Kangsei
Business Analyst
Shared knowledge to get me up to speed
“I now have confidence that I can handle almost everything. And I know I always have McKinsey’s support. Here, if you believe something is right, you can just go for it.”
At McKinsey, I can get up to speed really quickly on almost anything. During one engagement, I was able to call on partners in Europe who were experts in the field I needed to understand. Most of the time we spoke on the phone. But sometimes they flew in to help with the client and have face-to-face meetings. McKinsey holds onto the knowledge that our people already have, and has a culture where that knowledge is shared.
A challenging recent engagement
In a recent engagement, we were helping a brokerage house improve sales-force effectiveness. I was developing new sales standard operating procedures and best practices. I knew nothing of the company, of sales, or of the brokerage industry, and at first the client challenged me. But I spent a lot of time and effort learning from my mentors, and the client came to respect me. In fact, at the end of the engagement, they offered me a job as one of their salespeople! That’s when I realized how much I had grown in just a short time.
Making a difficult recommendation
In a steering committee meeting with a client’s upper management and McKinsey leadership, one of the VPs disagreed with something the team had presented. I said, “No sir, I think I can prove that.” Initially I felt like I had made a mistake, but after the meeting, the McKinsey team said, “Kangsei, you showed your confidence even in front of the senior clients, and that is what McKinsey expects.” And at a celebration at the end of the engagement, a client team member told me, “You did the right thing, and we will seriously consider your recommendation.” Because of tough situations like that, I have developed my business understanding and perspective. I now have confidence that I can handle almost everything. And I know I always have McKinsey support.
Outstanding people, amazing opportunities
McKinsey people strive for excellence and care for people. I have made truly good friends here, and I have learned from them. I can understand other people much easier than before I joined. And I have learned how I can actually support other people as well. At McKinsey, I was amazed by how big the opportunities are all over the world—new people, new topics, new questions. Not many people have that kind of opportunity!