The McKinsey Quarterly

2011

• May 2011 

  How the best labs manage talent

  The highest-performing labs use the best talent-management practices. That’s no coincidence.

• April 2011 

  How women can contribute more to the US economy

  The ability to retain and promote more women middle managers is a key point of leverage.

• March 2011 

  Clay Shirky on managing net generation workers

  The professor, author, and social-media expert talks about the unique challenges of managing millennial employees.

  Includes:

• March 2011 

  Question for your HR chief: Are we using our ‘people data’ to create value?

  By analyzing the links between people practices and productivity, some companies are improving their bottom line.

• February 2011 

  Dan Ariely on irrationality in the workplace

  The behavioral economist explains why executives need to recognize—and embrace—the irrational forces that affect themselves and their employees.

  Includes:

• February 2011 

  Three steps to building a better top team

  When a top team fails to function, it can paralyze a whole company. Here’s what CEOs need to watch out for.

• January 2011 

  Recovering from information overload

  Always-on, multitasking work environments are killing productivity, dampening creativity, and making us unhappy.

2010

• October 2010 

  Getting more from your training programs

  To improve results from training programs, executives must focus on what happens in the workplace before and after employees go to class.

  Includes:

• October 2010 

  How centered leaders achieve extraordinary results

  Executives can thrive at work and in life by adopting a leadership model that revolves around finding their strengths and connecting with others.

  Includes:

• October 2010 

  Moving women to the top: McKinsey Global Survey results

  A majority of executives believe gender diversity in leadership is linked to better financial performance, but companies take few actions to support women in the workforce.

• October 2010 

  Revealing your moment of truth

  Management thinker Stan Slap argues that the best leaders inspire their teams by bringing their values to work.

• October 2010 

  The value of centered leadership: McKinsey Global Survey results

  The five key capabilities that make up centered leadership—used together—are important predictors of executives’ satisfaction with their leadership performance and their life overall.

• August 2010 

  Retaining key employees in times of change

  Many companies throw financial incentives at senior executives and star performers during times of change. There is a better and less costly solution.

• August 2010 

  Why good bosses tune in to their people

  Know how to project power, counsels Stanford management professor Bob Sutton, since those you lead need to believe you have it for it to be effective. And to lock in your team’s loyalty, boldly defend their backs.

• July 2010 

  Putting a value on training

  Training programs generate greater value for organizations when the curricula reflect key business performance metrics. Testing real-world outcomes is crucial.

  Includes:

• May 2010 

  Five forces reshaping the global economy: McKinsey Global Survey results

  The core drivers of globalization are alive and well, but executives are still grappling with how to seize the opportunities of an interlinked world economy.

• May 2010 

  How to choose the right nonexecutive board leader

  It’s time to use a structured process for selecting the nonexecutive leader of the board. Defining the role is a good start.

• February 2010 

  How companies manage the front line today: McKinsey Survey results

  Most companies don’t offer sufficient training for frontline managers or structure their roles to create the most value. Aggravating the problem, senior leaders are often unaware of the issues that hinder frontline performance. Companies with effective frontline managers take a different approach.

  Includes:

• February 2010 

  Planning for your next CEO

  It’s high time for boards to get succession planning right.

2009

• November 2009 

  Motivating people: Getting beyond money

  The economic slump offers business leaders a chance to more effectively reward talented employees by emphasizing nonfinancial motivators rather than bonuses.

• November 2009 

  Winning the talent war in China

  A search-firm expert offers advice on tailoring successful talent strategies to a changing China.

  Includes:

• October 2009 

  A better way to cut costs

  Cutting all parts of a company equally may seem fair, but it doesn’t make sense. Targeted cuts and efforts to build capabilities do.

• October 2009 

  Centered leadership through the crisis: McKinsey Survey results

  Practicing each dimension of the centered-leadership model is linked to higher levels of personal and professional satisfaction.

• October 2009 

  Leadership through the crisis and after: McKinsey Global Survey results

  Executives have markedly changed their leadership styles in the past year—but not their views on which ones will help companies most in the long term. Many of the most needed leadership styles, now and in the future, are those used more frequently by women than by men.

• September 2009 

  A CEO’s guide to reenergizing the senior team

  In today’s tough and fast-changing environment, CEOs must help their top leaders to work through fear and denial and to learn new rules.

• August 2009 

  Cultural challenges and the woman CEO: An interview with Nigeria’s Cecilia Ibru

  The CEO of Oceanic Bank discusses the challenge of navigating gender norms as a woman leader.

  Includes:

• August 2009 

  Leaders in the crisis: McKinsey Global Survey Results

  Most executives are coping relatively well with the demands and effects of the economic crisis, but people problems loom on the horizon.

• August 2009 

  Unlocking the potential of frontline managers

  Instead of administrative work and meetings, they should focus on coaching their employees and on constantly improving quality.

• July 2009 

  Leadership lessons for hard times

  A series of interviews with 14 CEOs and chairmen of major companies sheds light on the foundations of corporate leadership.

• May 2009 

  China’s ‘sticky floor’

  Economic success in China will hinge on fixing the gender inequality among its workers.

  Includes:

• May 2009 

  Good boss, bad times

  Management expert Robert Sutton shares lessons on handling layoffs and teams in crisis.

  Includes:

• May 2009 

  Identifying employee skill gaps

  Employees’ own assessments of their learning needs can lead to more effective training programs.

• March 2009 

  When job seekers invade Facebook

  The increasing popularity of online social networking is changing not only the way people manage their careers but social networking itself.

• March 2009 

  Women and leadership: Learning from the social sector

  Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund, shares lessons in leadership from her work in venture philanthropy.

  Includes:

• February 2009 

  How executives put centered leadership into action: McKinsey Global Survey Results

  Executives who frequently think about and act on all the elements of the centered leadership model are also more likely than others to be satisfied with their jobs.

2008

• December 2008 

  Upgrading talent

  A downturn can give smart companies a chance to upgrade their talent.

• November 2008 

  Lessons from innovation’s front lines: An interview with IDEO’s CEO

  Tim Brown, whose company specializes in innovation, distills the lessons of his career.

• September 2008 

  A business case for women

  The gender gap isn’t just an image problem: our research suggests that it can have real implications for company performance. Some companies have taken effective steps to achieve greater parity.

• September 2008 

  Centered leadership: How talented women thrive

  A new approach to leadership can help women become more self-confident and effective business leaders.

• September 2008 

  Linking employee benefits to talent management

  Most companies treat benefits as a cost of doing business. They should see them instead as a competitive weapon.

• September 2008 

  Seeing beyond the woman: An interview with a pioneering academic and board member

  Sandra Dawson addresses the changing role of women in business over the last 40 years.

• September 2008 

  The challenge of hiring and retaining women: An interview with the head of HR at eBay

  Beth Axelrod discusses how companies can do better at hiring, retaining, and promoting women.

• August 2008  

  Identifying the savings opportunities at investment banks

  US investment banks are cutting costs by shrinking employment, but they can trim other types of spending without causing serious damage to their culture or morale.

• August 2008  

  Making a remarkable career: Women discuss how they approach work and life

  In a series of vignettes, professional women highlight traits that have made them successful.

  Includes:

• July 2008 

  A talent shortage for European banks

  A shortage of strong internal candidates for critical positions will force European banks to overhaul their talent-management efforts in order to stay competitive and ensure strong growth.

• July 2008 

  How to address China’s growing talent shortage

  The imbalance between business opportunities in China and qualified executives to manage them will get worse—a lot worse—before it gets better.

  Includes:

• May 2008 

  Why multinationals struggle to manage talent

  A survey shows a strong correlation between financial performance and best practices for managing talent globally.

  Includes:

• January 2008 

  Making talent a strategic priority

  The War for Talent never ended. Executives must constantly rethink the way their companies plan to attract, motivate, and retain employees.

  Includes:

• January 2008 

  Succeeding at open-source innovation: An interview with Mozilla’s Mitchell Baker

  The company’s chairman and former CEO explains the power of the participatory, open-source model of collaboration.

2007

• December 2007 

  Building a competitive finance function: An executive roundtable

  By focusing on talent development, new roles for finance, and creative benchmarks, CFOs can deliver a competitive advantage to their companies.

• December 2007 

  McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives: Economic and hiring outlook, Fourth Quarter 2007

  Executives in Western economies see inflation rising and economies declining over the next six months, but many say that their companies plan to hire. Their counterparts elsewhere are more optimistic.

• December 2007 

  The organizational challenges of global trends: A McKinsey Global Survey

  Executives know that their companies must come up with the right organizational response to maintain a competitive edge.

• November 2007 

  McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives: Economic and hiring outlook, Third Quarter 2007

  Hiring plans remain strong, despite a dip in confidence as credit market troubles shook the global economy. Mainly because of competition, executives don’t expect to get increased pricing power.

• November 2007 

  What shapes careers: A McKinsey Global Survey

  Male and female executives—parents and nonparents alike—define the event that has had the most significant effect on their careers and report that factors at work are far more important than factors at home. Women are more likely than men to say they have had role models and mentors.

• October 2007 

  How companies approach innovation: A McKinsey Global Survey

  Executives say innovation is very important, but their companies’ approach to it is often informal, and leaders lack confidence in their innovation decisions. Top managers and other professionals agree that the biggest challenge is talent but disagree on why. Nonetheless, executives agree on some steps to improve innovation.

• July 2007 

  McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives: Economic and hiring outlook, July 2007

  More than twice as many companies plan to increase their workforces as to shrink them, with most new jobs in the same country as headquarters. Executives are optimistic about prospects for the economies of their home countries, despite fear of rising inflation.

• May 2007 

  Better strategy through organizational design

  Redesigning an organization to take advantage of today’s sources of wealth creation isn’t easy, but there can be no better use of a CEO’s time.

• May 2007 

  Building the civilized workplace

  Nasty people don't just make others feel miserable; they create economic problems for their companies.

  Includes:

• April 2007 

  McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives: Confidence Index, April 2007

  Executives around the world retain a positive economic outlook, despite less improvement in economic conditions than expected six months ago. Many plan to continue hiring, and the most senior executives are the likeliest to foresee larger workforces.

• April 2007 

  The role of networks in organizational change

  Companies shouldn’t focus so much on formal structures that they ignore the informal ones.

• March 2007 

  Building global champions in Latin America

  The region’s companies will fulfill their potential abroad only if they pursue clear global aspirations and find systematic ways to develop their talent and integrate cultures and organizations.

• January 2007 

  The McKinsey Global Survey of Business Executives: Confidence Index, January 2007

  With confidence unshaken, executives are keen to hire, particularly in Asia.

2006

• November 2006 

  When should CFOs take the helm?

  CFOs can bring much-needed skills to the CEO role, but the career path isn’t always a direct one.

  Includes:

• October 2006 

  Understanding supply chain risk: A McKinsey Global Survey

  Executives believe they face growing risk from disruptions to their supply chains—yet many are unprepared to manage those risks.

• August 2006 

  How global organizations develop local talent

  Successful companies take a multipronged approach to nurture not only prospective leaders but also the community as a whole.

• August 2006 

  Mapping the value of employee collaboration

  As collaboration within and among organizations becomes increasingly important, companies must improve their management of the networks where it typically occurs.

• August 2006 

  Who should—and shouldn't—run the family business

  Family-owned companies run by eldest sons account for a good deal of the managerial-quality gap between the countries in a study.

• June 2006 

  An executive perspective on employee benefits: A McKinsey Survey

  Executives say employee benefits help companies compete but have an incomplete understanding of benefits and how they perform.

• May 2006 

  Making a market in talent

  A 21st-century company should put as much effort into developing its talented employees as it puts into recruiting them.

• May 2006 

  The people problem in talent management

  Talent-management processes can't work if managers don't think it's important to develop their people.

2005

• November 2005 

  China's looming talent shortage

  To make the move from manufacturing to services, China must raise the quality of its university graduates.

  Includes:

• November 2005 

  The future of the global workplace: An interview with the CEO of Manpower

  Jeff Joerres explains how a rapid pace of change requires both companies and employees to take a new approach to work.

• September 2005 

  Ensuring India's offshoring future

  The country must not only produce more top-quality engineers but also show the world the depth and quality of its talent in other fields—and in cities beyond Bangalore and Mumbai.

  Includes:

• August 2005 

  A guide for the CEO-elect

  The days, weeks, or months between taking the job and assuming power are precious. Put them to good use.

• August 2005 

  Using branding to attract talent

  To win the best recruits, a company must know how they perceive its brand.

• May 2005 

  A dearth of HR talent

  European companies must redefine the skills and capabilities required of their human-resources personnel.

2004

• February 2004 

  Nonprofits' untapped resource

  Alumni represent a deep reservoir of time, money, and talent. Here’s how nonprofit organizations can foster enduring relationships with them.

2003

• November 2003 

  Do you know who your experts are?

  Companies need a new approach to finding their elusive experts.

• June 2003 

  Matching people and jobs

  Achieving the most productive combination of workers and work is about to become a great deal easier.

• February 2003 

  Getting what you pay for with stock options

  Companies now have an opportunity to rethink their use of stock options so that they serve shareholders as well as executives.

2002

• November 2002 

  Has pay for performance had its day?

  The way to get your employees to focus on both the present and the future is to adjust your culture and to weaken your financial incentives.

2001

• December 2001 

  Brains abroad

  Emerging markets can win in the global war for talent by leveraging the talents of their expats.

• December 2001 

  Shall we dance?

  Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater is undergoing its own Russian revolution.

• November 2001 

  Managing the asset manager

  A survey shows that the message on talent from asset-management employees to their bosses is an overwhelming "could do better."

• May 2001 

  Teamwork at the top

  When the top team isn’t working well, the whole company suffers. How can top teams fix themselves?

• May 2001 

  The war for talent, part two

  An update of McKinsey’s 1997 survey on the war for talent found that it is escalating—despite the current economic slowdown and the end of the dot-com boom.

2000

• August 2000 

  Stock options aren’t enough

  Compensation plans linking the pay of managers to the share values of their companies can reward or penalize them for events they don’t control. A new model is needed.

• August 2000 

  The war for technical talent

  A McKinsey survey of computer science and electrical engineering graduates, summarized in "The war for technical talent," found that falling numbers of middle-aged people, the movement of employees out of large corporations, and frequent job-hopping will force employers to offer top dollar to top performers.

• February 2000 

  How executives grow

  Talent can be bought, but the best companies develop their own.

• February 2000 

  The talent-growth dynamic

  Talent-dependent companies should be able to nurture enough high-flying managers internally to meet ambitious growth targets. An approach called the dynamic-resource view shows how.

1999

• November 1999 

  Think global, hire local

  Building a bedrock of local managers in emerging markets is essential to ensure long-term market leadership—but getting it right is hard.

• August 1999 

  Are you taking your expatriate talent seriously?

  To make the most of overseas opportunities, multinational companies must pay closer attention to the problems of executives transferred into them.

• August 1999 

  The US military is losing the war for talent

  Keeping good midlevel people is the real problem—and the draft wouldn’t address it.

1998

• August 1998 

  The war for talent

  Tell me again: Why would someone really good want to join your company? And how will you keep them for more than a few years? Yes, money does matter.

• February 1998 

  Help Wanted

  America’s service sector has created millions of new jobs. That’s the problem. Companies will need to segment labor markets or change the way they produce a service. Turning dead-end jobs into careers.

1997

• November 1997 

  A tougher game at the top

  Champion Paper pioneered team building in its mills. But building teams in the executive suite took ten years. Was it worth it?

• November 1997 

  Teamwork across time and space

  Can teams that don’t spend time physically together be effective? The answer is yes—so long as they can find a way to build credibility and trust.

1996

• November 1996 

  The trivialization of management

  An excerpt from Management Redeemed: Debunking the fads that undermine our corporations.

• August 1996 

  Putting people values to work

  Most executives are nervous about discussing organizational values. But recent research indicates that shared values provide a framework within which people make decisions and take actions that ultimately affect the performance of their organizations.

• May 1996 

  The return of the country manager

  Emerging consumer markets have confirmed their value. And shown that the transnational model is slow and complex. Do you want an entrepreneur or a team player?

1994

• May 1994 

  Managing CEO transitions

  A leader’s best chance to lock in new organizational norms is usually during the first few months on the job.

• February 1994 

  Teams at the top

  Senior managers often underestimate the range of options available to them for teamlike performance.

1993

• November 1993 

  The CEO as Chief Performance Officer

  Leadership in defining—and delivering—the performance imperatives of strategy must come from the very top.