Three management consultants, hundreds of children, the corner stall in the main hall in Guildhall on a February weekday. It must be the Livery Schools Showcase.
Dr Simon Davey, Nick Bush and Collette Stone (with support from the Clerk and logistics from Professor Fox) set up their stall (quite literally) to impress (and possibly indoctrinate) young people into the dark arts of management consultancy.
With empathy, excitement, enthusiasm (and a bright shiny, albeit heavy, mace), we engaged, enamoured and educated young minds (and their owners) on what management consultancy is, why it matters and how they too could become like us (and why they might want to).
With puzzles, a shooting star, charm and wisdom, we weaved stories of how management consultants save the world (or at least parts of it), have fun and get to travel (and the winning characteristic – spending a lot of time telling (ahem, advising) other people what to do).
The ‘lifting the mace’ challenge continues to excite (and makes us think Year 8 Physics lessons aren’t doing their job anymore). It’s not every day you can have fun, teach principles of moments, engage in problem solving and health and safety in one short conversation.
Above all, we offer confidence – we’re not (for once) selling anything. It’s great to see those young eyes light up when they realise that a lot of their skills and emerging characteristics can be a real asset in a career like ours.