He resigned from the university and opened offices in chicago and new york. The firm also fed at the government through as the cold war began, creating the contractor state. It tells the story of marvin bower and how he brought the company to its success with his ideals. Oct 07, 2015 the firm is an not just an exhaustive coverage of mckinsey s history from birth till date but also covers the evolution of the consulting industry. Measuring and managing the value of companies is a handbook that can help managers, investors, and students understand how to foster corporate health and create value for the futuregoals that have never been more timely.
Although it was technically founded in 1926 by a university of chicago accounting professor named james o. In 2017, he published the golden passport which heavily criticized the harvard business school. Business standard a fascinating account of the rise of mckinsey. The mckinsey way of thinking about business problems. It was an interesting time and the leaders of the strategy practice at the client were. The ascent of jamie dimon and jpmorgan chase, 2010 probes the leading business consulting company in the country, considering mckinseys role in the functioning of americas corporations and their leadership. Mckinsey, the mythi cal leader of the firm is a successor, marvin bower, a man whose abiding goal was to invent a new profession committed to preparing clients. While the first book used case studies and anecdotes from former and current mckinseyites to describe how the firm solves the thorniest. While mcdonald may be giving a nod to john grisham, his title is taken directly from mckinsey s shorthand. The books most revealing passage is that mckinsey banished gupta from the partnership prior to his trial, not for his alleged crime but for violating the firms ethics. How to write a book about one of the worlds most secretive companies an interview with the author of the firm, a new book about the global managementconsulting giant jack flack.
I had a rare experience within the firm at least i hope it is rare. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence goodreads. Mckinsey framed its path to downsizing, which the firm called overhead value analysis, as an answer to the midcentury corporations excessive reliance on middle management. In this part of the book, the author shares how mckinsey and management consulting in general solutions are fact based, rigidly structured, and hypothesis driven. How mckinsey destroyed the middle class the atlantic. The book doesnt go very deep into specific frameworks or methods and instead focuses on how to survive at the firm and some of the cultural considerations of working and succeeding in. As mcdonald shows, the firms greatest success may well be itself. Oct 22, 2018 to talk about mckinsey and its history, i spoke by phone with duff mcdonald, the author of the firm. Nov 01, 1993 how mckinsey does it the worlds most powerful consulting firm commands unrivaled respect and prices but is being buffeted by a host of new challenges. The consulting giant, which likes to compare itself to the marines and the catholic church, has a habit of disregarding rules and norms in its government work. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business, shares its name with a famous novel about another seemingly bulletproof, imposing corporate entity. While mcdonald may be giving a nod to john grisham, his title is taken directly from mckinseys shorthand for itself, and the author, a longtime. So pervasive is the firms influence today that it is hard to imagine the place of business in the world without mckinsey, wrote duff mcdonald, author of the firm, a 20 book about.
The book depicts the secrets of mckinsey as a company while encouraging the reader to copy the best practices of a wellknown global consulting firm. In the 1970s, both firms rattled mckinseys cage loudly. How mckinsey does it the worlds most powerful consulting. Gives an insight into the firm, its workings which made it so good in the first place and how it held the mantle for so long. Company has become one of the worlds leading management cons. Mckinsey has published the mckinsey quarterly since 1964, funds the mckinsey global institute research organization, publishes reports on management topics, and has authored influential books on management.
What makes mckinsey different from other consulting companies. Otherwise, this is a detailed, well structured analysis of the gold standard in consulting firms. This book will allow people to take mckinsey s secrets and apply them in their own business life. A mckinsey spokeswoman said the firm isnt commenting on mcdonalds book. The best business books of 2017, from mckinsey and the. Dec 14, 2019 mckinseys selfregard has long been uncommonly high. The consulting firm built business experience for buttigieg but has fallen down his resume amid public controversy. Nov 28, 2018 the book presents the journey of the firm from an accounting setup by james mckinsey and marvin bower to the dominant position it enjoys today. Measuring and managing the value of companies, 7th. It was well written with a good story that took you through the different periods with some detail. Although each consulting firm hasor at least claims to haveits own methods, the root of all management consulting is the application of objec. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business, shares its name with a famous novel about another seemingly bulletproof, imposing corporate.
Duff mcdonalds new book about the people who built mckinsey, the consulting firm that has quietly influenced american business for decades, explains the. Mckinseys selfregard has long been uncommonly high. If more business books were as useful, concise, and just plain fun to read as the mckinsey way, the business world would be a better place. The mckinsey way will open the door on this secretive company and let business people around the world learn the lessons that mckinsey teaches its own consultants to make them more effective and efficient. Tim koller is a partner in mckinseys new york office,where he leads a global team of corporatefinance expert consultants.
Mckinsey has been compared to the jesuits, the us marines, the roman army and, in this book, to a corporate mandarin elite. A history of the mckinsey consulting business and an evaluation of whether it is a net increaser of value or merely the most capable mercenary force in the corporate world. There have been other books about this american icon, but the firm is an. Duff mcdonalds book on mckinsey, one of the worlds biggest consulting firms, should be made mandatory reading for every management education aspirant. In this book, the author examines how the firm has become a crucial part of the decision making processes at the highest levels, and in the. The book presents the journey of the firm from an accounting setup by james mckinsey and marvin bower to the dominant position it enjoys today.
The firm book by duff mcdonald official publisher page simon. It ranks among the unquestioned laws of american big business over the last half century. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business, shares its name with a famous novel. Mckinsey was, for more than two decades after the end of the war, the connective tissue of american capitalism. Dont bother with this book if you are not interested in mckinsey or consulting. Julie bick, bestselling author of all i really need to know in business i learned at microsoft. In the firms 2010 internal history, a copy of which propublica obtained, partners compare the firm to the marine corps, the roman. Mckinseys saudi arabia twitter report is its business model. It also tells of the firm s insider trading scandal with its ceo rajat gupta. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business, misspelled the surname of the former apple chief executive who took over from steve jobs in the 1980s to remake the company, a transition. The firm is an not just an exhaustive coverage of mckinseys history from birth till date but also covers the evolution of the consulting industry. Sep 10, 20 in a timely book, fortune and new york observer contributor mcdonald last man standing.
The author provides a history from the beginning of the firm through today. One of the oldest consulting firms in the us, mckinsey has a significant list of successes and debacles to its credit. I did a strategy project for another consulting company, which shall remain nameless. Duff mcdonalds book on mckinsey, one of the worlds biggest consulting firms, should be made mandatory reading for every management education aspirant around the globe. Traditionally, the firm has always been careful not to take credit. The firm book by duff mcdonald official publisher page. The firm comes up in a lot of law cases and and business school discussions i figured i needed to know more about the company. Penetrate the mckinsey mystique and learn the secrets of the worlds most sought after consulting firm. In addition, this book will give any executive who works with management consultants, whether from mckinsey or elsewhere, some insight into how these strange beings think. List of top 10 best books on consulting for beginners. As we move forward, we are excited by the dual challenge of preserving our core and innovating to meet the needs of our clients.
The firm by duff mcdonald is about mckinsey and company, the management consulting firm. Jun 26, 2018 so pervasive is the firms influence today that it is hard to imagine the place of business in the world without mckinsey, wrote duff mcdonald, author of the firm, a 20 book about. We hope this book helps explain what is new at mckinsey and our commitment to meet these new challenges headon. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business. How mckinsey lost its way in south africa the new york times.
How mckinsey makes its own rules the new york times. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business mcdonald, duff on. Now, hot on the heels of his acclaimed international best seller the mckinsey way, ethan rasiel brings listeners a powerful new guide to putting mckinsey concepts and skills into action. Bcg and bain were the apple to mckinseys microsoft, mr. Sep 10, 20 the firm is a book that fits one mckinsey colleagues description of former managing director ron daniel so smooth he could skate on your face and not leave a mark. This book will allow people to take mckinseys secrets and apply them in their own business life. The firm, by duff mcdonald, chronicles the rise of the worlds most influential management consulting firm, but also cites its many failures. The firm is a book that fits one mckinsey colleagues description of former managing director ron daniel so smooth he could skate on your face and not leave a mark. Canadian national magazine awards for conrads fall. Book takes a two pronged approach by discussing the firm under.
How mckinsey does it the worlds most powerful consulting firm commands unrivaled respect and prices but is being buffeted by a host of new challenges. Duff mcdonalds new book about the people who built mckinsey, the consulting firm that has quietly influenced american business for decades, explains the firms tremendous accomplishmentsand its equally stunning failures. Are there better books than the mckinsey way about how top. Had a good narrative but also a discussion of the philosophy during the period. In the initial years, the firm legitimized the multi. The firms young, harvard educated minions were everywhere the action was. New at mckinsey a small book about making a big difference. It also tells of the firms insider trading scandal with its ceo rajat gupta. It illustrates the techniques of making the research activities more useful while delivering the muchneeded end results within the stipulated time period. The story of mckinsey and its secret influence on american business by duff mcdonald. Mckinsey officially left the firm in 1935 to become the chairman and. Book takes a two pronged approach by discussing the firm under various heads and different times of economy. It takes you through the high profile management consulting world where a 50yr old ceo of a fort. The firm free summary by duff mcdonald getabstract.