McKinsey & Company Just had a talk with a senior member about my declining mental health and how to best navigate an exit. Response was “blah blah do these things for your next study” which is fine I guess because he wants to see my career here continue. What bothers me is “there are lots of other people here feeling the same way”. How does help me in any way, we’re getting together in a circle of poor mental health and it’s going to solve everything?
McKinsey & Company
Assume positive intent for a moment. I could interpret the "other people feel the same way" comment as "you are not alone, and others can relate", which is comforting for many people. Giving you advice on how to handle your next project in light of your mental health could also be interpreted positively, as you're being told that there are specific things you can do besides quit to handle how you feel.
Pro
OP: Sorry that this was your experience. Unfortunately most of our senior leaders have no emotional IQ of a 5and believe in the old mantra of “sticking it out” and that you choose to be mentally ill (prominent senior leader actually said this in a call with a group of junior employees). Declare search and find something that is fulfilling!
Pro
AP1 Agree. I’m lucky enough to have found my “tribe” and folks that truly care about me as an individual first before the professional, if that makes sense. I have learned to solve for the people not the topic.
As I take on an EM role this is something I want to pass on to my team.
I'm sorry, that was a totally invalidating response you got. It sounds like you're aware that you cannot continue on your current path. It also sounds like it will be on you to decide your own next steps and what you need, and to just tell McK what you're doing. As a fellow struggler of diminishing clarity, focus, and happiness I know the struggle is real. Good luck!
Follow up for previous McK employees: what’s the process you went through? Fully decided it’s not for me. Is it just speaking with your PD and saying here’s my two weeks? Or is there a more formal process?
What precisely does “declaring search” look like?
I got the same “A lot of people are feeling like that,” as if that excuses it rather than being an indictment on the culture that produces it. Wish I had more help to offer.
I am sorry you’re going through that OP. But I am a bit envious. I told my manager about my struggling mental health issues and all I got was a dress down about performance.
I’m sorry 🙁 I definitely know some Ps and SPs (in one of my practices in particular…) that just take poor treatment of colleagues as a given and part of the job and that you’re just not cut out for being a partner if you don’t like it. I’ve got a lot of praise for being extremely resilient and delivering consistently in the toughest circumstances blah blah blah, but when I finally started to think more about what I wanted from this experience, I realized that sure I can handle it, but I don’t want to. Like there are plenty of people to work with who don’t think that it’s acceptable to yell at or otherwise be dismissive of teams.