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Introduction xix

ing Chapter 1 before diving into the rest of the book, as the other
chapters refer frequently to the concepts therein. However you
decide to read it, we hope The McKinsey Mind helps you become
a better problem solver and decision maker.

A FEW TERMS

Throughout The McKinsey Mind, we use a number of terms that
are not necessarily self-evident. To avoid confusion, we’d like
briefly to discuss the most significant ones here:

• Client—In the context of McKinsey-style consulting, the
meaning of client is obvious: it’s the organization for which
you are solving a problem. For the purposes of this book,
we have broadened the term to include anyone for whom
you are solving a problem, whether you are an insider or
an outsider. Thus, if you work in a large company, your
company or business unit is your client; if you are an entre-
preneur, you and your customers are your clients.
• McKinsey-ites—We are not aware of any accepted term for
employees of McKinsey. The McKinsey Way uses “McKin-
sey-ite” in preference to other terms (some of them not
necessarily complimentary), and we’re sticking with it.
• Alumni—McKinsey uses this term to describe its former
employees (who now number more than 10,000 souls),
regardless of the circumstances of their departure. It’s
much neater than the alternatives (“former McKinsey-ite”
or “ex-McKinsey-ite”), so we’re using it, too.
• The Firm—McKinsey-ites refer to their employer simply as
“the Firm,” in much the same way as employees of a cer-