Rising Star: Evan Harris, Business Program Manager
A Washington native, Evan Harris is a dynamic and motivated Consultant with a desire to create as many memories as he can along his journey. Evan grew up in Yakima, WA and attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, studying Business Administration and playing baseball for all 4 years.
Evan’s hobbies include going to sporting events, concerts, movies, Netflix binge sessions, winter sports, running, hiking, playing golf and water sports. He enjoys making the most out of weekends by planning trips and international travel when the time and money permits. We chatted with Evan about the consulting world, how he sets himself apart in his career and the importance of treating everyone with respect.
Describe a day in the life of a Consultant.
Every day is different! That is part of the allure. You never know what type of situation you will encounter on any given day. It is great to set structure through your day though, and when ad hoc situations come up, you can adjust accordingly. My typical first step on the list is checking in with the client and ensuring that nothing critical has come up that you need to address straight away. Next, I check in with key stakeholders on deliverables and get a better picture of where we stand on major initiatives. Finally, I attend individual and team meetings throughout the day and then follow up on action items derived from them. Inevitably, something important will need to be dealt with before, in the middle or after that outlined structure. Therein lies the art of balancing proactive and reactive activities as a Consultant!
What is your favorite part about working in business management?
My favorite part is being positioned in the exact right vantage point to see the breadth and depth of the organization you are working with. Having an understanding of where the team is going and helping come up with the solutions for how to make that a reality is really exciting and rewarding.
How do you set yourself apart as a young professional?
There are three main areas that I feel are important to exude, that I believe set you apart as a young professional.
Work ethic: Being willing to put in the effort to get any task done is important. Many times, I have felt that because of my age or years of work experience, other co-workers view this as a disadvantage to having me on the team. So, I have made a huge effort to show that my work ethic will always outshine my lack of experience, even if that means asking for help and failing fast. This is a much better way to engender trust with your team than relying on the fact that you haven’t done anything like the task at hand before.
Dependability: Proving that you will do what you said you would, when you said you would is key. If your client and team members trust that you will handle the tasks at hand, you will always stand out.
Results: At the end of the day, people want to see results. If you can show up in a situation or on a deliverable, you will begin building a reputation for yourself. That perception will help you stand out as your client or team members spread the word about you.
What is the best lesson you have learned in your life?
Never burn bridges. The world we live in is getting smaller by the day and you never know when characters will re-enter your life. It is better to treat everyone with the utmost respect and hope that it pays off down the road.
What’s your favorite type of food?
Mexican food is far and away my favorite food!
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