A former McKinsey employee recently shared valuable lessons she learned during her time at the firm, something the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) did not prepare her for. She explained her degree didn’t teach her the “executive filter” needed in the real world.
This became clear during her first presentation when a partner interrupted her and asked for just one recommendation instead of the 15 she prepared and realised that top executives wanted a clear answer. She added that business school didn’t teach some more important things like making things simple is better than making them more complex.
Another lesson was that it’s smarter to pick one clear direction instead of trying to look at every possible option.
Taking to LinkedIn, the woman wrote, “When I joined McKinsey, I discovered my degree from IIM Ahmedabad wasn’t enough. I lacked the EXECUTIVE FILTER. During my first presentation, a partner interrupted me, ‘Ruchi, tell me the one thing we should do. Just one.’ I froze. I had prepared 15 recommendations, not one. I wanted to have backup recommendations, like a menu and I would let the partner pick the answer. But in real client meetings, top executives don’t want to hear a menu. They want a curated, accurate answer. This is the EXECUTIVE FILTER, where you can filter out anything else and share only the most relevant answer.”
“That’s when I realized what they don’t teach at B-School: The ability to prioritize is more valuable than the ability to analyze. The courage to simplify is more important than the skill to complicate. The confidence to commit to one direction beats exploring every possibility,” she added.
She explained that while studying, she was trained to look at every possible angle. But once she started working, she realised that leaders don’t want complex answers, they want clear and simple solutions. One of the hardest things she had to learn was how to break down tough problems into easy-to-understand ideas. At IIM, the focus was on how much knowledge you had. At work, the focus shifted to how clearly you can explain your point.
Reacting to the post, a user wrote, “This is an excellent perspective! However, schools lay the foundation for these very skills: You can’t know what matters until you’ve explored a lot. You can’t prioritize effectively without first analysing the options. You can’t simplify without first understanding complexity. Institutions like IIM-A equip individuals with the critical thinking needed to navigate real-world decisions – helping them walk before they can run.”
“Very important point, most people look for quantity, whereas when talking to senior management they are looking for crisp to the point key takeaways and actionable items which can yield results,” a comment read.
An individual shared, “Incredibly wisdom. Felt like a lifetime of corporate reflections summarised on one page. Well done.”