The McKinsey Engagement: A Powerful Toolkit For More Efficient and Effective Team Problem Solving (Hardcover)

~ Ph.D.,Paul N. Friga (Author)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The third volume in the internationally bestselling McKinsey Trilogy, The McKinsey Engagement is an action guide to realizing the consistently high level of business solutions achieved by the experts at the world’s most respected consulting firms.

Former consultant Dr. Paul Friga distills the guiding principles first presented in the bestselling The McKinsey Way and the tested-in-the-trenches methodologies outlined in The McKinsey Mind, and combines them with many of the principles and procedures implemented by the military and other organizations. The result is nothing less than the business equivalent of a Special Forces Field Manual.

True to its stated goal of arming consultants and corporate problem solvers with a blueprint for achieving consistently phenomenal results, The McKinsey Engagement is short on theory and long on action. Each chapter focuses on one element in the celebrated TEAM FOCUS problem-solving model and features a concise discussion of a key concept or principle, followed by:

• Clear rules of engagement
• A set of operating tactics
• Sophisticated problem solving tools
• Easy-to-follow action steps
• Exercises, checklists, and training tips
• War stories and best practices case studies

A toolkit for bringing clarity, discipline, and purpose to all your problem-solving and change management initiatives, The McKinsey Engagement is an indispensable guide for consultants, as well as for executives, managers, students, and corporate trainers.

About the Author

Paul N. Friga, Ph.D., worked with McKinsey & Co. at its Pittsburgh office as an associate consultant. He holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in strategy from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina and has conducted numerous consulting projects throughout his career and continues to work with Fortune 500 companies throughout the world. He has also worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant and continues to research the consulting industry. Dr. Friga is an associate professor at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he teaches courses in management consulting and strategy. He also serves as the director of the consulting concentrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (November 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071497412
• ISBN-13: 978-0071497411
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,636 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Marvin Bower would not condone..., December 17, 2008

By	Gustavo H. Ramos (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The author begins his book by stating that the TEAM FOCUS (a silly acronym, as it is) approach, the foundation for the whole book, is not used at McKinsey. Well, I guess that begs the ethical question: why call the book The McKinsey Engagement?

The content of the book itself is fine, but apparently what McKinsey had to offer was covered in the first two books - this one is about many things but not Mckinsey. Which I find hard to believe, in light of the quality of the firm's work, research and papers over the years.

The book could get 4 stars (well, maybe 3...), but the somewhat facetious title makes it lose one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will change the way you work in teams!, December 17, 2008

By	Claire Berg - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The McKinsey Engagement is a GREAT toolkit for improving how you work in teams. The structure is very organized to walk you through the TEAM FOCUS model. This model has already improved my efficiency and effectiveness in teams and problem solving.

The book lays out the groundworks and then teaches you how to apply them. Dr. Friga also includes insights from consulting professionals in their experiences that you can learn from as well. This book is definitely worth your time checking out!

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Management Consulting Textbook, September 25, 2009

By	Dr. D. "Strategy Professor" (Tuscaloosa, AL) - See all my reviews

I've used this book as a text for my MBA management consulting course and as a supplement for my senior strategy class to guide students through the process of a consulting engagement. It is one of the best texts I have come across for such purposes, and is a "must have" for students trying to work through a consulting project, a real life case analysis, and/or preparing for case competitions / case interviews. As a McKinsey alum myself, I will concur that the method and approach are not exactly what we learned/practiced at the firm, but in my experience, for a professor trying to teach this subject (or a student trying to learn it), the author's approach is perhaps more effective. Further, the success and effectiveness of the TEAM/FOCUS framework for communicating this topic in the classroom is time-tested and well documented at several top universities.