Michaela joined the firm in 2006 after completing a McKinsey internship. In addition to prior experience as a corporate finance analyst at BNP Paribas and Komercní banka, she holds an M.Sc. in finance from the École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) in Paris. Michaela pursues a range of activities in her free time, such as cycling, skiing, and playing musical instruments, including the flute, oboe, and guitar.

7:00 I try to wake myself up on a treadmill at my fitness club. It is quite painful—and that's why it works. Afterward, my day goes much better. I made this commitment to continue with sports when I joined McKinsey in 2006. I win the fight with my alarm clock 50 to 60 percent of the time now.

8:10 I take a quick shower and order a taxi. I am currently working for a banking client based in Prague, so I go straight to the client, where we have a team meeting scheduled for 10:00. The whole team will be there: Peter, an associate who just came back from his M.B.A. studies; Jirka, the engagement manager; Vlada, an associate partner; and Edwin, the engagement director.

9:00 Finally at the client, I go through my e-mails while eating a quick breakfast and chatting with my teammates about our weekend adventures. This week will be quite busy, as we are preparing a steering committee document for next Monday.

9:30 I prepare for our team meeting. We hold this meeting every Monday, and it is really useful. Each of us updates the other team members about the progress we have made, and then we brainstorm next steps. We also discuss the agenda of our regular Monday meeting with the client team, including the board member responsible for our project.

12:30 I have a quick lunch with the client team, during which we briefly discuss the next steps for the week and plan our team sessions.

13:00 I have a short meeting with Petra, the head of business controlling. I am currently working on a detailed 3-year business plan for the bank and therefore need to get a better understanding of the financial data related to each customer segment. Petra is extremely helpful and very interested in the financial model I have developed. We will meet again on Wednesday so I can guide her through the model in detail.

13:45 I have a teleconference with a McKinsey banking expert in 30 minutes, so I need to prepare my interview guide as quickly as possible. Help!

15:30 The teleconference went well. We now have interesting leads on how to approach our small-business customers. I write up interview notes for the other team members.

16:00 Great! I finally receive the data I need to complete the financial model, so I start working on it right away. Maybe I will be able to present the final numbers at our client meeting at 17:30.

20:00 The meeting went well. However, we still have a lot to do before next Monday's steering committee meeting. We go together to the McKinsey office and discuss the analysis that we still need to complete. Then it's time to eat our takeaway dinner.

22:00 What a busy Monday this has been! On my way home I try to motivate myself for tomorrow morning's fitness ordeal.…