What does a McKinsey implementation associate do exactly? And is he considered a consultant?
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McKinsey Implementation Associate
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Hi there,
I've worked extensively with Implementation teams while in McKinsey, so let me provide my perspective on it.
What do implementation consultants do?
A classic project usually has 3 phases: diagnostic (what is the problem?), design (what are the actions required to solve it) and implementation (turning those actions into reality). While generalists consultants usually cover the first two steps, implementation consultants take over from the third.
For instance, during the diagnostic process of a digital transformation they discover that the client has a very slow rate of product releases. During the design they recommend to re-organise the teams and implement agile principles of working. During the implementation, actual implementation teams of digital consultants will come over and make it happen.
Are they considered consultants?
Yes, they are consultants. They happen to be specialised consultants, who usually have more experienced in terms of actually making things happen, turning high-level strategy into day by day practices. Sometimes generalists also do that, but implementation colleagues tend to be better and more patient at it.
There is however a certain perception that being in Implementation makes 'less of a consultant', but it's a very ignorant way of perceiving the role, so feel free to disregard any such comments.
If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out directly and I'm happy to share more about my experience of working with implementation colleagues.
Best,
Cristian
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Implementation Associates are consultants - the only difference between them and ‘integrative’ consultants is that they work solely on implementation projects.
Implementation projects are generally longer than strategy projects (6-12 months) and are focused on helping the client to deliver what has been set out in the strategy. It generally means working closely with client teams in a very hands on manner to help to guide them through things like cost cutting, re-organisations, implementation of new digital systems etc.,
Because you're working directly with clients they tend to be a little slower paced and really focused on building the relationships with the clients that you're working with.
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Hi there,
Think of a strategy consultant as someone who does the high-level strategic planning. Project durations are normally shorter and topics/viewpoints are normally at the bird's eye view.
Implementation consultants are the “do-ers”. Put another way, they implement the strategy. Projects tend to be longer (counted in months, sometimes years).
I highly recommend you get out and network a bit - these are great questions to speak to someone about on the phone!
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You should search about PMO type of projects. Typically project focused on program management, i.e. helping a client coordinate its teams and tasks in order to implement something within a certain timeline.
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