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66 The McKinsey Mind

Figure 3-1. The McKinsey Mind E-Mail Questionnaire

Thank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Please return
your answers via E-mail to Paul Friga.

What is your name, company (if any), and position or function?

What is the most important lesson that you learned at McKinsey? How does it
affect the way you work in your current position?

In the following items, we have laid out a set of categories that summarizes the
tools many of us learned at the Firm. For each, please think about what you
learned at the Firm with regard to each category and give an example of how
you’ve applied it in your post-McKinsey experience.

Framing the Problem: The skills and techniques that allow McKinsey-ites to
break apart problems, e.g., initial hypotheses, brainstorming, and analytical
frameworks from previous engagements.

Gathering the Data: The techniques used to gather and manage data to test
hypotheses, e.g., interviewing, PD searches.

Analyzing the Data: The methods McKinsey uses to extract useful conclusions
from the data. This category includes such favorites as “80/20” and “Don’t boil
the ocean.”

Presenting Your Ideas: Techniques and tips for getting the message across,
whether in a formal presentation with blue books or an informal meeting with
client team members, e.g., “One message per chart,” “the elevator test,” and
the ever-important prewiring.