McKinsey West Coast

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Coming out of business school, I wanted to be immersed in an environment where I could learn from the best in the business. In addition, I’ve always been passionate about technology and innovation so I wanted to work in Silicon Valley. Joining McKinsey’s West Coast office is the best of both worlds—allowing me to help leading technology companies shape their future, and work with inspiring clients and McKinsey consultants who are experts at what they do. Finally, the emphasis that McKinsey places on mentorship and people development really drew me to the firm.

A non-hierarchical approach to problem solving for clients

I knew that there was a high standard at McKinsey for problem solving and getting to the right answer for our clients. What surprised me was the non-hierarchical nature with which teams approach this. It stems from one of our core values—the obligation to dissent. This means that as an associate with less than a year tenure, I’m empowered to challenge and debate a 30+ year veteran in the industry.

Discovering the power of the McKinsey network

Secondly, the power of the McKinsey network surprised me. I spent five months helping a non-profit consortium think through how to increase the adoption of technology in K-12 in US schools. Within the first three weeks, we had interviewed over 100 of the key thought leaders in the space—from school principals and teachers, to policy makers, and tech entrepreneurs. Many of these leaders were McKinsey alumni and almost immediately made time to provide us their perspective.

Shaping teamwork and leadership style with strength-based feedback

My McKinsey experience has shaped how I work in a team, and how I think about my leadership style. McKinsey places a huge emphasis on strength-based feedback, and understanding interpersonal dynamics in team situations. Working at McKinsey has made me more aware of different personality traits and how to create team environments where everyone can thrive. Working with consultants with such diverse backgrounds has shown me the value of approaching a problem with different perspectives. One of my teams included a PhD in material sciences, a former resident in internal medicine, a Teach for America alum, and a veteran of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory—yes, a rocket scientist! That diversity allowed us to test our recommendations from many different angles.