Hi everyone,
Happy New Year! In my last post, I promised an update on some of the events and training programs I attended towards the end of 2017. I want to mention four trips in particular that stood out for me.
The first was a learning program in New Jersey for senior experts. This program focused on growing one’s expertise and using it to build new, knowledge-driven solutions for the firm. I had some really interesting prep work to do for this program, including partner and client interviews (which are always interesting). I really appreciate that McKinsey invests in developing people of all tenures—including senior colleagues—through learning programs like this.
Enjoying a "Skyrise" climbing event with Chicago colleagues
The second event I wanted to mention is a client training I ran in Omaha. We worked on a procurement transformation with this client about a year ago, and they’ve implemented much of the work we did for them. At this point our engagement is over and we no longer have a team on the ground with them, but the original client team wanted to ensure the long-term success of our work. They went an extra step and sent different experts (like me) to the client to provide very tailored training programs to ensure that their newly set-up teams can be strategic and successful. This was actually the third training I’ve run for this client, and it has been quite gratifying to see how much further they’ve come with their knowledge.
The third event was another internal learning program in Houston called Procurement Core Skills Training Program (see photo) where I was part of the faculty. This session was for people who are dedicated to procurement work at the firm. I finally met two of my team members in person at this event. We’ve been working together remotely for years, so it was a lot of fun to spend time with them and get to know them better.
Finally, I went to Toronto for a working session with a client for whom we are doing a big transformation. One of the bigger workstreams on the project is procurement, and I am the content director for their team. Following the session, I had a ton of follow-up meetings with associates on the team. It felt like a revolving door of meetings during which I discussed everything from temporary labor to packaging. Once again, it was great to meet people in person and engage in more dynamic problem-solving sessions.
Until next time,
Britta