Moments of great satisfaction
When you are hard at work, it can be difficult to gauge how much you have accomplished. However, there are moments when you can sit back and review your achievements, and they bring great satisfaction. For instance, we did a project in which we explored alternative ways of working with the employees of a customer-service office in a large bank. We helped to reconceive how the space was organized and recommended a package of customer-service best practices. Over 3 months, we managed to build close, trust-based relationships with the client and when the project was finished, they thanked us with real feeling. One client even presented us with a cake on the last day of work, inscribed in frosting with the words “Thank you!” I still have a photo of that cake, hanging in my study.
“We managed to build close, trust-based relationships with the client in 3 months. They even presented us with a cake on the last day of work, inscribed with the words ‘Thank you!’.”
Build your own McKinsey
At McKinsey, there’s something known as the professional growth curve. It ascends steeply in the beginning because the volume of knowledge you acquire during the first few years is enormous. I was truly overwhelmed. Before joining McKinsey, I had managed various projects and had been thinking of getting an MBA. That is why I viewed McKinsey as a type of business school, in that it enables you to look into different aspects of industries and management functions. The firm lets you pursue what is interesting to you or, as we say, “build your own McKinsey.” To tell the truth, I didn’t understand how the financial system functioned before joining McKinsey. Today, however, I could be considered something of an expert on financial institutions.
Helping one another grow
At McKinsey, an associate principal’s performance is evaluated in terms of both the client’s satisfaction and the attitude of the team. This attitude is measured by the Team Barometer, a form that team members complete each week. If a barometer indicator is too low, it could mean that some team members do not see adequate opportunities for learning on a project or may be undercommunicating with the client. These are warning signs that can be defused via feedback. The associate principals and the engagement manager hold regular discussions with each team member, evaluating their work and advising them on where to improve. This feedback helps team members to learn their own strengths and to identify opportunities for development. There’s mutual evaluation at McKinsey: peers help peers grow professionally.
Lack of hierarchy contributes to personal development
When I first joined McKinsey, many things seemed strange to me, such as the consultants’ habit of delivering information mostly through PowerPoint presentations. I also lacked some knowledge and skills in those early days, but gaps like this are quickly filled. Newcomers are developed from the first day on two fronts: constant on-the-job improvement and periodic training. What’s more, you can ask anyone for help. In this regard McKinsey is not like a regular company—it has almost no hierarchy. This kind of environment contributes richly to your personal development.