Page 163 - The McKinsey Mind

06 (127-158B) chapter 6 1/29/02 4:51 PM Page 138

138 The McKinsey Mind

day,” “so what,” and “client impact,” for example). You’ll also
witness some common mannerisms (brief E-mails, grouping of
issues in threes, responses to requests within 24 hours). In gener-
ating advice for other organizations, we feel it is more important to
discuss general rules rather than McKinsey specifics:

• Remember that you have two ears and only one mouth.
• It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.
• Overcommunication is better than undercommunication.

Remember that you have two ears and only one mouth. Dean
Dorman, who has worked for GE and two high-tech start-ups
since leaving McKinsey, is never at a loss for words. His outgoing
personality has served him well in his career and makes him fun
to be around, but he has also learned the value of listening:

In my latest position, as the president of Silver Oak, my lis-
tening skills are proving to be invaluable. I have served on
the board for about a year, listening to the top-level discus-
sions of business issues at the company. My first task as pres-
ident was to conduct a “look, listen, and learn” tour
involving two- to three-hour interviews with more than 40
key people in the organization to better understand what is
going on. Before testing my hypotheses for a change pro-
gram, it made sense to see exactly where people stood.

Most of us speak more than we listen. In managerial situations,
this can cause problems. Not only do we risk making wrong deci-
sions because we lack important facts, but we also induce resis-
tance to change when the people involved feel their input is being
ignored. Although chief executive officers and others recognize the
importance of listening, how often do we formally cover the topic
in academic curricula or corporate training programs?