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 entrepreneur,

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 “McKinsey-

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-

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.

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 entrepreneur,

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 “McKinsey-

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 certain secretive, publicity-shy U.S. government department

refer to theirs as “the Company.” McKinsey alumni still

use the term when discussing their former employer. Since

we’re McKinsey alumni ourselves, we do so as well.

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 entrepreneur,

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 “McKinsey-

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-

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.

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 entrepreneur,

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 “McKinsey-

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 certain secretive, publicity-shy U.S. government department

refer to theirs as “the Company.” McKinsey alumni still

use the term when discussing their former employer. Since

we’re McKinsey alumni ourselves, we do so as well.