A First: Consultancy Kickoff

I've done it before under different direction
But pretexts, the contexts, the people have changed
The work bug it settles in like an infection
And on Friday night, working, and feeling deranged

So that last post about keeping your fingers crossed...yeah well, so far I'm blogging (third blog in a week -- that's HUGE for my recent track record) but then again, it's 6 on a Friday and I'm working. But whatever.

So today was my first kickoff meeting at the client site. I've done kickoffs before, but never as a management consultant, and let me tell you, it's extremely different from being part of a project as an engineering consultant.

Here's the contrast:

* Engineering consulting: the client probably put out an RFP because they have something that's broken, needs to be fixed, requires improvement, or because the government told them to fix it. In other words, they know they have a problem and they NEED a solution and so will pay to have it fixed for them. They've hired you because they've identified that they don't have the expertise to build/solve/fix.

* Management consulting: the client probably didn't put out an RFP (unless they're a crown corp or governmental body or not a huge company, which already would have ties to its favourite consulting firms). A few people in the company realize that there are problems, but for the most prat, the people that you're working with in the client company don't believe that they're doing anything wrong (even though they might have negative margins or growth). Most of the people are uncooperative. They've hired you despite the fact that they think they have no problems.

So...there are different nuances in the ways that you deal with the client in the two different industries, and it's strange for me to be in that kind of situation, because most of the client situations I've had to deal with in the past were the latter, with them realizing your value -- and not you constantly having to deal with the political implications of your recommendations.

Anyways, the kickoff went well even though the client's project team is GINORMOUS and hopefully it'll all work out okay. I was chatting with one of the project managers on the client side and they commented about my iron ring, asking me where I went to school, when I graduated, stuff like that. Then they asked what programme, and nicely enough, when I said "engineering science" I was not met with the infamous "huh...?" gaze that I'm sure all other engscis are all too familiar with. This person smiled and said that their kid is in engsci. What a small world. Quite cool.

All in all verdict: good. Starting to enjoy the case a little more because I'm starting to understand it better and really see the implications of the work that I'm doing. Exciting stuff...

Which reminds me...as well as this is all going...med school applications, wish me the luck!