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Gathering the Data 71

ning and business development at Toys “R” Us, has incorporated
this thinking in her approach:

I think the most important thing I learned at McKinsey
related to interviewing is to start with less-sensitive issues. I
have used this general technique frequently in developing
relationships in my department and across the organization.
It is probably part of my DNA at this point.

Bear in mind individual agendas as well. Everyone you
encounter day to day—employees, customers, competitors—has an
agenda. After all, an agenda is just a set of objectives that each per-
son has and may hope to accomplish or expedite through you.
There will be times when agendas conflict, and your job as the
interviewer is to anticipate and plan for such situations. For
instance, you may be able to help an interviewee accomplish his
objective (provided it doesn’t interfere with your goals). At the
least, express empathy for the interviewee’s situation, and avoid
issues that may cause unnecessary friction.

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE
Let’s start our implementation ideas with a brief story about
McKinsey consultants’ training in people skills. The Firm sends
every consultant who makes it through the first year to an Inter-
personal Skills Workshop (ISW), usually in a beautiful rural setting
in Germany or England. The leaders of this weeklong, intensive,
and enlightening workshop carefully analyze each participant’s
ability to get along with others.
It was at one of these sessions, in Germany’s majestic Black
Forest, that one of the authors* had an eye-opening experience.

*Not Ethan; the other one.