The McKinsey Way

Introduction
In his book, The McKinsey Way, Ethan Rasiel takes readers inside one of the world's most
prestigious strategic consulting firms. Drawing on his own experience as an associate for
McKinsey, Rasiel reveals the secrets of the Firm's closely-guarded management techniques. The
McKinsey approach is systematic, flexible and effective. Hill imparts his knowledge of the system
which has developed within the Firm in order to give businessmen and women the tools they
need to deal with their own business problems.
Part I: The McKinsey Way of Thinking About Business Problems
In Part 1, Rasiel attempts to explain the McKinsey approach to problem-solving and some rules
which structure the process.
Chapter 1: Building the Solution
McKinsey's problem-solving process has three pillars:
Fact-based
Rigidly structured
Hypothesis driven
Facts
At McKinsey, facts are the foundation of problem solving. Facts aid in the development of a sound
hypothesis, and then provide the evidence needed to support or refute it. Facts compensate for
the lack of instinct a consultant must face since he or she does not have a lifetime of experience
in the industry on which to draw. Facts also bridge the credibility gap, lending respect to the
analysis of newcomers. Hiding from the facts is only a recipe for failure, because sooner or later,
the truth will show itself. Thus, a successful consultant will find the facts and use them to his or
her advantage.
MECE
One of the most fundamental tenants of McKinsey problem solving is the concept of MECE,
mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive. MECE can be used when developing and listing
issues related to the problem at hand. First, the associate must ensure that the list is mutually
exclusive, or that every item is separate and distinct. Then, she must check that it is collectively
exhaustive, that it includes every issue relevant to the problem. This approach prevents overlap
and confusion. A "major issues list" should contain no less than two, and no more than five
issues, with three being the ideal number. The consultant must make a concerted effort to fit each
business problem faced by the company or non-profit under one of the 2- 5 issues on the major
issues list. If this fails, there is always the option of creating a category of "other issues", although
this is most effective when utilized as a sub-heading for presentation purposes.
Solve the Problem at the First Meeting- The Initial Hypothesis
The 3rd pillar of the McKinsey problem-solving process is the initial hypothesis (IH). The initial
hypothesis serves as a roadmap toward the solution. It is the solution that seems most probable
early in the engagement, after the group has brainstormed using their knowledge of the situation,
but before they have spent a lot of time gathering additional information and analyzing. The initial
hypothesis may or may not prove correct, but it will provide a starting point from which to work
and it will guide the research and early data analysis.
When generating the IH, the group should begin with the facts. This does not mean that the team
must understand every facet of the industry at this point. Rather, members can take a couple of
hours with a trade journal or expert in the field and develop a general overview of the industry.
Once members have a basic understanding of the facts, they must apply structure to them. This
is done first by breaking the problem down into components, or key drivers. Then, they make an
actionable recommendation on each component. These recommendations are taken and broken
down still further. The team then lists the issues that each recommendation raises. Now they
must consider possible answers to these issues. Then, they contemplate what sort of analysis
under each issue will be needed to prove or refute the hypothesis. This exercise should give the
team a better idea of what is and is not provable, and clarify their approach.
The end result of this exercise will be what McKinsey calls an issue tree. This tree is a map of the
solution with the hypothesis branching out into each issue and recommendation. This model will
serve as the problem-solving map.

Once the IH has been developed, either individually or as a team, it will be necessary to test it.
When generating and testing an initial hypothesis, it is best to work in small teams. Working in a
team will provide a wealth of ideas with which to work, and constructive criticism will help point
out the shortcomings of ideas that their creators often have difficulty seeing themselves.
Chapter 2: Developing an Approach
The problem is not always the problem
The client's own diagnosis of the problem may not in fact be correct. So, before setting about
devising a solution, a consultant has to dig deeper by asking questions, getting facts, and poking
around to ensure that he is heading down the right path. If an associate feels that he is not
working on the correct problem, he has the option to go back to the client. He should let the client
know that while he was asked to focus on problem x, he feels that the real impact will come from
solving problem y. The consultant should be able to back up this recommendation with facts. The
client may or may not accept the recommendation, but either way he has fulfilled his obligation.
Don't reinvent the wheel
Most business problems are more similar than different. This means that a large number of
questions can be answered through use of a small number of problem-solving techniques.
McKinsey has standardized a number of these techniques, and they have proved invaluable
because consultants are able to quickly place the facts and data into a standard framework, and
thus to gain added insight into the problem. This allows the consultants to focus on the drivers of
the problem and move toward a solution.

One technique, which has proved especially valuable, is the Forces at Work model. In this model,
the consultants identify current suppliers, customers, competitors, and possible substitute
products. Then, they list all changes occurring in each category and the effect, positive or
negative, that they may have on the client. They also list any internal changes effecting the client
or industry and determine which of these changes could force adjustment to the client's
operations. This tool allows the consultants to develop an understanding of the competitive
market their client faces, as well as how this environment might change.
Consultants need to remember that every client is unique, and thus that there are no cookie-
cutter solutions. Similar problems do not necessarily have similar solutions. Although the tools
used for a problem may be the same, they must be applied to every unique situation. It is a
mistake for consultants to generalize solutions. Rather, they need to test their hypothesis with
facts and analysis in order to determine that the solution they have chosen is the correct one for
the situation at hand.
Don't make the facts fit your solution
No matter how inspired the team or individual finds its initial hypothesis to be, it must be prepared
to adjust that hypothesis if the facts do not support it. The facts are static, so it is the solution
which must be flexible and dynamic in order to solve the problem.
Make sure your solution fits your client.
It is a consultant's job to recognize the unique strengths, weaknesses and limitations of his/her
client. In some cases, the best hypothetical solution may be one that the client is unable to
implement for any number of reasons. In this case, the Firm has not succeeded in solving the
problem for the client, even if on paper, their proposed solution was theoretically the best.
Therefore, the consultant must take into account the client's unique situation and ability or lack of
ability to implement any proposed solution. Sometimes, there are a number of good ideas that
would improve the client's business, but there is only a finite amount of resources with which to
implement these solutions. In this case, the consultant must focus on the solutions which will
bring the maximum benefit from these finite resources.
Sometimes you have to let the solution come to you.
There will be situations in which an initial hypothesis is impossible to formulate. This could occur
if the scope of the problem is large and vague, if the client has no idea what the problem is, or if
the team is breaking new ground. Although this is not an ideal situation, over time business
problems become conquerable with the combination of fact-based analysis and creative thinking.
Some problems you just can't solve… solve them anyway
No matter how good a consultant's intentions are, sometimes the group will come up against a
wall. This could come in the form of bad or missing data, a business doomed to failure by the time
the Firm is called in, or hostile politics within the client organization. When facing an obstacle to
the solution, there are several options from which to choose. First, the consultant could redefine
the problem. They could tell the client that the problem is not X, but rather Y. This will be
especially useful if solving problem Y will generate much value, while X will cost time and
resources for only a small gain. This choice is especially effective early in the consultation. Use of
it later in the process can be seen as a copout. A second option is to tweak the way to a solution.
If your ideal solution is impossible to implement at the present time, lengthen the time line, and
"tweak" toward the solution as hostile factors subside. Finally, the consultants could choose to
work through the politics. They may recognize that their solution will change the organization, and
that this change will not be popular with all groups. They must take into account the different
factors driving the politics, and attempt to build a consensus for the solution with these in mind.
This may mean that the solution must be changed in order to gain acceptability. If this is the case,
then they should change it. No good will be brought to the company unless it is able to accept
what the Firm offers.
Chapter 3: 80/20 and Other Rules to Live By
80/20
The 80/20 is a pattern that emerges is management consulting. For example, 80% of sales come
from 20% of the sales force. 80% of revenues come from 20% of products. Once the team has
the data, they can input it into a spreadsheet or database and analyze it. The consultants watch
for patterns such as the 80/20 rule. In some cases, these patterns will highlight problem areas, in
others, areas of opportunity.
Don't Boil the Ocean
Before the consultants begin to gather and analyze data, they need to recognize the priorities of
their search, and focus on them. They have a limited amount of time and resources to put into the
analysis, so it is imperative to concentrate on only the most relevant information. In other words,
work smarter, not harder.
Find the Key Drivers
In order to make the most of the analysis, McKinseyites focus only on the very key issues at the
core of the problem. It is here that the fact-based analysis will offer the greatest return.
The Elevator Test
In order to sell the solution to busy customers and executives, the consultant must be able to
explain it in 30 seconds, the time it takes an elevator to reach the lobby. In order to do this, she
will focus on the most important recommendations, no more than three, and their respective
payoffs. She will have to save the supporting data for later in order to accomplish this task.
Pluck the Low-Hanging Fruit
Sometimes during the long problem-solving process, there arises an opportunity for an easy win.
McKinsey consultants are taught to take these opportunities. There is no reason to save or hold
their information for a final presentation. It is a much better strategy to show the client that the
client's success is their top priority by making small changes along the way. Small victories boost
morale for the team, add credibility to the exercise, please the client, and may help win over
dissenters. But, as the Firm takes these small victories, they must also ensure the client that they
have not lost sight of the greater solution.
Make a Chart Every Day
A consultant should learn something new every day. The best way to deal with this new
knowledge is to write it down. At the end of each day, the associate should make a chart or
bulleted list of the three most important things she learned. When it is time for analysis, she can
go back to these charts and contemplate how they can fit into her solution.
Hit Singles
In the business world, it is better to consistently hit singles, i.e. perform the job to expectations,
than to sporadically hit home runs. There are three reasons for this. First, it is impossible to do
everything alone all the time. The other members of the team should be capable and motivated.
Thus, the team should trust each member to do his or her own job. Secondly, if an associate is
able to hit the business homerun once, it raises expectations for himself and those around him,
expectations he may not be able to realize on a consistent basis. Finally, once an associate fails
to meet expectations, it is very difficult to regain credibility. So, a wise consultant will concentrate
on doing his job and doing it well.
Look at the Big Picture
When the team is bogged down in analysis, benefits can be wrought by taking a step back and
looking at the "big picture". Associates can go back to their initial hypothesis and key drivers.
They can asses how what they are doing relates to these priorities. If their current efforts will not
lead you to a solution, they need to stop what they are doing and find a path that will.
Just Say "I Don't Know"
Professional integrity should be a hallmark of a management consultant. Part of this integrity is
honesty, with the client, the team, and within the individual. Sometimes a consultant will simply
not know the answer to something. In this case, the consultant should be honest and admit that
they do not know. People will understand, and the admission will be much less costly than a bluff.
Don't Accept "I have no idea"
When a McKinseyite asks someone a question about their business and they reply, "I have no
idea", they take this as a challenge. With a few well-directed questions, a good consultant can
usually uncover the information she needs, or at least an educated guess. McKinsey consultants
do not accept "I have no idea" from others, they do not accept it from themselves, and don't
expect others to accept it from them.
Part II: The McKinsey Way of Working to Solve Business Problems
Part II illustrates the manner in which the Firm implements its solutions on a day-to-day basis.
From selling to organizing to brainstorming, this section takes the reader through the experience
of participating in a McKinsey study.
Chapter 4: Selling a Study
How to Sell without Selling
McKinsey does not "sell". It does not make cold calls, advertise in trade journals or knock on
doors. Rather, it waits for customers to come to the Firm. Why do they come? Because although
McKinsey does not sell, it does market. The Firm markets to potential clients in a number of
ways. First, the Firm produces a steady stream of influential and widely read books and articles.
Furthermore, it publishes its own scholarly journal, which is distributed free to clients and former
consultants. McKinsey invites media coverage, and its partners and directors are often nationally
and internationally known experts. McKinsey also encourages members of the Firm to participate
in informal forums such as non-profit boards of directors in order to make client contacts.
Consultants make presentations and speak at industry conferences. They also make follow-up
visits to former clients, both to gauge the effects of McKinsey work, and to keep the firm in the
client's mind should any further work arise.
Not everyone will have access to the most exclusive events and clients, but through trade shows,
conferences, even the right restaurants and bars, anyone can make these connections.
Consultants should keep in close contact with current and former clients. Also, there is an
advantage to meeting competitors. One day they could switch jobs and become a potential client.
A consultant should seek prominence and establish a strong reputation in order to ensure that his
will be the name the customers think of the next time they have a problem.
Be Careful What you Promise: Structuring an Engagement
When structuring a project, it is essential that the Firm does not bite off more than it can chew. It
has to strike a balance between what the client wants and what the team can realistically do. The
ideal project is one, which can be completed in three to six months with tangible results for the
client. The saaviest coordinators will tell the client that they will accomplish x and y. He will then
explain that they could do Z, but it would kill the team. At the same time, he would tell the team
that they promised the client Z, and must get it done. Of course, in order to do this, Z must be
within the limits of the team, while challenging them to their maximum output.
Chapter 5: Assembling a Team
Getting the Right Mix
Team selection is a critical component of any job, and team members must be chosen carefully
from the pool of resources available. Intelligence, experience and skills are the factors of greatest
importance. The team is best constructed with knowledge of the particular problem, and the skills,
which will be most necessary in order to solve it. If the leader does not know potential team
members personally, she would be wise to interview them before making a decision. This allows
her to determine whether others evaluations of the person were correct, and lets her gauge how
the personality will fit in with the rest of the team. The team will be spending a large amount of
time together, and its performance will reflect on the leader, so must choose wisely.
A Little Team Bonding Goes a Long Way
At McKinsey, team bonding activities like dinners, ball games and movies are expected, but very
little of this formal bonding is needed to solidify the team. The team will be working together for
long hours, eating lunch together, and travelling together to out of town engagements. What is
important is that the team works well together, that members know that their ideas are respected,
and that they feel that there is respect for their time and lives outside of the Firm. If team bonding
activities are necessary, an attempt should be made to limit them to lunch engagements, and if
this is not possible, significant others should be included in plans.
Take Your Team's Temperature to Maintain Morale
Maintaining the team's morale is the on-going responsibility of the team leader. He has to talk to
his teammates, and if they are unhappy, he must take remedial action immediately. Second, he
needs to steer a steady course. He must keep in line with his priorities, and if a change needs to
be made, explain his reasoning to the team so that they can understand what is going on. The
leader needs to let the team know why they are doing what they are doing, so that they are able
to see value in their work. Teammates should be treated with respect and the leader should make
an effort to get to know them as people. Finally, when things become difficult, the leader has to be
able to let them know that he sympathizes with them, even if there is little else he can do to
remedy the situation.
Chapter 6: Managing Hierarchy
Make your boss look good
The best way to make the boss (and strategic partners outside of the organization) happy is to
make him/her look good. This is accomplished by a consultant doing her job to the best of her
ability, and by making sure that the boss knows everything that she knows when she needs to
know it. By making the boss look good, the associate not only makes him/her happy, but she also
makes herself look good in the process.
An Aggressive Strategy for Managing Hierarchy:
An associate should assert his equality in the organization until someone tells him not to. He
should assume that he has the authority to ask questions, make comments, etc. In more rigidly
hierarchical organizations, however, the associate must tread carefully and be prepared to back
down at any sign of displeasure with his tactics.
Chapter 7: Doing Research
Don't Reinvent the Wheel (Part II)
Very few business problems are unique, which means that someone has probably dealt with them
before. The people who worked on these problems, and the research their work generated can
be invaluable, and timesaving resources. The team can use colleagues, data, files, training
manuals, trade magazines, newspapers, the library, the Internet, competitors, and any other
sources that might provide a head start.
Specific Research Tips
When doing research, the company or non-profit's annual report is always a good place to begin.
The researcher should look for outliers. Outliers are things which are especially good or bad. In
order to identify them, the researcher can input the data into a spreadsheet, and then use the
outliers as areas for research. The researcher should be looking for best practice. His goal should
be to find out who the best performers in the industry are and imitate them. He can talk to other
people in the industry to uncover their secrets. Sometimes best practice will be within the
researchers own company in a certain division or area. In this case, he must determine how to
implement their strategies on an organization-wide level.
Chapter 8: Conducting Interviews
Be prepared: Write an Interview /Meeting Guide:
Having a guide for an interview or meeting prepared before it begins will ensure the best possible
use of the consultant's time, and of that of the interviewee. When constructing the guide, the
interviewer should first think of which questions she needs answers to. Then, she should consider
what the main insight that she is really trying to get out of the interview is. This second point will
help to focus the questions and order them. Before entering into the interview, the consultant
should research her interviewee. She will be well better prepared if she knows their personality
and can structure the interview/ meeting accordingly. The interview/meeting can begin with "warm
up" questions about the industry in general. A good trick is to ask a question or two to which the
interviewer thinks that she already knows the answer. Answers to these questions serve two
purposes. First, they allow the interviewer to gauge the knowledge and honesty of the
interviewee. Second, she might be provided with an answer that will give her a different
perspective, or an additional answer to a complex problem that she had not considered. Before
closing the interview, the interviewer should ask the person she is interviewing if there is anything
else they would like to tell her, or if there is anything she forgot to ask. Sometimes, this will yield
very useful information.
When Conducting Interviews, and Meetings in General, Listen and Guide:
When interviewing, the consultant needs to ask questions to guide the conversation, but should
allow the interviewee to do the talking. She needs to make it clear that she is listening and
interested in what the person is saying by using verbal placeholders such as "yes" and "I see".
Also, she should use positive body language such as leaning slightly forward when the person is
speaking. If the interviewer wants the person to say more than they have, she can simply say
nothing. Most people will start talking to fill the uncomfortable gap of silence.
Seven Tips for Successful Interviewing:
Have the interviewee's boss set up the meeting.
Interview in pairs
Ask open-ended questions and talk as little as possible.
Paraphrase what has been said and repeat it back to the interviewee to ensure
that they are understand correctly.
Be sensitive to the interviewee's feelings.
Don't ask for too much or press too hard.
Use the Colombo tactic- After the interview has ended and everyone has become more
relaxed, say "There's one more thing I forgot to ask".
Difficult Interviews
Eventually, every member of the Firm will run into a difficult interview. This could be a hostile
interviewee, one who refuses to give information, or the "sandbagger", the interviewee who will
talk all the interviewer wants, but won't divulge information. There are a variety of techniques that
can be used. First, if the consultant has the backing of the top management at the company, he
can challenge the subject and not back down. Secondly, the consultant can "pull rank" and
threaten to alert the boss to the subject's lack of cooperation. Finally, the team could look for
another person in the organization who can give them the same information, and if there is no
one else, they may need to ask the subject's boss to have a word with him or her.
Always write a thank-you note:
After taking time from someone's day for an interview, it is appropriate to write the person a polite
and professional thank-you note.
Chapter 9: Brainstorming
Proper Prior Preparation
An associate cannot enter the brainstorming session without advance planning. First, he needs to
consolidate his research into a 'fact pack', a neatly organized summary of key data, and distribute
it to the team. By having every member of the team read every fact pack, each member should
enter the session with a roughly equal base of knowledge. The team leader should have an initial
hypothesis ready before entering the meeting. Other members may want to derive a set of
hypotheses that the group will probably derive so that they can quickly dismiss impractical
hypothesis and devote more attention to plausible ones.
In a White Room
The brainstorming session should begin with no preconceptions on the part of the team
members. Even though they have prepared for the session, they must be open to new ideas.
Also, everyone should participate in the session , regardless of standing in the hierarchy. Here
are some additional Rules of the Road:
There are no bad ideas
There are no dumb questions
 Be prepared to kill your own ideas. If your hypothesis is not part of the team's solution at the
end of the session, let it go.
Know when to say when. As time wears on, people get tired, cranky, and the returns of
brainstorming diminish. Try to keep sessions to 2 hours if possible, and if not, take breaks
or continue the next day.
Get it down on paper. Don't leave the session without a permanent record of the final
outcome.
Brainstorming Exercises:
The Post-It Exercise- The leader passes out post-it notes and has the team write down all
relevant ideas and pass them to the leader who reads them out loud.
The flipchart Exercise- A number of flip charts are stationed around the room marked by
category or issue. Each member is issued a different colored marker and writes his or her
relevant ideas on each chart.
Bellyaches up front- The session is held in a large room with all relevant players. First,
members are asked to state everything that they didn't like about the program first. Then
are asked for positive evaluations.
Part III: The McKinsey Way of Selling Solutions
Once the solution has been analyzed and structured, McKinsey has to convince the client to
support it. Without this crucial recognition, the solution is worth nothing. In this stage, internal
communication and presentation are key to success.
Be Structured:
The team must take the organizational analysis that they used in their analysis and apply it to the
presentation. The presentation should be clear and guide the audience through the team's
thinking in clear, logical steps.
Remember that there are diminishing marginal returns to effort:
At some point, the team has to draw the line and resist temptations to make further changes to
the presentation. One good way to let go is to insist that the documents be copied, bound, etc. 24
hours prior to the presentation. Members must accept that large documents will have a small
number of insignificant typos, and let go. Then the team can spend the last day before the
presentation rehearsing, anticipating questions, and resting. Time spent in this fashion will yield a
much higher return than that spent compulsively checking for minor errors.
Prewire Everything:
There should be no surprises on the day of the presentation. All of the major players should be
taken through the solution in private. This way, necessary negotiation, compromise, and new
facts that are integral to the acceptance of the proposal will be integrated by the time of the
presentation. Prewiring removes much of the risk from the presentation and allows the team to
shine.
Chapter 11: Displaying Data With Charts:
Keep it simple- One message per chart:
Charts and graphs are an invaluable tool with which to communicate information to the client.
When using charts and graphs, the key is to keep it simple. Too much information will overwhelm
the audience, and the information the team is attempting to o highlight will be lost. Each chart
should attempt to convey only one message. Also, fancy computer graphics and extensive use of
color can actually detract from the original purpose of the chart. The creator should pick the point
that the presenter wishes to make with the chart, and insert it into a one sentence "lead" in the
caption at the top of the chart. It is also important to be certain to the source in a caption at the
bottom. Finally, the presentation should use the minimum amount of charts necessary to
communicate the information. Too many will bore the audience.
Use a Waterfall Chart:
Seldom seen outside of McKinsey, the waterfall chart is an effective way show how to get from A
to B. The chart is like a bar graph, and always begins on the left with a column that begins at
zero. Then, moving to the right, positive items extend upward, beginning at the highest point of
the last column, and negative values extend downward in the same fashion.
Chapter 12: Managing Internal Communications
Keep the information flowing:
Information flow is essential for successful teams. A leader has to make sure that both the team
members and their boss are up to date at all times. One way to facilitate information flow is
regular meetings. Meetings should be regularly scheduled, administered by a competent and
respectful leader, and should adhere to a short and briskly executed agenda. Another method of
internal communication is learning by walking around. Chance encounters at the water cooler, in
the corridor, on the way to lunch, etc, can be surprisingly insightful.
Three keys to an effective message:
E-mails, voice mails, and memos should be treated as mini presentations. They should be brief,
covering only the information the recipient needs to know, thorough, covering all of the
information that the recipient needs, and structured in a form that will effectively convey that
information.
Always look over your shoulder:
A consultant should ask him or herself these questions to determine whether there is need for
confidentiality with respect to the business problem: What would happen if he were sitting on an
airplane and one of the competitors saw what he was working on? What about someone from his
company who was working on a different project saw? What about his boss? If there is a need for
confidentiality in the work, then it is the consultant's duty to take precautions. He should lock
papers in his desk and file cabinet before you leaving for the night. Consultants should not tell
their significant other unless they are certain they are not a security risk. They should not take
anything a competitor or journalist might find interesting out in public. Finally, they must be careful
with faxes, e-mails and voice mails. They can easily end up in the wrong hands.
Chapter 13: Working with Clients
Keep the Client Team on your side:
When working with a client team, the consultants can first get the clients on their side by making
the Firm's goals and their goals synonymous. The Firm can make the experience a positive one
for them by reminding the team that they will gain new skills and the opportunity to effect real
change in their organization. Also, in the instance of client teams, team bonding may be more
appropriate. The consulting team and client teams are not bound by the same experience, and
bonding can help both sides to understand each other better.
How to deal with "liability" client team members:
There are two types of "liability" team members: the useless and the hostile. The useless is
someone who either refuses to participate, or is too incompetent to be of any use. The best
remedy for the useless is to trade him off the team for someone better, but if this is not possible,
the team may give him a small and noncritical area of the work that someone else on the team
has the expertise to do if necessary. The other case is that of the saboteur. The saboteur is
usually backed by a faction of the company hostile to the Firm's consulting work. Once again, the
best strategy is to try to trade this hostile force off of the team. Otherwise, the team should make
use of his talents where it can, and keep sensitive information out of his hands. The consulting
team must try to understand his agenda, and thus that of his supporters. This may be useful
information when forming the solution. Sometimes "liability" members can be brought around. If
not, the team has to make the best of the situation and do its job.
Engage the client in the process:
In order to gain the client's support, it must be engaged in the process. Engagement can be
defined as supporting consulting efforts, providing resources as needed, and caring about the
outcome. The Firm needs to understand the client's interests, and to make them see how the
Firm's efforts will benefit them. The team should keep the client updated on its progress, and
make use of the "easy victories" discussed earlier in the book. Team members must accept that
the client team may take credit for its work in the end, but this is a small price to pay for support
and implementation of the solution.
Get Buy-in throughout the organization:
Once the Firm has its proposal to the CEO and board of directors, it is imperative that the
consultants gain support for the solution throughout all levels of the client organization.
Presentations should be tailored to each level. Presenter should show respect to each audience,
whether it be the upper management team or the production line. It is also important to make sure
that each audience understands how they fit into the larger picture of the solution. Gaining
support on all levels will promote the success of the solution.
Be Rigorous about Implementation:
Before the team begins the implementation process, it must develop a detailed plan. The plan
should be specific in regard to what needs to happen, when it will happen, and who will be
responsible for it. The consultants should choose reliable people with the skills to carry out each
task, and enforce deadlines. If the consultants are not going to be personally in charge of the
implementation process as a whole, they have to choose someone who not only has the skills to
carry out the operation, but the attitude needed to enforce compliance.
Part IV: Surviving at McKinsey
Success in any high-pressure organization required a certain number of survival skills. In this
section, Rasiel shares tricks to maintaining sanity while working crazy hours under high stress.
He also sheds light on the McKinsey recruiting process which provides the Firm with a steady
stream of bright new survivors.
Chapter 14: Find your own Mentor
In making one's way through the jungle which is the business world, it will help to have a guide.
Junior associates should seek out a person who is senior to them in their organization and whose
work and opinions they respect. They should be able to go to this person for advice and to
provide an example. If possible, an associate should work with his or her mentor, and learn all
that he/she has to offer.
Chapter 15: Surviving on the Road
Many consulting jobs will require long days, weeks and even months of rigorous travel. Since
these business trips are a part of the job, there is no recourse but to make the best of it. The
following advice will help to ease time spent on the road:
Maintain a positive attitude. Look at the trip as an adventure, and occasionally, act like a
tourist and enjoy the unique aspects of the destination.
Plan properly: Try to schedule trips so that you will be home on a Friday or Monday. Learn
what you need and pack light. Prepare with information that will make your trip less
stressful such as directions, reliable cab companies, etc.
Find ways to entertain yourself after work. Call old friends or colleagues. Go out socially with
client team members. At the very least, watch TV or read a book unrelated to work before
bed.
 Finally, treat everyone with respect. It will keep your own stress level down and you will reap
unexpected benefits.
Chapter 16: Take these three things with you wherever you go
Before embarking on a business trip, a business traveler should be certain that she has all the
necessities. These include PTM (passport, tickets, and money), as well as an itinerary, names
and numbers of everyone she is going to see, and a good book. She should also pay special
attention to clothing, business tools, personal care items, things to keep organized and in touch,
and diversions.
Chapter 17: A good assistant is a lifeline
In order to attract the best secretaries available, McKinsey offers them a real career path with
chances to move higher up in the secretarial hierarchy, as well as into administrative
management. Secretaries are vitally important not only in order to perform traditional tasks such
as filing and typing, but also to serve as a lifeline to busy consultants who may spend long
periods of time at the office or out of time. McKinsey secretaries take care of personal needs for
consultants, such as paying bills when they are away from home, as well as business needs.
Since the secretary serves as a lifeline, it is necessary to treat him/her well. This goes beyond a
Christmas gift and flowers on secretary's day, however. A respectful consultant should provide the
secretary with all the information they need to do their jobs. This includes notice of where the
consultant is at all time, and what they expect. Also, if the secretary is capable, it is important to
allow some initiative for him/her to make decisions on his/her own.
Even if a consultant does not have a full-time secretary, the same rules of respect and
consideration apply. A good relationship with the temp, part-time assistant, or junior team member
who performs these task will benefit both parties.
Chapter 18: Recruiting McKinsey-Style: How to do it
In order to recruit the best possible associates for the Firm, McKinsey draws from the top of the
most elite business, law, and economics schools. It also seeks to recruit nontraditional candidates
such as doctors, scientists, and politicians. In order to acquire the best candidates, McKinsey
devotes a number of its top people, and a great deal of money, to this task.
Once the best people have been scouted, McKinsey resorts to the interview in order to choose
the McKinsey team. The most valuable attribute is an analytical thinker, one who can take a
problem apart and break it into its components. In order to judge this ability, McKinsey uses
cases. In solving these cases, the candidate is judged on how well he or she breaks the case into
pieces, asks relevant questions, and makes prudent assumptions when necessary.
Beyond mere intelligence and analytical power, McKinsey recruiters also look for personality. The
candidate must be a team player, and their personality must fit the Firm. So, the key to an offer of
employment at McKinsey is simple: The person must be of above-average intelligence with top
grades from a good college and elite business school. They need to have a record of substantial
achievement at previous employers, a bright analytical mind, and a personality that fits well with
the firm.
Chapter 19: If you want a life, lay down some Rules
When working 80 - 100 hours per week, the only chance an associate has to have any sort of life
outside of work is to lay down some ground rules. First, they should make one day a week off-
limits, usually Saturday or Sunday. They should let their boss, spouse, children and co-workers
know that they will be unavailable for work on this day, except for absolute emergencies. Most of
the time this rule will be respected. Second, it is a mistake to take work home. Even if it means
staying later at the office, it is a good idea to make home a haven without work.