3. Move Work Forward

Guiding Question: Is the work actually progressing toward a decision?

The third imperative is about execution. Clear thinking and right answers mean nothing if the work doesn’t get done. Consultants are valued for their ability to make progress, especially when conditions are uncertain.

Core Actions

3.1 Create a Workplan (4) 🔺

Convert structured thinking into owners, deliverables, and deadlines

Convert your structured thinking into a concrete plan with owners, deliverables, and deadlines.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Build a recruiting workplan: networking targets, application deadlines, case practice schedule	Build a project workplan with clear milestones and owners for each workstream

Workplan Components:

Element	Description
Workstream	Major area of work (e.g., “Market Analysis”)
Key Question	What are we trying to answer?
Analyses	Specific work to be done
Owner	Who’s responsible
Due Date	When it’s needed
Dependencies	What must happen first

POD/POW Rhythm:

POD (Plan of the Day): What will you accomplish today?
POW (Plan of the Week): What must be done this week?

Start each day and week with explicit plans.

Recruiting Activity: Plan Your Networking Campaign

Supports: Networking Tracker (5 conversations required)

Build the networking plan that will feed your Networking Tracker deliverable. You need 5 documented conversations—this activity helps you plan how to get there.

Help me plan my networking campaign for my Networking Tracker:

**Networking Goal**
- Required: 5 documented networking conversations
- My target: [Aim higher—how many do you want?]
- Timeline: Conversations due by end of semester

**Target List (Prioritized)**
Who will I reach out to? Prioritize by:
1. Warm connections (alumni, referrals): [List 3-5]
2. Firm events and info sessions: [Upcoming dates]
3. Cold outreach (LinkedIn, email): [Target roles/firms]

**Weekly Networking Milestones**
- Week 1-2: [# of outreach attempts, # of scheduled conversations]
- Week 3-4: [# of conversations completed]
- Week 5-6: [# of conversations completed]
- Buffer weeks: [Catch-up if behind]

**Outreach Templates**
Draft a short outreach message I can customize:
- For BYU alumni:
- For firm recruiters:
- For LinkedIn cold outreach:

**Tracking System**
For each conversation, I'll document:
- Name, company, role
- Date of conversation
- Key insights learned
- Follow-up actions taken

**Risk Mitigation**
What if people don't respond? My backup plan:

Client Work Activity: Build Workplan for P2 and Capstone

Supports: P2 Point of View, Capstone Presentation

Create a workplan connecting your P2 competitive benchmark to your Capstone recommendation.

Help me build a project workplan for [COMPANY NAME]:

**Project Overview**
- P2 (Point of View): Competitive benchmark with strategic implications
- Capstone: Full recommendation presentation
- Key constraints: [Timeline, data access, team coordination]

**P2 Workplan (Due: [Date])**

*Week 1: Competitive Landscape*
- Identify 2-3 key competitors
- Gather public data (10-Ks, earnings calls, news)
- Milestone: Competitor profiles drafted

*Week 2: Benchmark Analysis*
- Define 4-6 comparison metrics
- Build comparison table/visualization
- Milestone: Benchmark data complete

*Week 3: Strategic Implications*
- Synthesize "so what" from benchmark
- Draft P2 slides with action titles
- Milestone: P2 draft ready for feedback

**Capstone Workplan (Due: [Date])**

*Building on P2:*
- How does P2 competitive analysis feed into Capstone recommendation?
- What additional analysis is needed beyond P2?

*Key Capstone Milestones:*
- Week X: Recommendation hypothesis finalized
- Week Y: Supporting analysis complete
- Week Z: Slides drafted
- Week Z+1: Rehearsal and polish

**Dependencies**
What from P2 must be done before Capstone work can start?

**Risk Register**
- Data availability risk: [Mitigation]
- Timeline risk: [Mitigation]
- Quality risk: [Mitigation]

3.2 Own Your Workstream

Take full responsibility from question to answer

Take full responsibility for your piece, from question to answer, not just task completion.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Own your job search from outreach to offer, and don’t wait for others to drive it	Own your analysis from question to answer because you’re responsible for the insight, not just the spreadsheet

Ownership looks like:

Anticipating what’s needed before being asked
Flagging risks and issues proactively
Delivering complete work, not half-finished drafts
Following up on outstanding items

Ownership does not look like:

Waiting for instructions
Handing off incomplete work
Letting things fall through cracks

Recruiting Activity: Prepare for TA Session Check-in

Supports: Practice Interviews (TA Sessions)

Prepare for your TA interview session by auditing your progress and identifying areas for feedback.

Help me prepare for my upcoming TA session:

**Progress Since Last Check-in**
1. **Case Practice**
   - Cases completed: [#] (target was [#])
   - Areas where I've improved:
   - Areas still struggling:
   - Specific feedback I've received:

2. **Behavioral Stories**
   - Stories I've polished:
   - Stories that need work:
   - Feedback themes I've heard:

3. **Networking**
   - Conversations completed: [#] toward Networking Tracker
   - Key insights learned:
   - Follow-ups pending:

4. **Resume**
   - Current version: [v1/v2]
   - Changes made since last version:

**Self-Assessment Against Goals**
Looking at my Goals Worksheet:
- Goal 1: [Status - on track / behind / ahead]
- Goal 2: [Status]
- Goal 3: [Status]

**What I Want Feedback On**
In this TA session, I specifically want help with:
1. [Specific case skill or behavioral story]
2. [Specific area of concern]

**Questions for My TA**
- [Question about recruiting strategy]
- [Question about interview technique]

**Honest Assessment**
- What am I avoiding or procrastinating on?
- Where do I need to push harder?

Client Work Activity: P2 Progress Updates

Supports: P2 Point of View

Practice giving status updates on your P2 that demonstrate ownership of insights, not just task completion.

Help me write a P2 progress update:

**Current P2 Status**
- Overall: [On track / At risk / Behind]
- Competitive landscape: [% complete]
- Benchmark analysis: [% complete]
- Strategic implications: [% complete]

**Reframe: From Tasks to Insights**
Instead of: "I researched three competitors"
Practice: "Competitor analysis revealed [insight] which suggests [implication for my company]"

**P2 Progress Update (5 bullets)**
1. **Status**: Where am I relative to P2 deadline?
2. **Key Insight**: What's the most important thing I've learned about the competitive landscape?
3. **Progress**: What analysis have I completed (framed as insights gained)?
4. **Issues**: What's blocking me or creating uncertainty?
5. **Next Steps**: What will I complete before the next check-in?

**Quality Check**
- Does this update show I understand the competitive dynamics, not just that I gathered data?
- Is my emerging "so what" clear?
- Would my TA feel confident I'm on track?
- What would make this P2 stronger?

3.3 Sequence for Early Insight

Generate useful findings as early as possible

Structure your work to generate useful insights as early as possible. Don’t save everything for the end.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Start networking early because insights compound over time	Sequence analyses to test critical hypotheses first, and don’t save the hard questions for last

Front-Loading Principles:

Kill bad ideas fast: Test the most uncertain assumptions first
Build on early wins: Let initial findings guide later work
Show progress: Regular updates maintain confidence
Create options: Early insights allow course correction

3.4 Reprioritize Dynamically

Adapt to new information without losing momentum

The plan will change. Good consultants adapt without losing momentum.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Adjust your recruiting strategy as you learn, and if a firm isn’t a fit, redirect energy	Reprioritize analyses as you learn because new data might make some questions irrelevant

When to Reprioritize:

A key hypothesis is confirmed/killed (changes what matters)
New information surfaces (changes the problem)
Constraints shift (timeline, resources, scope)
Client feedback redirects focus

3.5 Anticipate Risks and Bottlenecks

Identify problems before they become crises

Anticipate problems before they become crises.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Know your recruiting bottlenecks: what could derail your timeline?	Identify project risks early: what could go wrong? What depends on what?

Risk Management:

Risk Type	Example	Mitigation
Data	Can’t get the data we need	Identify alternatives early
Timeline	Key analysis takes longer	Start early, build buffer
Stakeholder	Decision-maker changes view	Prewire, get early input
Technical	Model doesn’t work	Test approach before building

3.6 Manage Up

Surface what your manager needs to know

Keep your manager informed with updates that surface what they need to know.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Update your TA on recruiting progress, proactively, not just when asked	Keep your EM informed so they’re never surprised

Good Update Structure:

Status: Where are we? (On track / At risk / Behind)
Progress: What did we accomplish?
Issues: What’s blocking us?
Asks: What do we need from you?
Next Steps: What’s coming next?

Keep it brief. One page. One minute.

Recruiting Activity: Prepare Concise TA Update

Supports: Practice Interviews (TA Sessions)

Practice managing up by preparing a concise update for your TA.

Help me prepare a concise update for my TA:

**My Current Status**
[Brief description of where you are in recruiting]

**Draft Update**
Using the 5-part structure, draft my update:

1. **Status**: Am I on track, at risk, or behind on:
   - Networking:
   - Resume:
   - Case practice:
   - Overall timeline:

2. **Progress**: What have I accomplished since our last check-in?
   - [Specific accomplishments]

3. **Issues**: What's blocking me or causing concern?
   - [Specific blockers]

4. **Asks**: What do I need help with?
   - [Specific requests]

5. **Next Steps**: What will I focus on next?
   - [Specific priorities]

**Format Check**
- Is this under 1 page / 1 minute to deliver?
- Am I being specific, not vague?
- Am I surfacing issues, not hiding them?
- Am I proposing solutions, not just problems?

**Practice Delivery**
Help me refine this to be crisp and confident.

Client Work Activity: P2 Workshop—Competitive Benchmark

Supports: P2 Point of View

Apply managing up skills while working on your P2 Point of View deliverable.

Help me prepare my P2 Competitive Benchmark for [COMPANY NAME]:

**P2 Requirements**
3-slide deck:
1. Competitive Landscape
2. Benchmark Analysis
3. Strategic Implications

**Slide 1: Competitive Landscape**
- Who are 2-3 key competitors?
- How should I visualize market positioning?
- What's the right framing for this slide's message?

**Slide 2: Benchmark Analysis**
- What 4-6 metrics should I compare?
- How do I present this visually (table vs. chart)?
- What's the action title for this slide?

**Slide 3: Strategic Implications**
- What are the key insights from the benchmark?
- Where is my target company winning vs. losing?
- What does this mean for strategy?

**Feedback on Draft**
[Paste your draft slides or key content]

Review my P2:
- Is my competitor selection justified?
- Are my metrics relevant and well-researched?
- Are my slides executive-ready?
- Are my strategic insights meaningful?

3.7 Move Without Certainty

Progress with best-available information

Perfect information never arrives. Move forward with what you have.

Recruiting Application	Client Work Application
Case interviews: make progress on ambiguous prompts without asking for more data	Make analytical calls with incomplete data, state assumptions, and keep moving

Working with Ambiguity:

Wrong Approach	Right Approach
Wait for perfect data	Use best available, note limitations
Ask endless clarifying questions	Make reasonable assumptions, state them
Freeze when uncertain	Form a hypothesis and test it
Seek false precision	Use ranges and sensitivities

The 80/20 Rule:

You can often get 80% of the insight with 20% of the work. Know when “good enough” is good enough.

Recruiting Activity: Navigate Ambiguous Case Prompts

Supports: Practice Interviews (Case)

Practice making progress on ambiguous case prompts without asking for more data.

Help me practice moving without certainty in a case:

**Exercise Setup**
Give me an ambiguous case prompt—one where important information is missing or unclear.

**My Approach**
[I'll work through this and share my approach]

**Feedback Questions**
Once I share my approach:
1. Did I make reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly)?
2. Did I keep moving instead of freezing?
3. Did I identify what information would change my answer?
4. Did I use ranges/sensitivities appropriately?
5. Did I avoid false precision?

**Follow-Up Pressure**
Give me a follow-up that increases ambiguity or uncertainty. Help me practice staying confident while acknowledging limitations.

Client Work Activity: Make Calls with Incomplete P2 Data

Supports: P2 Point of View

Competitive benchmarking often has data gaps. Practice making analytical calls when you can’t find everything you’d like.

Help me make analytical calls for P2 with incomplete data:

**My P2 Data Gap**
[Describe what competitive data you're missing: e.g., "competitor's margin breakdown," "market share by segment," "private company financials"]

**What I Have**
- Available data: [List what you found]
- Data I wish I had: [List what's missing]
- Why it's missing: [Private company? Not disclosed? Too old?]

**Finding Proxies**
- Industry averages I could use:
- Similar public company data:
- Analyst estimates or reports:
- Logical inferences from other data:

**Making the Call**
1. **State assumptions explicitly**: "I'm assuming [X] because [rationale]"
2. **Use the proxy**: "In absence of direct data, I'm using [proxy] because [reason it's reasonable]"
3. **Bound the answer**: "This suggests the range is [low] to [high]"
4. **Note the sensitivity**: "If this assumption is wrong, my conclusion would change if [condition]"

**Draft P2 Statement**
"Based on available competitive data, [Company] appears to [conclusion] because [evidence].
Key assumption: [State it].
Confidence: [High/Medium/Low]."

**Quality Check**
- Is my proxy reasonable and defensible?
- Am I being transparent about uncertainty?
- Does my conclusion still support a meaningful P2 recommendation?

Putting It Together

The Move Work Forward actions flow:

Workplan → Own → Sequence → Reprioritize → Manage Risk → Update → Progress Without Certainty

Execution is a continuous cycle, not a one-time event.

Practice This Week

Workplan exercise: Create a recruiting workplan for the next 8 weeks, including networking, resume, case practice, and applications
Managing up exercise: Write a 5-bullet update on your recruiting progress as if you were updating your TA
Ambiguity exercise: Take an ambiguous case prompt and make progress without asking clarifying questions by stating your assumptions