How many warnings until you're out of MBB?

Hello,

You’re not alone in feeling this way. Many new consultants hit a wall around the 4–6 month mark. The learning curve at MBB is steep, and it’s normal to feel like you’re struggling to keep up — especially when past mistakes start resurfacing under pressure.

In terms of warnings: firms don’t usually let people go without a clear process. It typically starts with informal feedback (like the chat you have tomorrow), then a formal warning with a performance improvement plan. So unless you’ve already had formal conversations, you’re likely still in the coachable zone.

The real challenge at this stage isn’t just the work — it’s the pressure. When you’re constantly under stress, it’s hard to apply frameworks or absorb feedback. That’s why people often fall back on old habits even when they “know better.”

What’s worked for others in similar situations is to shrink the problem. Instead of trying to fix everything at once, focus on one small behavior each week — something tangible, like always sending recaps after meetings or checking work before sending. Pre-empting tomorrow’s conversation by being open and self-aware can go a long way too. Managers tend to respond better when you show ownership and ask for targeted support, rather than just saying “I want to improve.”

It also helps to have a thought partner — someone you can check in with daily, even for five minutes, to talk through what went well and what could be better. And try shifting the mindset from needing to be perfect to just being reliable. The goal right now isn’t to impress — it’s to steadily reduce mistakes and rebuild confidence.

Plenty of people have been in your shoes and come out stronger. The key is breaking the spiral early, asking for help, and focusing on progress, not perfection.

Good luck!

Hi there!

First of all, I’m sorry you are facing this issue. It is quite common, but it doesn’t make it easier.

You have at least 6months to improve your performance, depending on your next evaluation. If you don’t get in “issues” or “PIP” then life goes on.

Feel free to DM me if you want to talk more about the specifics of your situation.

Good luck!

Mari

Hi,

I'm sorry that you're going through this but it is possible to come out on top!

Through my experience, I've noted a couple of best-practices of those who have come out of a performance slump:

1. Do not take this TOO personally: Do not let this low time overwhelm your mind and body, continue to look after yourself, eat well, try to exercise, see your family. A job is also just a job and do not neglect yourself for it. 

As an experienced hire it's always tough to adapt to an MBB life. You did things differentely before. 

2. It is harder to apply in theory than in real-life, but this is EXACTLY what I did to pass my low perfomance moment

3. Create a plan to take control of your performance:

3.1 You need to find a mentor/ leadership that believe in you - if not, that's fine. Just work with the manager/partner of your current project

3.2 Be honest with your new manager if you're joining a project. 

3.3 List out your development areas. State what you want to do to work on those development areas. 

3.4 Set regular check-points with your managers/partners/team leads to keep them updated on your progress. (I literally had a call once a week). 

You control your narrative. You need to take note of improvement and progress and actually make it known to everyone. Now is not the time for modesty and humilty. Own your progress.

3.5 Before your performance appraisal time, set time with all your partners/managers and get your story clear. Make sure they know of all the progress points. Make sure they know what you did. Partners are busy people, they forget. You're one of many. Make your story known. 

4. Then once it's done, chill out. A job is job. I always say if you're not having one of the three things in your current job, what's the point.  1. Learning 2. Earning or 3. Having Fun 

Good Luck!!

Not a lot of them.

What is critical here is to show that you are "coachable". That you can receive feedback, take it well and seriously, and then work hard to improve on any topics that were raised. If you don't improve after feedback then you are considered uncoachable, and having that capability is a must for consulting firms.

Hey there 😊

First of all, I just want to say: you’re not alone in this, and what you’re feeling is more common than you think—even at MBB. The first 6–12 months are tough, and the learning curve is steeper than in most jobs. I’ve seen people go through this (and experienced parts of it myself), and it’s absolutely possible to turn things around 🌱

On your question: there’s no fixed “X warnings and you're out” rule. It’s usually more nuanced. Performance concerns are flagged over time and tracked through reviews, feedback, and sometimes informal chats. If your manager is calling for a talk, it could be a heads-up or a chance to support—not necessarily a formal warning 🚫

If you do receive a performance warning (also called being “flagged”), most firms will give you a timeline and specific support to improve (e.g. mentorship, peer coaching, even time on internal projects). What matters most is how you respond—MBB really values growth mindset and resilience.

Here’s something I tell many mentees: don’t try to be perfect—just try to be intentional. Even if you’re repeating mistakes, showing that you’re aware of them, actively working on them, and asking for feedback goes a long way.

If you’d like, I can help you prep for the conversation with your manager—how to position your self-awareness, show willingness to improve, and ask the right questions.

You’re still in the game 💪 Let’s tackle this step by step.

Best,
Alessa 🌼

Hi there,

Sorry to hear - sounds like a tough spot.

To be honest, this is the kind of situation where working with a coach can really make a difference. You need to go way deeper into diagnosing what’s actually going wrong besides mentioning high-level issues in a forum post; think of things such as habits, mindset, skill gaps, environment -> and then build targeted fixes. 

This is also something you should discuss with your manager and your mentors in the firm. It’s hard to do that alone under pressure. Ask for targeted and actionable feedback from them. 

In this situation, an experienced coach can be a worthwhile investment if you want to turn things around fast and with more clarity. Feel free to reach out!

All the best,

Florian