career management Archives - Page 2 of 3

December 3, 2016 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

5 Reasons You Should Be Proud to Ask Dumb Questions at Work

I was in this restaurant, home of some of the best pulled pork I’ve had in some time, and a noticed a sign on the wall that resonated with me.

It said “asking dumb questions is easier than correcting dumb mistakes”.

How many times have you been in a training or workshop or speech and had a question you wanted to ask but you held back because you didn’t want to be the person asking the stupid question?

Instead, you hold your tongue and try to quiet your curiosity until the urge to clarify your understanding passes. You can do better than that. [Read more…]

October 9, 2016 by Eric Butts 2 Comments

What to do when you hate your project

I can’t remember a time when I’ve seen so many colleagues leaving the firm. Some people are jumping because of a unique opportunity not available within the firm. Others quit go to a competitor (ouch!). I remember when I made a change to a competitor and there were a whole lot of questions about the why. Part of me just needed a change but I also knew that the firm’s timing wasn’t going to work for me, so I acted accordingly. [Read more…]

October 2, 2016 by Eric Butts 4 Comments

Life as a Consultant: The 10 Best Pieces of Advice I Ever Received

One of the many things you learn in the management consulting business is there is no one path to success, so it’s interesting to hear what people remember as the most useful information or advice they’ve picked up so far. What better way to highlight this than to ask consultants from different firms what’s the best advice they’ve gotten. [Read more…]

September 26, 2016 by Eric Butts 2 Comments

Are you the person who jumps or waits to be pushed?

Last week, I had lunch with a friend who just left the firm to join his brother’s fast growing start-up. I’m sad to see him go but also respect the courage he has to go all in on the family business. The move comes with some risk and sacrifice, one of the bigger ones being he will spend a significant amount of time away from his wife.

A lot of people would say this could end badly for their relationship and/or their financial future. Those people would be mistaken and clearly missing a key piece of info that my friend and his wife fundamentally understand. [Read more…]

May 21, 2016 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

Not Getting Promoted Might Be The Best Thing to Ever Happen To You

This time last year I was distraught about what to do next in my career.

I had just pinged my HR contact to figure out when the business cases needed to be submitted for people wanting to get promoted to director.

When he told me the deadline was a week ago, it was like he punched me with every ounce of force had in his body.

Panic. Embarrassment. Frustration. Anger at the system. Anger at myself. I was feeling all of it at the same time, to the point of physical paralysis. [Read more…]

January 24, 2016 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

I went from hating flying to flying for business every week

I hate flying.

The requirement of flying for business was the one reason I didn’t pursue consulting coming out of undergrad. Instead, I thought I wanted to go into audit. Auditors had to visit client sites, but my sense was most of their travel was by car. And that was good enough with me (After showing up for an interview without my pants, that plan didn’t work out, which you can read about at your convenience.) [Read more…]

January 20, 2016 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

Shark Tank and the Importance of (Realistic) Self-Perception

You need to watch Shark Tank.

I know I’ve said it before, but you seriously should give it a shot if you haven’t seen an episode.

Aside from the entertainment value of my favorite shark Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’ Leary, I learn something new or am reminded of key business lessons practically every time I watch.

This weekend, I ended up catching up on the last two episodes. On each episode, an entrant into the Shark Tank stood out for their self-perception, but for completely opposite reasons. [Read more…]

November 16, 2015 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

I was fired today

Last week, I received a message from someone that gave me chills. It started with a simple declaration, “tomorrow is my last day at the firm.” While you generally feel people voluntarily leaving the firm is less than ideal, it’s part of the business world’s circle of life. When I probed more, that’s when the weight fell on my shoulders. [Read more…]

November 8, 2015 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

I Showed Up For A Job Interview With No Pants

It sounds kind of ridiculous, right?

What kind of idiot would show up for a job interview with no pants?

It just so happens I know a guy. It also just so happens that this guy is me.

Much like another unfortunate incident where I accidentally ordered a veggie pizza, this story begins with me landing late in a Chicago airport.

[Read more…]

October 11, 2015 by Eric Butts Leave a Comment

The Truth About Why Your Passion Won’t Equal Success

Smart people give terrible advice too.

Most people won’t want to admit it until they’re on the receiving end of the bad advice. Maybe because they don’t want to tarnish the image of the mentors in their lives. Or maybe because they don’t want to face the fact they’ve missed the mark on some advice they’ve given. [Read more…]