For a decade I’ve been writing consistently (if not every single day, it’s at least a few days per week) about my experiences, struggling to process them into relatively concise takeaways for myself and others. This letter, sent on my final day at Deloitte to alllll of the people I worked with over the years, was one of the few times I actually managed to do it. Hope you can take one thing away from this. And WARNING: it’s a little cheesy.
Note: man, I couldn’t have imagined all that would happen in a mere year after leaving Deloitte. For one, Ally.io is now a part of Microsoft (didn’t see that coming….so soon).
August 2020:
"You're serious?" That's what I said to the Deloitte recruiter who called me in Fall 2012 to let me know that I had landed one of the three full-time offers for my school. I quite literally skipped through the streets and ran home (looking real nerdy). “Pretty big moves, kid. Pretty big moves” my late brother told me one the phone about 20 minutes later.
I knew that coming to this firm would seriously augment what was possible in life, and that excitement has remained constant throughout my seven-year long career here. But what 22-year old Michael did not appreciate is that Deloitte wouldn't just augment my life for the line on my resume or the project experiences (which are valuable, to be sure). Deloitte would augment my life because of the people I’d meet along the way, the beautiful moments we would have together, the personal development we would collectively experience, and the warming conviction that you I am part of a very large, green dot family.
Cue the popcorn. That was super corny, but it's real. Moving on...
As I depart, I thought I'd share a slightly-edited set of reminders I've written over the last seven years as I've journeyed through various groups in the firm (Technology S&O OCEO Digital/S&O Doblin/Applied Design Customer Strategy). These aren't the most profound of points, but anchoring to them has proven to be valuable for me over the years. Hopefully they add at least one thing to your journey.
Never underestimate the power of a smile - we work in an intense line of work, with a never-ending onslaught of deadlines and curveballs. The warmth you can bring to any situation by simply showing a smile should not be underestimated
Be bold. Take risks. Learn from failures — this is probably the single largest driving force behind my entry into Deloitte and the extremely broad experiences I’ve had during my time here. There is undoubtedly a balance to be struck between being bold and being measured (both are valuable), but this is a place of learning. That means taking projects where you actually might fail (trust me: I certainly did!). It means going out of your comfort zone in meetings. It means pushing yourself to do things you didn't think you could do. By not always taking the safe path, you might just experience the type of transformational growth that enables who-knows-what (insert your dream here).
Don't forget to ask your manager / boss what dreams THEY have — Beyond getting to hear the dreams of another person (pretty cool, in my opinion), you also gain insight into how you can help them. Relationships (including between “bosses” and “direct reports”) should be two-way streets
Research companies deeply before you start serving them — I've had a series of rituals before starting every project I've done. They've taught me so many lessons and allowed me to very quickly jump into new scenarios and be at least somewhat valuable. Here are a few:
Watch videos of the CEO and or management team on YouTube. See how they speak, the words they use, the concerns they have...Remember it all when you’re meeting your clients.
Read analyst reports, 10-ks, and other market reports on companies you’re serving. This is so easy to find and skimming through will give you a view into what the heck is actually happening at the company
Know the competitive landscape of industries, and the increasingly-evident points of convergence. Regardless of how granular your project is, you should always have these macro forces in mind. How many of you have actually read our Business or Tech Trends reports cover to cover? They’re at times dense, but filled with the types of insights that can make or break your advisor relationships with clients
Make sure there is processing time on projects — Shout out to my Doblin/Market Gravity folks on this one. Working on those projects taught me the value of having days of uninterrupted time to think and generate realinsights. Who knew that being strategic sometimes means actually taking time to think. My best outputs for clients came when we had some breathing room to be creative. Not building this into projects is a very quick way to jeopardize the potential Return on Effort from our projects (read: additional opportunities to partner with your clients)
To the newer Deloitte folks, have a checklist of the experiences you want to have while you are here — Even if you don't know what you want to be when you grow up, there are undoubtedly some topics that you have a natural interest in. Explore the big, broad world that is Deloitte and try to get those experiences here. Let me share my list from June of 2013, right before I started. Proud to say that all of the below were accomplished!
"Work on Apple, Amgen, and Coca-Cola. Speak in front of an audience with more than 500 people. Work on technology, strategy, and human capital projects. Work in six different industries. Work internationally at least once. Write for Tech Trends. Work on at least six projects that report directly to a CxO. Make Manager."
Last, but not least, take the time to thank those who have made a positive difference in your life and career — Gratitude goes a long way. Build in time to thank the people who have played a role in your career, and be specific about it. "Thank you for your time" is fine, but explaining exactly why you're thankful is better.
As for what's next... (real talk: how many of you just skipped to this part? haha) If you know me well, you've probably heard of the entrepreneurial dreams I have. Working at a startup first, before striking out and potentially building something on my own, has always been one of my guiding aspirations. To help with that dream, I'll be joining the leadership team of a burgeoning little company called Ally.io in Seattle, WA. I'm really excited to apply what I've learned to a smaller, earlier-stage company before it evolves (fingers crossed) into a much larger organization. I will also be spending more time on my family's business, helping it to transform into an even more tech-driven company.
In closing, Thank you for being a part of this wonderful experience. I can't wait to see what Deloitte does. I can't wait to see what you all do. Please keep in touch, and hit me up if you’re ever in Seattle! We (see below) would love to see you .
