Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

Great book for anyone interested in high level problem solving. There isn't too much presented in this book that is revolutionary, but having a clear laundry list of what to do in the face of a novel problem will definitely help to solve problems more efficiently and effectively. Ideas are presented in a clear, concise way with a couple of lists of rules and tactics to keep handy to make using the ideas from this book simple long after reading it.

Essential for those going into consulting but also very helpful for team projects whether at university or in the firm. The first half addresses the soft skills required for team work, which were fairly straight forward, and the second half addresses the practical skills needed and the process of deductive project engagement, which was very helpful.

I think this is a good book, with the focus on team development and problem solving. Nothing, however, is really all that revolutionary in this work.

Reading it provides good basic reinforcement of business principals - but it is reinforcement and not 'breakthrough' thinking.

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.

Why?
Because I bought it and I am very disappointed in this and the other books of this author; the "McKinsey Mind" and "McKinsey Way":-(
I got MUCH MORE and BETTER info from free website of an ex-McKinsey offer [...]. Only 2 pages (of total 247) were a bit useful the rest NOT.
Maybe al together there are 100 pages only about how good McKinsey method is and why, what the ex-McKinsey tell about it (ah it is so good that we know how it works, etc.). But you don't get the info about really "how to do it". The moment that it gets interesting, the author says: this part is explained in the other book (McKinsey Mind). BUT I have also the McKinsey Mind and didn't find any. So if you really want to get the most go to the websites I mentioend (case Interview and powerful problem solving).
Even 1 star is TOOOOOO Much for tehse guys. I wish I could get my money back for these useless books:-(

Large, complex problems often require teamwork in order to reach successful conclusions. Truly effective teamwork is often a difficult goal to achieve. Friga's book lays out a road map for working with others on complex problems.

TEAM FOCUS is an easy to remember acronym which is explained in detail over the course of the book. While not every piece is novel or groundbreaking, Friga's approach is a good one. By coupling each piece of the model with first-hand experience, he shows the reader exactly how to implement each step.

I found the McKinsey Engagement to be a remarkably helpful guide to more efficiently tackling difficult problems.

This book is for someone that has a lot of team projects and is willing to try things differently. Most teams have a midpoint transition in which the course of their project changes. But, by following the frameworks in this book, teams are set up for success right from the start.

I read this book for my consulting class. It is presented in a clear fashion and gives some great examples that are consistent throughout the book. A pretty quick read and worth your time.

I read this book as an intro to teamwork and problem solving in my consulting class. VERY helpful, with great information and tips. It does a great job of highlighting those things that we all kind of know, but never actually implement, as well as making some suggestions that I had never thought of before. It provides a great road map for the process. All-in-all, a great resource that I find myself going back to each time I work with a team (or by myself) to solve a problem.

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!