Chapter 22 Pick the fruit first

To pick the fruit first, in layman's terms, is to start from the easiest and most sure place.McKinsey's 80 years of work practice has proved that this is indeed an effective working method. Picking the good fruits first does not mean opportunistic, avoiding the most important ones; but after we have picked a certain amount of good fruits, we will naturally build up a kind of confidence in our hearts that I will be able to achieve my goals, and then I will be able to achieve my goal in the future. Among them, they can withstand the burden of fate.This is also a gradual process. When we do things from easy to difficult, we will definitely become more and more familiar with this process in our hearts. Therefore, when the difficulties are getting bigger and bigger, we can deal with them calmly without losing our feet.

But if we do the hardest thing right from the start, it can only mean failure.Just like giving a huge task to a novice who has just entered McKinsey, he cannot solve the problem all at once.Only after he has accumulated a wealth of experience can he successfully complete the task.The process of accumulating experience for every McKinsey newcomer starts with the small things around them.In the course of their work thereafter, they also start from where they can start, which is not only a well-organized process, but also gives you confidence in step-by-step success, but also instills confidence in your customers.

Success is not created overnight, but the result of accumulation step by step. Weightlifters usually start with a weight they can lift, and gradually increase the weight over time.A good boxing manager first arranges for his boxer easier opponents, and then gradually brings him into confrontation with stronger opponents.We can apply this principle to any place. This principle is to start with an easy-to-success object and gradually advance to more difficult tasks. Even where we have developed a high degree of skill, "a little hold back" can sometimes work.Let's lower our eyes a little and practice with a relaxed mood.This is especially true when one reaches a so-called "stagnation" in the learning process.The so-called "stagnation point" is when you reach that point, no matter how hard you work, you can't make more progress.At this time, if you force yourself to cross this "stagnation point", you may have various "habitual feelings" such as tension and difficulty.In this case, the weightlifter can reduce the weight of the weight lifted and practice the easy weight for a while.A boxer who is clearly not making progress is then set to fight against easier fighters.Albert Dunjala, who has been the world's honorary champion of typing speed for many years, practiced "slow typing" whenever he reached a "stagnation point" or learning peak - typing at half the usual speed.

Dr. Chester Field said: "Start with an object that is easy to succeed, and success will appear easy." Once, when I was consulting with a stockbroker, after we had analyzed sales data and drawn a series of conclusions, we wanted to communicate our findings to the senior executives in the back office.We arranged a meeting with leaders from the back office and other parts of the business (such as sales, trading, research, etc.). Since we have lifted the lid on the actual analysis of the data, we present our findings straightforwardly.They hit these very experienced Wall Street executives like a hammer.Clients have no idea how inefficient it is operating.

This statement has two effects.First, it reassures executives who were initially dismissive of McKinsey's presence that they have problems and we can help them solve them.Second, since I presented my findings, their attitude toward my opinion changed drastically, which made my job a lot easier.Before the meeting, I was a bit of an unworldly MBA coveting their business.After the meeting, I became the one to help them solve their problems. By picking the fruit first, and by resisting the temptation to hide our information until the grand briefing after the research is over, we make our clients more enthusiastic, our jobs easier, and ourselves better. happy.