LOC101.010 - business lingo...

not sure why we do it or how we even learned.

it just comes naturally when in discussions at work where you talk about the "low hanging fruit" and the "quick wins" and the "let's take a step back here". when i think about it, it just rolls off the tongue (let's take this offline, is that value-add for the client, let me play devil's advocate...). i know most of these can be annoying and overused so i make it an effort to not use them - except when i'm with fellow consultants.

so "when push comes to shove" and you see us just rattling off gibberish left and right,  don't wait until "the end of the day" to have us go through a "come to jesus" moment. don't go "out of pocket"- just "bite the bullet", "tee it up" and tell us how it should be.

LOC101.009 - snobs for service

you just get used to and expect certain things.

not gonna lie, consultants are spoiled when it comes to service, whether it's from restaurants or hotels or flights. it's bound to happen. we travel on a weekly basis for work and because it's all about status, we stick with one airline to become a "top tier customer". so we get the extra service and attention from the airlines. same goes for the hotel chains we choose to stay. plus, in addition to the extra attention, we get the free upgrades and the benefits that come with that. and because we're on the road, we're "forced" to go out for dinners which adds to more service. 

all that said, I recognize that it is a benefit and not something I can/should depend on. And I make it an effort to not become that spoiled brat. so if you see/hear me or other consultants act that we are entitled to certain things, please slap us. I thank you in advance for keeping us in check.

LOC101.008 - we are your travel guides

what's there to do/eat in ___?

it's a common question that we get asked. and i don't blame people for doing so b/c i do the same thing w/ my consultant friends. consultants do benefit having "work travel" at most major cities as part of their job description. and when we travel, we tend to explore not only the city itself, but the many things the city has to offer.

i've been able to dine at numerous restaurants, drink at different lounges, and visit tourist sites most major city has to offer. here are my "tops" list (not in any particular order):

• chicago - the terrace - rooftop lounge
• los angeles - kang hodong baekjeong - korean bbq
• new york city - please don't tell - speakeasy
• tampa - berns - steakhouse

LOC101.007 - it's all about the deck

no, i'm not talking about the area you have your grill. it's the powerpoint presentation.

for some odd reason, we find a need to put everything in "deck" form. it's our tool to help walk people through situations, status, recommendations, or really just anything that needs explanation. we have our templates and storyboards to help us get started and usually have an idea on how things should get explained.

we spend hours on putting our decks together but the hours spent provides us with comfort in any meeting situation, whether good or bad. so the next time you need help explaining something or putting a deck together, shoot us a note.

LOC101.006 - airport codes

from LAX to JFK, we probably know it (and there's a good chance we've been there too).

i think the best way to describe it is how we can talk about highways or streets. we can easily list off the streets you need to take to get from your house to the grocery store or the mall. for us, the "grocery store" is another city/state/country and the "streets" are the airports/airport codes. it just rolls off the tongue - "yeah, i'm going to bangkok through NRT" or "i have to go through ORD to get to JFK". and i suppose the frequency of travel helps us remember as well.

the perfect example of a conversation we might have was in "up in the air" when george clooney's character tries to figure out when/where he'd be able to meet up with vera farmiga's character. i'll see if i can find a youtube clip.

so the next time you see one of us, see how much we really know w/ our airports. 

LOC101.005 - need travel friends/partners

we love to travel. we really do.

we kinda have to because it's part of the job description. and for those who travel, who really likes to go places alone, right? it's all about making experiences with friends and family. so it's no surprise when we're on the hunt for people who not only love to travel wherever and whenever but also can take the time off to travel.

one of the benefits of consulting is the time off from work which is unusual (US only developed country in world w/o single legally required paid vacation day/holiday). if i don't take any extended vacation time throughout the year, i accrue 5 weeks of vacation. the sad thing is that it's hard to take time off throughout the year when you're staffed on a project so we usually take all of our vacation at once.

so if you're looking to go somewhere, lmk (hey, an acronym! surprised?)!

LOC101.004 - status, status, status, status...

it's all about being diamond or platinum or whatever the highest level you can get.

it's the unwritten rule for new hires to sign up for all the reward programs out there. that goes from airlines to hotels to car rentals to credit cards. it's all about maximizing what we can get, points to acquire, but the eventual end goal is to get the highest status that a program can offer.

with status, comes benefits. that means free upgrades to first class or to a junior suite or to a premium car. and who wouldn't like getting free upgrades for different things. personally for me, the biggest benefit is the first class seat on flights. being a bigger dude, nothing like cramming into a small seat for 3-5 hours. 

all that said, i recognize that i've been blessed to be able to travel on the company dime to get to where i am (from a status to the points/miles). and i know that it's not going to last long, so i'm going to take advantage and appreciate every single upgrade granted.

sigh, dreading the day that'll come and i won't have status or miles.

LOC101.003 - so... what do you do?

to be honest w/ you, sometimes i don't know either.

back in the day, my family thought i worked for a golf company. others think i just travel and eat (which is partially true). how i explain it now is that i help solve problems wherever it might be. it's at the core of consultant work. outside of that, it's all varies/depends. some specialize early in a few skills and become experts. while others focus on multiple skills within a single industry become experts in that area/field.

as for me, i'm probably the later. i usually say that i'm "jack of all skills, but expert in none". i've jumped from to different clients over the years and helped in different departments/operations that i had to pick up new skills through the process. and that works for me because i always said that i wanted to learn a lot of different things to be that "flex player".

so next time you ask, i'll just tell you that i'm the "flex".

LOC101.002 - our LOA (love of acronyms)

be sure to get this ARQ in the BRD by EOD. oh, and update the FDD for that IF as well.

it's not on purpose, i swear! but there's just something about acronyms. maybe it's the fact that we don't want to say as much or say the same thing too many times or just like seeing letters instead of words. it just rolls off the tongue and natural for us. sad thing is that we recognize it and create glossaries at different projects to make sure that we're all on the same page with the different acronyms used at that specific client site.

so next time you see one of us, be sure to shout out some random letters!

LOC101.001 - running into friends at the airport

we don't run into people often; but when we do, it's at the airport.

it's not about the clubs on the weekend or the bars at happy hour or the local coffee shop... for us, it's at the airport. there are countless times i've run into other consultants i've worked with in the past or friends headed to vacation.

when i think about it, it makes sense:

• i'm at the airport twice a week
• the consultants i run into typically have the same travel schedule
• friends going on vacation may take friday off and take the flight out on thursday night

so the next time you're at the airport - look for me. there's a good chance i'm there.