
The McKinsey Podcast
The McKinsey Podcast, our new flagship podcast series, takes you inside our global firm, and features conversations with experts on issues that matter most in business and management. McKinsey & Company is a management-consulting firm that helps businesses, governments, and not-for-profit organizations realize their most important goals. Topics covered in this series include strategy, technology, leadership, marketing, operations, organization, and the role of business in society.
Latest episodes

21 snips
Oct 20, 2022 • 26min
Build back better relationships at work
Social capital, a technical term for connectivity in the workplace, is important for helping employees execute, learn, innovate, and advance in organizations. Right now, because of the pandemic and the related upheaval in office and staffing norms, it’s in short supply. But there are ways to rebuild it say McKinsey partners John Parsons and Brooke Weddle on this episode of The McKinsey Podcast. Hear their conversation with editorial director Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s recent report on the state of social capital and why executives need to manage workplace interactions more intentionally—always, but especially now. After, get to know married couple and McKinsey associate partners Angela and Sebastian Sinisterra-Woods. They talk about their work highlights and how whiteboards aren’t just for conference rooms. Theme music composed, performed and produced by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Oct 6, 2022 • 25min
Beyond burnout: What helps–and what doesn’t
Yoga. Therapy. Meditation. Yes, wellness perks are helpful, but they’re not a panacea for workplace stress. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Erica Coe, a McKinsey partner and coleader of the McKinsey Health Institute (MHI), speaks with McKinsey Global Publishing’s Lucia Rahilly about why burnout has hit record levels over the past two years—and what leaders can do to create a path toward lasting change. After, senior partner Tiffany Burns describes one of her rookie moments: talking a client down from sending an email in a state of frustration. Rookie Moments: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/my-rookie-moment How to lead with Deliberate Calm, a new book, soon-to-publish from McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/deliberate-calm Theme music written, produced and performed by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Sep 22, 2022 • 23min
Slow down attrition: Focus on what workers want
Is there any way to stop the Great Attrition? McKinsey expert associate partner, Bonnie Dowling, says yes. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, she speaks with executive editor Roberta Fusaro about McKinsey’s latest research on the Great Attrition. This time, the team includes data from multiple countries and outlines five types of worker personalities that, if catered to appropriately, could help fill all those open positions. After, we’ll hear from Catherine Price, author of Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, part of our Author Talks series, who says fun is not a treat, but a tool. Latest research on the Great Attrition/Great Attraction: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-great-attrition-is-making-hiring-harder-are-you-searching-the-right-talent-pools Author Talks: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/author-talks Theme music written, produced and performed by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Sep 8, 2022 • 27min
The two-wheeled commute: Micromobility and your future
Scooters. Bikes. E-mopeds. If you’re an urban dweller, you’ve probably seen a variety of these vehicles whizzing by—and you’re likely to see more in the future. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, McKinsey partner Kersten Heineke speaks with global editorial director Lucia Rahilly about micromobility: who’s using it, why it’s becoming more popular, and how cities can adapt to a future of tiny transportation. Following their conversation, we hear from NYU associate professor of psychology Tessa West about toxic coworkers. In her book, Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them (Portfolio, January 2022), featured in a recent edition of our Author Talks series, West describes how to handle jerks at work–and how not to become one yourself. Theme music written, produced and performed by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Aug 25, 2022 • 26min
What makes an organization 'healthy'?
Lucia and Roberta are taking a summer break, so please enjoy this popular and previous episode about organizational health. Research shows that companies can improve short-and long-term performance by focusing on a small number of carefully selected management practices. Theme music written, produced and performed by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

10 snips
Aug 11, 2022 • 22min
Creating good packaging for packaged goods
Read more > Listen to the podcast (duration: 21:59) > Lucia and Roberta are taking a summer break, so today we feature an episode of the McKinsey on Consumer and Retail podcast. Many consumer products will soon be in packages that are stronger, sustainable, and 'smart.' Hear Amcor CEO Ron Delia and McKinsey partner David Feber speak with executive editor Monica Toriello about the e-commerce boom, widespread concern about sustainability, and the digitization trend spurring innovation in packaging.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Jul 28, 2022 • 33min
Apprenticeship gets a makeover
In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, Lisa Christensen, a McKinsey director of learning and McKinsey partner Tony Gambell speak with McKinsey executive editor Roberta Fusaro about what apprenticeship looks like in today’s organizations and how an intentional two-way learning environment can help individuals and teams tackle problems more effectively to meet their performance goals. After, we also hear from McKinsey senior partner Robert Palter, featured in our My Rookie Moments series, about the valuable lesson he learned from his boss when confronted with a difficult client's bad idea. Theme music written, produced and performed by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Jul 14, 2022 • 37min
Learning and earning: the bold moves that change careers
Corporate attrition persists, but one way to lure employees back is to develop their knowledge, attributes, experiences—in short, their human capital. But how? What’s best for the employee? Is it worth leaders’ time? Two authors of McKinsey’s report, “Human capital at work: The value of experience,” address these and other questions in this episode of The McKinsey Podcast. Anu Madgavkar, a partner with McKinsey Global Institute, and senior partner Bill Schaninger, spoke with McKinsey Global Publishing’s Lucia Rahilly. Also, McKinsey partner Joshua Katz spoke with McKinsey editorial director Roberta Fusaro about the impact of global food inflation and how business leaders and other stakeholders can respond. Theme music was scored, produced and performed by Joy Ngaiw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Jun 23, 2022 • 21min
How current global trends are disrupting the fashion industry
Fashion suppliers and brands are facing significant economic and geopolitical challenges. Hear McKinsey senior partner Achim Berg speak with executive editor Roberta Fusaro about findings from McKinsey’s The State of Fashion 2022 report. They cover the concurrent effects of the many challenges facing both suppliers and brands, including the war in Ukraine, the pandemic, and inflation. After, the state of anxiety tends to get a bad rap. But in our second segment, Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, author and professor of psychology and neuroscience at Hunter College, shares why anxious feelings deserve respect. State of Fashion report: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion State of Fashion technology report: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion-technology-report-2022 Theme music was scored, produced and performed by Joy Ngaiw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information

Jun 9, 2022 • 25min
How to manage the coming wave of investment in capital projects
Capital projects could receive around $130 trillion dollars over the next five years. Most of the investment will go to renew and decarbonize critical infrastructure. In this episode of The McKinsey Podcast, hear McKinsey senior partners Steffen Fuchs and Christoph Schmitz speak with executive editor, Roberta Fusaro about how executives and organizations will need to adapt their current spending strategies to take advantage of this unique funding moment. After, hear senior partner Dymfke Kuijper’s rookie moment when she shares how *seeking perfection prevented her from finding it. Theme song is composed and performed by Joy Ngiaw.See www.mckinsey.com/privacy-policy for privacy information