Hi everyone –
I’m writing this a week after “BA day”! Eighty-seven business analysts from our Greater China offices gathered in Chengdu for professional development, team building, and socializing.
My favorite activity was a scavenger hunt at the Chengdu Panda Base. We divided the BAs into teams of six or seven, and each team had to perform pre-determined tasks at different locations throughout the park. I helped lead a checkpoint, and teams that came to us had to participate in an activity called “Kick Butt/Butt Kicked.” Essentially, everyone in the team had to share one story about how they kicked butt (performed well) and another story about how they got their butt kicked (faced a challenge) while working at McKinsey.
As someone who joined the firm only three months ago, I found it incredibly eye opening to hear personal stories from my more experienced peers. One thing that stood out to me was that many colleagues shared stories about getting their butts kicked, but then also turning the situation around so that they were kicking butt by the end. A lot of times, the turning point involved reflection, asking for help, and implementing a new approach.
We managed to squeeze in a visit to Chengu’s Jinli Ancient Street on Saturday morning before our flights home (see photo above). This experience left me feeling grateful for McKinsey’s culture. It can be overwhelming sometimes to think about all the knowledge I have yet to gain and the skills I still need to develop, but I take comfort in the fact that McKinsey is a place where we can go out of our comfort zones, feel challenged, and be supported to succeed.
Until next time,
Felicia