I joined McKinsey the first time after graduate school. I left three years later after serving more than a dozen clients on a variety of topics. I returned four years after that because of McKinsey Implementation.
I believe deeply in tying what’s traditionally described as ‘culture’ to measurable performance outcomes. At McKinsey, we call this organizational health, and we know it is a differentiator between successful organizations and their counterparts. We also know that transformational change is driven (in a large part) by shifts underlying mindsets and behaviors. I’ve seen numerous situations focused on bettering systems, processes, and/or organizational structure that didn’t consider crucial elements such as whether employees were inspired by the organization’s aspirations. This is what I help our clients think about as they shape their large-scale transformations.
For example, my team and I recently helped a CEO and his team craft performance and health aspirations to rally their organization. Then we designed and are helping deliver a capability-building program to share new ideas and best practices, and show employees that change is possible. This is a daunting task, but it’s exciting because it will deepen people’s connection to the organization. We also spent a significant amount of time with front-line employees to make sure our aspirations and plans for change were realistic and reflective of their experiences. For example, we helped people across roles and geographies understand how they would contribute to their organization’s mission in the new, future state. We designed and helped deliver individual learning journeys to ensure each person had the necessary skills and capabilities to contribute. Ultimately, we achieved and sustained a 30+ percent increase in raw material yield and launched a continuous improvement program with more than 400 discrete opportunities to increase productivity in the pipeline.
McKinsey Implementation has allowed me to serve clients as a thought partner and change catalyst, and it has been the most rewarding experience of my professional career. I get to spend my time thinking about what will make change stick and help our clients become more responsive and agile over time – all while working within a community of brilliant and caring colleagues who share my passion for helping people and organizations navigate challenging circumstances.
About Steve
Steve has an MBA from NYU Stern, with a focus on leadership and change management, and a BA from Tufts University. He and his wife Jodi stay busy raising their three kids near Boulder, Colorado.