Business Reviews (3)

Now what is so stressful during those 2 weeks?

In week 1 the workload is up to 20 hours per day nonstop. Every day a consultant probably does 3 or 4 studies. They can be done simultaneously sometimes. But every study taken during a day must be finished on that very day, too. So, say, you accompany someone for a day (8 hours) you need to invest further 4 or 5 hours of typing in your findings into a template. Then you have to type in all those other studies, too, the analyst wants a meeting with you and discuss your findings.

In case the client works in shifts, the consultants have to do studies during night shifts, too, and probably be present during the day for further studies.

On the other, the analyst is constantly under pressure. The client on the one side, but his own boss on the other who probably bombards him with phone calls. I have seen quite some analyst who sniffed his nose suspiciously during those business reviews and client meetings...

The worst is sleep deprivation. Normally on a Thursday most consultants are so sick and tired of it that they fake results just to get some sleep. The team spirit can be down the drain, too. Just imagine the worst case scenario - the analyst on a little snow trip, consultants on alcohol and deprived from their sleep, fattening food like pizza or something with fries for comforting reasons, etc... F U N !!!

Week 2 is generally better. The amount of studies goes down. It is now the analyst who gets the worst stress attacks since he has to sell, and the project director who has to come up with a project plan.