Working With McKinsey

Aligning on the problem statement is the first step in McKinsey's approach to structured problem solving .  It is considered best practi...

Image from keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk When problem solving at McKinsey, it's considered best practice to use hypotheses to guide your th...

As covered previously, issue trees are used to solve complex problems by breaking them down into their component parts.  Your McKinsey bo...

"Issue Trees" are especially useful for solving problems - especially large, complicated ones.  In this post I'll cover what...

Working at McKinsey (or for a McKinsey boss) often requires dealing with large amounts of information.  There is a strong preference for o...

Image from Flickr.com If you've worked in the food service industry - or watched Top Chef - you're probably familiar with the te...

There are typically two primary ways to approach problem-solving - " top-down " and " bottom-up ".  In this post I...

Image from 123RF.com If your McKinsey boss knows that you disagree with something, you will be reminded of your " obligation to dis...

Image from ecomodder.com Your McKinsey boss might give you feedback that your work needs to be " streamlined ".  In this post ...

Image from rohdesign.com Your McKinsey boss might give you feedback that your work reads too much like a " laundry list ".  Th...

Your McKinsey boss might ask you what "levers" you're pursuing or seem most promising on a project or workstream.  In this pos...

Image from People.com Has your McKinsey boss asked you to " get smart " on a topic?  In this post I'll explain what that m...

Your McKinsey boss might give you feedback to focus more of your effort on the "critical few" or "vital few". This is s...

Image from travel.nationalgeographic.com The term " boiling the ocean " is used to describe any task that's impossible bec...

Image from Purell.com You might hear your McKinsey boss or colleague refer to a document as " sanitized ".  Or, you might be a...

McKinsey consultants use PowerPoint pages and presentations (aka "decks") to communicate with clients and each other.  In this pos...

To anyone NOT interviewing with McKinsey: With apologies to folks who are already consultants or looking for tips on how to work with a c...

If you're working with a McKinsey boss to prepare a PowerPoint (PPT) presentation - known in consulting as a "deck" - you migh...

Image from sweetclipart.com McKinsey consultants invest a lot of time and effort into making PowerPoint presentations (decks) and pages....

Image from deviantart.com In a previous post, I provided three ways to keep your McKinsey boss happy .  In this post, I'll explain a...