In the book The McKinsey way, author delves into what exactly McKinsey and Company is; the culture, practices, and functioning of one of the most prestigious Management consulting firms in the world. This book is a guide for aspiring consultants, and people in the field for various approaches of the firm in problem-solving, teamwork, etc.
The book is great and can be really useful for the few purposes as we will talk about.
The biggest upside of reading this book is the systematic breakdown of the concepts that the company uses. Be it defining the problem, identifying the root cause, structuring, or proposing the problem to the client, the book has it all explained in a nicely mirrored manner.
The book also proposes Execution as an important factor for success. The author suggests that even the best ideas are a waste if they are not executed in the right manner or not properly communicated. We need to provide for the client’s capabilities and how they navigate organizational politics.
The book then goes deeper into how team dynamics, organizational hierarchy structure, and project management play a vital role in the company’s success. The clarity in the roles everybody has illustrates the accountability and responsibility within a project team. Various team-building practices, bonding activities, and surveys clearly explain why McKinsey has been able to perform so well in high-pressure environments.
The author gives out various career tips throughout the book. The importance of a Mentor, application of the 80/20 rule, etc. The book suggests various pieces of advice for anybody who wants to survive in a demanding environment for high returns.
However, there are some things that the book lacks too, that may not be the best for a beginner to completely soak in the knowledge the book offers.
The abundance of knowledge disbalances the desire. Ideas, however plenty, are haphazardly scattered. Some seem in-depth while others lack it. The content can be misplaced at times making it difficult for the reader to connect the dots. This makes the book less readable and may overwhelm the reader.
Some ideas are repeated more often than required, e.g. hypothesis-driven problem solving. While repeating the ideas may hammer them into our brains but can be expensive given the cost of conciseness.
Last but not least, the book focuses too much on how McKinsey’s culture and practices would work which limits the reader to thinking outside any particular framework of problem-solving, hampering its wide applicability.
Let us see what can we take away from the book so far. How structuring of the organization and problem solving is helpful, Adaptability being the key, paramount importance of communication, leveraging of current and existing knowledge, and the importance of people, teams and human resource in the work.
The McKinsey Way is a great book and a practical guide for aspiring consultants and people working in the strategy or management consulting field. It offers immense ideas, insights, and knowledge into the problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership realm. However, the book can be less attractive due to its lack of readability and repetition. However, if one can sit through the entire reading, they might get an ocean of ideas and can benefit from the lessons provided for working in a high-stakes and risky environment.