"I froze": IIM Ahmedabad alum says her MBA degree wasn't 'enough' for top consulting firm

IIM-A alumna Ruchi Aggarwal shares a key lesson learned early in her consulting career: executives value clear, concise solutions over a multitude of options. She emphasizes the importance of distilling complex problems into simple, actionable recommendations.

Ruchi Aggarwal, an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), recently shared a valuable lesson she learned in her early days as a consultant at a top global firm. In a post on LinkedIn, she revealed that her MBA degree from IIM-A wasn't enough to prepare her for the real-world challenges she faced.

Aggarwal recalled her first client presentation, where she had prepared 15 recommendations, thinking that providing multiple options would showcase her expertise. However, the partner interrupted her and asked for a single, clear solution. "I froze," she said, realizing that top executives don't want to hear a "menu" of options, but rather a curated, accurate answer.

This experience taught her the importance of the "executive filter," where one must distill complex problems into simple solutions. Aggarwal noted that business schools often focus on teaching students to consider all angles, but in the real world, executives need clarity, not complexity.

She spoke about the difference in approach between academia and industry, where the question in business school is often "How much do you know?" but in the corporate world, it's "How clear can you make it?" Aggarwal concluded that success isn't about having all the answers, but rather having the right ones and communicating them clearly.

Her post resonated with other business school graduates and consultants, who shared their own experiences and insights. One commenter noted that early on, they thought presenting multiple options made them look smart, but later realized that it was overwhelming and unnecessary. Another agreed, stating that it's about selling your idea or concept in a way that makes decision-making easier for others.

"At the end of the day, it's about selling your idea or concept in a way that makes decision-making easier for them. It’s not easy, but I believe continuous learning and experience help us develop this skill over time," a graduate opined.

As the founder of Mumbai-based mentorship firm Mentoresult, Aggarwal is now helping others develop this skill and achieve success in their careers.