Tahlia Slater

6.30 AM

My mornings usually start by getting in some movement, which today meant going for a run since I’m training for a 10km event. A quick shower follows, then a coffee and toast in hand as I run out the door to make the train into the office.

8.30 AM

There’s something very satisfying about mapping out my day first thing when I get to the office. A tip from another consultant I’ve recently started implementing is to time-block my day by adding tasks directly into my calendar so I can get an overview of my capacity and priorities for the day.

9.00 AM

First cab off the rank this morning is a daily stand-up meeting. In my current engagement, I am a Portfolio Coordinator supporting a government client in uplifting their Enterprise Portfolio Office. This program of work involves eight different initiatives working to a 6-week sprint, so my role is to ensure the timely delivery of critical reports and facilitate effective team collaboration.

10.00 AM

As part of the graduate program, we work on case studies to practice our new skills in a safe environment. At the moment, my team is preparing for a presentation to Escient’s ELT on which capital city Escient should expand into next. Today I was deep-diving into the legal considerations for if we were to expand into Canberra, which meant researching the local laws that apply to consulting firms to identify potential challenges and opportunities.

11.00 AM

Case study research is followed by a meeting with the team. We’re prepping for the final presentation, and that means aligning as a team on our findings and crafting a message that’s clear and concise for the leadership team. I enjoy exploring creative ways of presenting ideas in a way that resonate and drive action, so I really enjoy this part of the process.

12.00 PM

Usually, I’d spend my lunch break catching up with other consultants working from the Escient office, but today ‘Good to Great’ has me hooked. The Hedgehog Concept from the book is a simple but powerful framework that I can see applying to my work. It’s about focusing on what you can be best at, and it’s a reminder to seek that in my own journey as a consultant.

12.30 PM

Post-lunch, we have our weekly Steering Committee meeting. I’m responsible for compiling the pack and sending it out a few days prior to the meeting, and during the meeting I will be the one capturing decisions and actions. Understanding the rationale behind decisions and helping communicate them to the rest of the team can sometimes be challenging, but it’s fulfilling to play a part in steering our Uplift program’s success.

2.00 PM

Part of my role as Portfolio Coordinator means providing support to the initiative teams, which today looked like supporting with an important stakeholder meeting. The goal of the meeting was to engage with a Change Program Lead to gauge their interest in joining a pilot project for the initiative. This would allow the team to analyse if the new standards and processes they are creating are fit-for-purpose and develop an effective plan for broader rollout of the changes. It was interesting to understand the Change Program Lead’s perspective on the proposed changes, and thankfully they said they would be happy to participate in the pilot. I followed this meeting with an email to recap what we discussed and the next steps.

3.00 PM

Time for an afternoon check-in with the other Escient consultants who are also working on the same client. We have these catchups twice a week as an opportunity to support one another, share insights, and brainstorm solutions to challenges. It’s about staying connected and ensure we’re all aligned in our ways of working.

3.30 PM

Next up, I’m pulling together a template for an upcoming showcase as we approach the end of the Uplift program’s first 6-week sprint. The showcase needs to be clear and straight to the point so the senior stakeholders know exactly what was achieved across the eight initiatives. This template will provide the initiative teams with a structure to convey their success and demonstrate the value that was added.

4.00 PM

We ended the day with the monthly Escient All Company meeting, where we received an update from the CEO on the company’s performance and key achievements. This afternoon we were celebrating Escient’s recent B Corp certification! Moments like these are what make me proud to be part of the Escient team.

5.00 PM

One last check of the emails, it’s time to call it a day. I shut down my computer and join the flow of people heading out.

6.30 PM

Evenings are my time for recharging, whether that’s heading to the gym or enjoying dinner with family and friends. I’ve learned that in consulting, the pace can vary - some periods are busier than others depending on the project phase we’re in. Right now, I’m in a more balanced phase which I’m making the most of to rejuvenate.

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