Page 164 - The McKinsey Mind

06 (127-158B) chapter 6 1/29/02 4:51 PM Page 139

ManagingYour Team 139

Alan Barasky, now at one of the world’s largest consulting and
accounting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers, took this lesson to
heart:

As I think of important lessons related to teamwork, three
words come to mind: communicate, communicate, and com-
municate. Before, during, and after each major decision,
milestone, project, or whatever. As I have learned, listening
TEAMFLY

adds more value than talking.

What would this world be like if we spoke half as much as we
listened? Who knows, less hot air might reduce global warming.
Less noise pollution would be another benefit. We might also learn
to pick our words carefully and just maybe become more thought-
ful. We will discuss a few specific listening tips in the implementa-
tion ideas later in this chapter.

It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. Misunderstand-
ings are a plague in today’s workplace. The art of communication
is full of inferences, innuendos, and nuances that make it difficult
to convey our messages as we intend. Varying personality types,
cultures, and agendas compound this problem.
To reduce miscommunication among its teams, McKinsey

instituted a program of extensive interpersonal training. Three ele-
ments of the training were role-play interactions in first-year ori-
entation, an advanced Interpersonal Skills Workshop (ISW) in the
second or third year, and extensive use of the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator* for most engagement teams. These programs convey the
importance of flexibility in verbal communication.

*Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a copyrighted personality and communication
assessment tool published by Consulting Psychological Press. Other tools exist as well, such
as the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.

®
Team-Fly