波士顿咨询集团想用钱来阻止我告诉你们的故事 来源

波士顿咨询集团想用钱来阻止我告诉你们的故事来源：方依ღ嶶笑的日志波士顿咨询集团BCG是咨询业界最有名的咨询公司之一。本文的作者是MIT校报Tech的专栏作者。作者是MIT原子物理专业毕业的高材生，毕业后就被BCG聘用去迪拜分公司工作，直到不久前迪拜泡沫破裂离职。作者在校报Tech上写了四篇连载，讲述他的这段经历，向读者介绍了他在迪拜的真实体验和公司的内幕。选择了他四篇连载中的第三篇，原文标题是ThestoryBCGofferedme$16,000nottotell同系列四篇文章的链接：1.Thecityoftomorrow2.Welcometoyourcaste3.ThestoryBCGofferedme$16,000nottotell4.Dispatchesfromthecollapse======================================ThestoryBCGofferedme$16,000nottotellByKeithYostThecitywasstrangeandthesocietywasunnerving,butwhatdisturbedmemostaboutmyDubaiexperiencewasmyjobasabusinessconsultantfortheBostonConsultingGroup.Ireallyhadnoideawhattoexpect,goingin.Inmymind,consultingwasaboutansweringbusinessquestionsthroughanalysis.ItwassupposedtobeExcelsheetsandmodels,siftingthroughdatatodiscoverprofitandloss,andhelpingclientsmakedecisionsthatwouldaddthemostvalueforthemselves,andbyextension,society.ItwasworrisometoenteranewjobwithoutanyguaranteethatIwouldbequalified.IassumedBCGwouldtrainme,andthatasithadbeenwithMIT,intelligenceandhardworkwouldprovesufficient.Still,IwonderedwhatIwoulddoifforsomereasonitturnedoutthatIcouldn’tgetmyheadaroundtheanalysis?Inhindsight,analyticalskillsshouldhavebeentheleastofmyworries.StretchingrealityThefirstcluethatmymentalpictureofconsultingwasoffcamewith“training”inMunich.IexpectedinstructioninExcelprogramming,dataanalysis,andbusinesstheory.Instead,MunichturnedouttobelittlemorethanaweeklongsocialoutingwithotherrecentlymatriculatedconsultantsandanalystswithintheBCG’sEuropeanbranches.Wedonnednametags,shookhands,anddrankoften.Classeswerefluffy,andmostlyconsistedofdiscussionofhigh-level,almostphilosophicaltopics.Igotalongwell—asbothanAmericanandamemberoftheDubaioffice,Iwasdoublyforeignandthereforedoublethecuriosity.Afterapleasantweekofpseudo-partying,IreturnedtoDubaiandwasassignedtowritingcaseproposals.Intheconsultingbusiness,itisstandardpracticeforclientstowriterequestsforproposals,describingthequestiontheywouldlikeanswered.Theconsultingfirminturnwritesacaseproposal:WewillanswerAbyhavingConsultantBdoX,Y,andZ.Awellwrittencaseproposalpromisesmuch,butisdeliberatelyvagueaboutwhatconcretethingstheconsultantswillproduce.Caseproposalsweredespisedbytherankandfile—onehadadozenbosses,unclearobjectives,andvirtuallynocoordinationwithco-workers.Butinonesense,theproposalsweregoodpracticeforrealcasework.Bothinvolvedstretchingrealitytofitwhateverwasassumedtheclientdesired.DespitehavingnoworkorresearchexperienceoutsideofMIT,Iwasregularlyadvertisedtoclientsasanexpertwithseeminglyyearsoftopicalexperiencerelevanttothecase.WeweresogoodatrephrasingourcredentialsthatevenIwassurprisedtofindineachofmycases,evenmyveryfirstcase,thatIwasthemostseniorconsultantontheteam.IquicklyfoundoutwhysolittlehadbeeninvestedindevelopingmyExcel-craft.Analyticalskillswereoverrated,forthesimplereasonthatclientsusuallydidn’tknowwhytheyhadhiredus.Theysentusvaguerequestsforproposal,wereturnedvaguecaseproposals,andbythetimewewerehired,noonewasthewiserastowhyexactlywewerethere.Igotthefeelingthatourclientsweresimplytryingtomimicsuccessfulbusinesses,andthatasconsultants,ourearningscamefromhavingtheluckofbeingincludedinanelaboratecargo-cultritual.Inanycaseitfelltoustodecideforourselveswhatquestionwehadbeenhiredtoanswer,andasamatterofconvenience,weelectedtoanswerquestionsthatwehadalreadyansweredinthecourseofpreviouscases—nosenseindoingnewworkwhenoldworkwilldo.ThetoolkitIbroughtwithmefromMITwasabsoluteoverkillinthisenvironment.MostofmydaywasspentthinkingupandwritingPowerPointslides.Sometimes,Ididn’tevenneedtowritethem—wehadaserviceinIndiathatcouldputtogetherprettygoodcopyifyouprovidedthemwithasketchandsomeinstructions.BurningoutIworkedhardatMIT.Iroutinelytookseventotenclassespersemesterandfilledwhateverhourswereleftinthedaywithpart-timejobsandtutoring.Itwasafairlystupidwayofgoingaboutmyeducation,andImissedoutonmanyofthelearningopportunitiesthatMIToffersoutsideofclasses.Idon’trecommendwhatIdidtoanyone.Butasstupidascarryingdoublecourseloadswas,ithadoneadvantage:AfterallthelonghoursIputintoMIT,IbelievedIwasinvincible.IfMITcouldn’tburnmeout,nothingelseevercould.IttookroughlythreemonthsbeforeBCGdisprovedmy“burn-outproof”theory.PuttingtogetherPowerPointslideswaseasy,thehourswerelenient,andthefifthdayofeveryweekusuallyconsistingofaleisurelydayawayfromtheclientsite.Byallaccounts,Ishouldhavebeencoastingthroughmytasks.WhatIlearnedisthatburningoutisn’tjustaboutworkload,it’saboutworkloadbeinggreaterthanthemotivationtodowork.ItwasrelativelyeasytodragmyselftoclasseswhenIthoughtIwasworkingformyownbetterment.ItwashardtositatalaptopandcrankoutslideswhenallIseemedtobeaccomplishingwasthetransferofwealthfrommyclienttomycompany.I’mafreemarketeer.Ibelievethatvoluntaryexchangeisnotjustagoodmethodofincentivizingpeopletoprovidetheirlaborandtalentstosociety,butarobustmoralsystem—goodsandservicesrepresenttangiblebenefittopeople,marketpricesrepresentthetruevalueofgoodsinsociety,andwagesrepresentthevaluethataworkerprovidestoothers.Absentnegativeexternalitiesormonopolyeffects,amanreceivesfromthefreemarketwhathegivestoit