McKinsey's board chair and global managing partner, Bob Sternfels, has revealed that in an AI-infused world, management consulting is not disappearing but evolving. The firm is shifting its focus to skills such as leadership and direction-setting, judgment, and creativity.
Sternfels emphasized the importance of setting goals and inspiring others to achieve them, a quality he described as leadership and direction-setting. This skill, combined with having good judgment, which involves distinguishing right from wrong and prioritizing effectively, will be crucial in the AI era where machines lack human intuition and decision-making capabilities.
Creativity, too, is an essential trait that machines cannot replicate yet. Inference models used to build AI systems are limited by their programming, and humans remain uniquely adept at generating new ideas from scratch. Sternfels noted that hiring focuses more on signals of capability rather than credentials in the tech industry, indicating a broader talent pool can enter the workforce through different pathways.
Sternfels highlighted two areas where McKinsey is adapting: reducing non-client-facing headcount by 25 percent while seeing a 10 percent productivity gain from AI automation and increasing its client-facing staff by 25 percent. This shift reflects the changing nature of work as AI takes over routine tasks.
However, there's an unresolved question about how to train and develop talent in the AI era, particularly among entry-level consultants who were previously bogged down with repetitive work that can now be automated. Sternfels pointed out a massive gap in resilience, which involves bouncing back from setbacks and developing the ability to learn from failures.
This calls for the educational system to prioritize building individual capability in resilience, enabling young professionals to navigate the changing landscape of consulting effectively.
Sternfels emphasized the importance of setting goals and inspiring others to achieve them, a quality he described as leadership and direction-setting. This skill, combined with having good judgment, which involves distinguishing right from wrong and prioritizing effectively, will be crucial in the AI era where machines lack human intuition and decision-making capabilities.
Creativity, too, is an essential trait that machines cannot replicate yet. Inference models used to build AI systems are limited by their programming, and humans remain uniquely adept at generating new ideas from scratch. Sternfels noted that hiring focuses more on signals of capability rather than credentials in the tech industry, indicating a broader talent pool can enter the workforce through different pathways.
Sternfels highlighted two areas where McKinsey is adapting: reducing non-client-facing headcount by 25 percent while seeing a 10 percent productivity gain from AI automation and increasing its client-facing staff by 25 percent. This shift reflects the changing nature of work as AI takes over routine tasks.
However, there's an unresolved question about how to train and develop talent in the AI era, particularly among entry-level consultants who were previously bogged down with repetitive work that can now be automated. Sternfels pointed out a massive gap in resilience, which involves bouncing back from setbacks and developing the ability to learn from failures.
This calls for the educational system to prioritize building individual capability in resilience, enabling young professionals to navigate the changing landscape of consulting effectively.
, but where's training on bouncing back from failure? 
... it's a smoke screen. They're trying to distract us from the fact that they're already having a huge impact on the talent pool, training people to fit their exacting standards, so they can maintain control over the consulting industry 
. I mean, have you seen the massive gap in resilience? It's like they want to create a whole new breed of consultants who are just puppets on strings 
. And what about the 25% reduction in non-client-facing headcount? That's code for outsourcing more work to AI, isn't it? 
... mark my words, this is all part of their grand plan to automate everything and own the future 
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anyway, think Sternfels is onto something about creativity being a human thing that machines can't replicate, but how do we even train for resilience in the first place? 
gotta figure out a way to make education more relevant or else we'll be lost in all this AI stuff 
. Think about it, when machines can do our tasks faster and better than us, that means we have more time to focus on what matters most: human connections, creativity, and empathy 
. So instead of being worried about getting replaced by AI, let's channel that anxiety into self-reflection – what makes me valuable in a world where machines can do the mundane? How can I use my unique strengths to lead and inspire others? 
It's like they're saying that creativity is the only thing that matters now... newsflash: it's still hard work and requires a lot of effort to come up with innovative ideas. And what about all these entry-level consultants who are just going to get replaced by automation? 
. But for real, McKinsey making this shift into leadership and direction-setting makes sense. We need people who can inspire others and make decisions that machines can't replicate. And creativity is key! I'm all for hiring based on skills not just credentials 
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. The educational system needs to step up their game here!