| Topic Name: |
McKinsey in decline? |
| Message Name: |
Re: Pittsburgh |
| Date Posted: |
12/29/2005 |
| In Reply To: |
on herd mentality:
herd mentality can shape reality. both b-schools and MCs rely foremost on the talent and smarts of their recruits to be successful (I personally don't buy it that culture, teaching quality or "knowledge base" are all that decisive...) If herd mentality establishes a ranking that is arbitrary at first, over time it will drive reality and widen actual gaps. On _average_, no way deloitte gets better people that McK, if only because of the herd effects, and subsequent employers take that previous "vetting" as a signal that is very valuable to the employer.
The pic in your imaginary F500 firm looking to hire someone is different - the Deloitte guy may be a genuine overperformer looking for a career upgrade, while for the McK guy a move to industry is not obviously better than his old job, so there is a decent possibility he was a washout. But take for instance a PE shop (a clear "up" move for both guys): my hunch is that the McK guy will get a look and the Deloitte resume goes directly to the trash bin...
on "hiring bar":
Not everyone is quant/math oriented but that doesn't make them morons and they can still contribute. That being said hiring mistakes do happen, even with 4-6 interviews. That there is an up-or-out structure is more or less an acknowledgement of that. So the McK brand on your butt is only that, a brand. Makes customer more likely to buy the product, but does not guarantee the product doesn't suck, and after a while if it's no good nobody will buy it anymore...
on distinctive work etc.:
I've never thought that consultants are hired to reinvent the wheel. Big innovation is inherently very risky, I much prefer companies that are nimble and can move quickly to adopt winning formulas once they are proven. I think consultants bring the most value when they help clients get their basics right and execute, and that involves more common sense, honest assessments of the situation and leverage to influence top management decisions than world-shattering, nobel-winning innovation.
on CEO/company as client and agency effects:
don't work for McK, but at my firm the lead partner in our office has now recommended firing the CEO to the board on three different projects :-) succeeded twice, got thrown out once, not bad...
on geography:
hey whartonkid, Pittsburgh comes with final h - you already made that mistake twice in this thread. Went to school in the same state and can't spell name of the second biggest city??? |
| Message: |
>>>hey whartonkid, Pittsburgh comes with final h - you already made that mistake twice in this thread. Went to school in the same state and can't spell name of the second biggest city???
Give him a break, will ya?
It is the most misspelled city in America. And I seriously doubt anyone in Philadelphia cares about how Pittsburgh is spelled. (Some probably think it is in Ohio or Indiana.)
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