time.
Great video!
Thank you, a very much needed topic. Silence barrier is very interesting coz i have that problem too. I always tell myself, only talk when you think you can contribute to the discussion. But the longer you wait the harder it became.
Another thing, I think we introvert are not very good in impromptu speech. For me I always need to refer to talking points. Without it I'll be lost and talk nonsense
I only learned this after leaving BCG - but as an introvert you can still make a huge impact in projects and client relationships. Just seek out 1:1 and small group client interactions, carve out time and space in advance for you to broadcast your work, and speak in a genuine and passionate way about work you care about.
Definitely valuable advice - thanks for sharing! Best, Heinrich
Thanks for this video! I remember requesting this topic last year. I think introverts can be sociable but are less flexible - they can only socialise for long periods with people who are on their wavelength.
Thanks! I do indeed keep a list of topics people recommend and regularly review it for inspiration for new videos :) Appreciate your input! Best, Heinrich
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching and your comment Philip! Best, Heinrich
Hey! I love your videos, and I really would like to understand more about your opinion on other consulting firms that are not MBB, or even tier 2, such as Alvarez & Marsal, which is the firm I'm joining in january, but there are other big consulting firms as well... understanding the main differences on Lifestyle, aspects of the job, what you've heard of the work there, etc etc. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment - will create more vidoes on this in the future! Best, Heinrich
I experienced all of these issues while in consulting but I didn't have this advice back in the '90s or '2000s. I found myself burned out after several years and leaving for industry then finding that I craved the challenges of consulting (and the money) so I'd go back until I burned out again. This was the cycle my entire career until I left consulting once and for all for what I call my pre-retirement job working for the school system. Working for the school system where I finally found how to accept and use my introverted nature to get the best out of me and my team. It's a super power but I use it for good. 🤣🤣
Super sorry to hear you had this negative experience in consulting. Can definitely understand how this is challenging. Great to hear you were able to double down on your strengths! All the best to you - Heinrich
Very nice, thank you
Happy to hear you liked the video, thanks for watching! Best, Heinrich
Just listening to the consulting stories is already draining my battery 🤣 #TeamIntovert
:) Thanks for watching! Best, H
Thanks for that Heinrich !
Sure, thank you for watching Victoria! Best, Heinrich
Reminder to self: uncommon experiences and ideas for chit-chat!
Thanks for your comment Nina! Hope this helps. Best, Heinrich
Are you interested in reviewing *_When McKinsey Comes to Town?_*
Might be an idea for a future video - though frankly do not know more about the outlined controversial topics than what is shared in the media
Thank you
You are welcome!
Haha yes, experienced all those situations many times. This job can be very draining for introverts. Might be time to switch careers.
Many introverts find it hard to start a conversation. One of the tips is to find commonality with whoever we speak to.
Great tip, thanks for sharing!
Heinrich - I keep getting alerts that you have added a new video but when I look it is only showing videos from a month+ ago. Is there an issue?
Found this recently and I am yelling from laughter because I thought this was just me with the breakfast situation and OH MY GOD IS IT HORRIBLE when they also expect the dinners together and all that and then I need to just eat in my room and pretend I have more work in the morning just to be alone 🥹 sigh. We suffer silently...
Ideally, would you say a consultant should be extrovert, introvert, or somewhere in between?
Do MBBs have a bias for a specific type of people?
Trust that you can be successful with both personalities in consulting - and have met lots of people on both ends of the spectrum. It will likely be slightly easier to succeed for extroverts though, and for people who are at the very far end on the introvert scale it might just not be the right job (just to stressful to deal with all of this in the long term). But of course up to every single person to decide what is right for you :)
@@FirmLearning Thanks, H! I'm quite an introvert myself (although I do enjoy doing presentations and speaking in public, like you do), so I'll keep that in mind.
Yes
🙌
Introvert ≠ socially awkward
Exactly!
True. I’m not eager to partake in social interactions but if I absolutely have to I won’t struggle. I will be exhausted afterwards but I’ll get by
What do you do outside of work? Do you bring your work with you in your home life?
can u please do an episode on how to ACE the mckinsey interview? the stage where you need to build a sustainable ecosystem and territory defence games, I believe it's somewhat challenging for average people given the time constraint, hope u see my msg TQ
Hi, actually have some older videos on this topic, feel free to have a look! Best, H
Hello could you share with me some video tutorial or sourse on how to prepare an Associate job interview for McKinsey hispaniamerica, Argentina. ? Kind regards,
Hi, have videos on consulting case prep on the channel! Best, Heinrich
I would always take an Airbnb to avoid the hotel 😂....
Hi i have a question. I want to start a youtube channel but i going to follow the professional career in the future, so is there inappropriate to have a youtube channel while working at big firm (business related field) ?
Hi, will depend on the company and the topic of your channel. Definitely a good chance that certain companies will not appreciate it, especially if you have a channel on topics that are relevant to the company. Best, H
Hmm that explains why i truly enjoy traffic jam
I am an introvert. Video doesn't apply to me as I don't want to be a consultant -- however, just wanted to say I love the accent. Lol
Thanks.. I guess ;) Appreciate you watching! Best, Heinrich
Actually.. it's pretty normal for social interactions all day to drain you. Nothing to do with introvert or extrovert. It's unsustainable so it's healthy to take a break so you can focus your energies elsewhere.
Agree though would argue that there are differences by person
Just curious. Are you an INTJ?
Hi, not a big fan of these, but last time I took the test I was an ISTP :)
If math is a tool than what is a calculator.
Why does consulting sound like such a complete hot air industry... People get promoted based on how much time they spent talking to a partner at dinner YUCK
Mechanisms like this are not really specific to consulting. You will face this in most other companies as well. Best, Heinrich
Watching this video drains my batteries!
If you are not the very social kind of guy/gal, you should better not go into consulting. It's all about being liked by the clients and partners. Even if you're smart but look like an ugly nerd who is a bit awkward with people, you won't go far in the consulting world
bullshit you are promoting a very outdated approach to work....if u think you can only be successful by working in such an environment... u are WRONG!
Schade, deutscher Untertitel wäre gut