December 2012
The holidays usually slowly build with anticipation, starting with the first signs of Santa's workshop at the mall and pumpkin being added to everything. However, this year I must have been more oblivious than usual because the holidays have crept up and completely surprised me. I now have only a few short weeks to send out a holiday card, decorate our house, and figure out what to get for everyone on my list. Even my team has decided to participate in a white elephant gift exchange (check it out on Wikipedia if you don't know what that is). Any suggestions for a funny or highly desirable $20 gift?
Aside from the holidays, my December is going very well. I am greatly enjoying my new project with a non-profit hospital system, which is focused on identifying labor savings as well as opportunities to align workforce incentives with patient outcomes and hospital performance. My travel schedule has heated up a bit, but I am finding myself mostly on the West Coast with a lot of flexibility in my actual schedule thanks to my team's commitment to a sustainable lifestyle. I think the best part of this project is my team. There are five of us total, representing four different McKinsey offices and about two hundred different hobbies and interests. We have a physician, a soon-to-be lawyer, a marathon runner, and a talented artist who each bring a unique, brilliant perspective to our client problem solving and fun team time. I realize how spoiled I am to be able to work with such a passionate group of people and I am thankful for my colleagues every day.
In the new year, stay tuned for an update on the knowledge work I am plugging into as well as the upcoming engagement manager training I will be attending next week. For now, enjoy the holiday season and have a wonderful new year.
—Meredith