One of my most challenging experiences occurred during my first year at Consulting Group. Our team had been engaged to help a utility client evaluate specific business processes integrated between wholesale and retail business units prior to a private equity buyout. Due to scheduling conflicts, a senior manager was assigned to manage the entire project on a part-time basis. Due to the lack of a focused project management office, communication between the client and the project team quickly deteriorated. Additionally, with limited overall focus on the project, my other colleague and I began working independently. As a relatively new associate to the firm, I hesitated to raise questions about this disjointed approach and focused on producing quality deliverables. Therefore, we did not exploit synergies in the interviews we conducted and developed non-standardized deliverables. This disorganized project management quickly contributed to frustrations both on the client's side and within the Consulting Group team, putting a strain on our daily interactions. Halfway through the engagement...