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.