The McKinsey Mind: Understanding and Implementing the Problem-Solving Tools and Management Techniques of the World's Top Strategic Consulting Firm Hardcover – September 26, 2001

Move over Sherlock Holmes, because The McKinsey Mind is here to solve all your business mysteries! Ethan Rasiel takes us on a journey into the secretive world of McKinsey & Company, the consulting firm that's the talk of the town.From case studies to real-world examples, this book is like a treasure trove of McKinsey techniques and strategies – it's like having a secret weapon for business success! Step-by-step, they guide you through using McKinsey tools to tackle any business problem, making your ventures more successful than ever.So whether you're a seasoned pro or a business newbie, The McKinsey Mind is like having a secret code to unlock the secrets of the business world. Get ready to take your organization to the next level – McKinsey style!

This is a good business book. If you are completely new to consulting, or making data-driven decisions much like a consultant, this is a good book to get a general idea of how to structure thoughts and communicate clearly. The book is broken down into three sections: analyzing problems, managing (client, team, self), and presenting.Section one, on analyzing problems, does not lead you through a business case or prepare you to interview with a firm, which is seemingly what many expected, based on customer reviews. It does provide, at a high level, concepts to explore further: being hypothesis-driven, working with issue trees, synthesizing.Section two, presenting, is the section I got the most out of. This section provides a clear way to get your message across. I had heard most of it before ("Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.") but the ideas for creating single charts in PowerPoint presentations and avoiding reading from outlines on the screen made me reminisce of countless crappy presentations in class.The book ends with tips on managing the client, team, and self. The client information had some insights (they are future business). So much has been written on managing teams and self but Rasiel and Friga do explain its relevance in the book and keep it brief.Again, good business book. A fifth star would have been given for providing follow up reading or tips on developing the skills and techniques that are only touched on.

Is this a 5 star book or a 2.5 star book?Well, it depends which of these 2 questions are you trying to answer:1) Are you trying to find out the consulting methodology that the Firm uses in order to solve problems and have their clients come back for more?2) Are you trying to find out what analytically consulting tools does the Firm uses?If you have selected number 1, then you will love (5 star) this book, because it is a window into the McKinsey world and it primarily focuses on the consulting methodology used by the Firm, but at a high level. (It also touches upon a few problem solving tools like the Issue Tree, Quick and Dirty Test, Hypothesis and Decision/Logic tree, but at a superficial level.)If you have selected number 2, then you will be disappointed, since the authors show only a few tools and, even then, they only go into it at a high level; therefore, you might be inclined to rate this book poorly.

After reading McKinsey way, I immediately went out and bought this book. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good stuff in here, but I was just not impressed. I think I will reread it, and see if I can draw more from it, but the chapters were not interesting in the first read through. No strategy book is a complete waste, and I got a lot out of it, it was just not what I expected.Todd HagopianPresident/CEOHagopian InstituteAuthor of the popular "Quote Junkie" book sereies and the brand new "Idiom Junkie" series

Awesome book!Must have for anyone planning on working in either internal/external consulting or strategy in any company. I will probably not go into strategy consulting, but this book has helped me sharpen my consultative skills.

This book does not tell you how to become a consultant or how to crack a case. It does provide a high level frame and approach to organizing your thinking and actions to help deliver coherent, relevant (and hopefully) impactful recommendations. These materials are equally applicable if you area high powered management consultant or a business leader tasked with solving problems and improving business operations.

Truly an excellent book to read about McKinsey that helps you appreciate the first and many of their best practices. Any management consultant would benefit from this read.

The book is methodical in its approach, surely in the league of other McKinsey books - the McKinsey Way, McKinsey Engagement.I am thoroughly enjoying it.The good thing is these are essential field manuals, so you can read and use them over and over in your practice to become a real professional and as valued as a McKinsey consultant.