My first job was as a summer intern at a car manufacturer where my boss handed me an eye-opening experience. He asked me to observe a manufacturing process that took about 15 minutes to complete. Then he asked me to improve the process, and I suggested that I could help save about 5 minutes of time. He said, "No. Your target is to reduce this process to one minute," and just walked away. He gave me a week to do it. In the end, it took me about a month, but I was able to reduce the process to about 90 seconds. That was when I just fell in love with the concept of lean and efficient work.
Why I joined McKinsey
I had discovered a passion for making truly sustainable changes, and I wanted to be with an organization that would allow me to drive change on a much wider level. McKinsey allows me to indulge in that passion, but does so while challenging me, and forcing me to grow.
Process improvement
One of the things I learned is that the need for change isn't limited to inefficient workflow or poorly-performing companies; even the best-run organizations have room to improve. One of my first studies at McKinsey involved a high-performing plant. Upon meeting the client, I realized that they believed they had already mapped out all of the changes they could possibly need to make. But I said, "Let's go to the floor," and worked side-by-side with the client for a couple of weeks. It helped the client look at their workflow in an entirely new way, and it helped me to identify new opportunities for improvement. By the end of the project, the client themselves expressed gratitude for being shown so many more opportunities than they previously thought existed.
Having a voice
I knew that McKinsey was a hierarchy-free organization, and I was slightly apprehensive about what that could mean for me. Coming to a place where the partners are the first among equals was something of an adjustment for me. The fact that everyone can speak up means that everyone has a voice, but it also means that your ideas need to be thoroughly formed. You have to be ready to be tested, because you're going to be asked the difficult questions. But it's also given me the confidence to raise my hand and speak my mind, especially when I see an opportunity that is being overlooked. I was working at a client site, at a call center, in an environment that was completely unknown to me, when I observed that the employees there were lacking a necessary skill. I realized that I needed to run a workshop, so I got the attention of the senior management there and offered to create a training session, even though this was something I'd never done before. I had the backing of the client and of my McKinsey colleagues, and with all of their support, I was able to create and run an excellent training session. The result of that has been that I've really seen some minds changed. It's proven to me that if you have the right ideas and are driving toward the right goal, taking the lead -- even in a new and unfamiliar situation -- can lead to great rewards.
What I do in my free time
I use my free time as a way to slow down and recharge before the intensity of a busy work week. I love to spend time with my family. I have two small children, and I love just watching them grow. I also spend a lot of time reading books, usually about nature and wildlife. And I like to get out in the woods and spend some time hiking.
Offices
Education
| Stanford University - School of Engineering |
MS, Manufacturing Systems |
2002 |
| Bangalore U - R V College of Engineeering |
BE, Industrial Engineering, Production Engineering |
1994 |