Page 176 - The McKinsey Mind

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ManagingYour Team 151

tions yield low results. Development equals change, something
many are uncomfortable with. By setting high goals (with implic-
itly high rewards for their achievement), managers help over-
come the inertia that results from the fear of change. Setting a
“stretch” target that appears—at least, at first—unreachable forces
the employees and the organization to deploy all their creativity
and energy toward reaching the goal. Exploring new ideas and
options (“thinking outside the box” in MBA parlance) can be a
liberating experience for the individual and a profitable one for the
organization.
Evaluate regularly, and make it balanced. Feedback is a dou-
ble-edged sword. On one hand, we have a strong interest in finding
out what people think of us, as a means both to improve ourselves
and to feed our egos. On the other hand, feedback can make us
uncomfortable when it forces us to confront our weaknesses. Han-
dled properly, feedback is one of the most important development
tools around, and McKinsey offers some good lessons on doing it
well.
The Firm has instituted a number of formal developmental
tools that may transfer well to your organization. First, each con-
sultant is assigned a formal mentor, the Development Group
Leader (DGL). This person is usually at the partner level and is
responsible for monitoring a consultant’s progress as she moves
through the ranks of the Firm. The DGL has access to all of a con-
sultant’s performance reviews and discusses them in detail with
other members of the engagement team.
The Firm also uses a formal evaluation form that is completed
by the EM or partner for each consultant after each project. It
includes a grid of key skill areas (analytical, interpersonal, leader-
ship, etc.) with specific expectations as to where a consultant at
each level should be in each area. Certain McKinsey offices have
implemented 360-degree feedback programs. In these programs,