Typical McK PEI question for each dimension

Hi,

1. When the consultants ask you to provide an example of leading others or working in teams, most probably they are looking for a leadership story

For those of you applying for junior positions, leadership does not necessarily mean being a supervisor. Organizing various stakeholders, being in charge of a study project, leading your team in a competition - all these examples will make a good story. Leadership is about finding an opportunity and managing people to achieve it

2. When the interviewers ask you to provide an example of resolving a team- or personal conflict, Changing someone's mind, Developing and implementing a solution or overcoming difficulties - it means they want to hear a personal impact story.

Personal impact is a story of influencing people and persuading them to follow your solution. 

3. When you have to provide an example of Overcoming challenges, Achieving a personal goal, Failing something, Creating new approaches or doing something innovative - these are the stories about your achievement and entrepreneurial drive

What can be a good achievement? First of all, the achievement should be important for you personally. It should prove that you set ambitious goals and achieve them, very often over and above than planned with innovative solutions

Best

Hey anonymous,

Please see below a non-exhaustive, but already quite comprehensive, list of potential questions

Entrepreneurial drive

What was a situation where you set a major goal and been able to achieve it?

Tell me about a time when you achieved a difficult goal

What has been your major accomplishment so far?

Tell me about a time that you did something innovative

Leadership

Give me three examples of a time that you lead a group.

What are some key lessons you have learned about motivating people? 


Tell me about a time you lead a team through a conflict

Tell me about a time you lead a team to achieve a difficult goal

Tell me about a time where you were leading a team and you needed to force someone to work when they didn't want to do it

Personal impact

Tell me about a time that you persuaded your boss to go along with an idea you had

Tell me about a time that you managed upwards

Tell me about a time that you changed someone's mind

Tell me about a difficult situation where you had to rely on your communication skills

Tell me about a time where you dealt with a conflict/crisis/difficult member in your team

Best

Bruno

Hi there!

The good news is definitely that most of the time, it will be quite clear which dimension the interviewer is looking for. And most of the time, the question will be quite straight forward. However, sometimes the interviewer will make the one or the other twist to make it a bit more difficult for you to answer - please bear in mind that the interview is no one-way street, so you can clarify the dimension by rephrasing your understanding.

Some of the most basic starting questions for the McKinsey PEI are:

Leadership: „Can you think of a situation where you led a team through a difficult situation / conflict / crisis when you still needed to achieve an important goal together?“
Personal impact: „Please tell me about a situation when you needed to change someone's mind.”
Entrepreneurial drive: „Please tell me about a time when you achieved a difficult goal.”
(You can find many more typical starting questions and additional inside information on the McKinsey PEI in The Ultimate McKinsey PEI Prep eBook).
Hope that helps!