McKinsey 2021 business articles: The year in review | McKinsey & Company

McKinsey 2021 business articles: The year in review | McKinsey & Company

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McKinsey Publishing’s year in review

Envisioning

sustainable,

inclusive growth

What’s the story for 2021?

Growth, change, the search

for a brighter tomorrow.

Two friends greeting each other and embracing outside of a restaurant

A year of hope, struggles,

and continued resilience

Amid the persistence of the pandemic, business and society pushed ahead on the recovery and began shifting toward sustainable, inclusive growth. Look back on some of the most popular and innovative insights from McKinsey Global Publishing this year, or dive deeper on 2021’s most important themes:

The pandemic lingers

A new talent crisis emerges

Digital dominates the growth agenda

Sustainability gains steam

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The pandemic lingers

Globally,

over 5 million

lives were lost.

The arrival of vaccines was a bright spot for many—but the persistence of COVID-19, and its myriad effects, remained the story of the year. With herd immunity now largely out of reach, people are learning to live with an endemic disease and crafting a new normal.

Woman receiving vaccine at an outdoor clinic

Navigating a new phase

Limiting illness and death is one of the four interwoven elements we’ve identified for managing COVID-19 as an endemic disease. The other three are defining the new normal, tracking progress, and slowing transmission.

Executives in most regions see COVID-19 as the biggest risk to growth.

“The pandemic is a huge opportunity to reset our business and personal lives.”

—Diplomat and professor Margaret Hanson-Muse

Couple enjoying the empty Pantheon in Rome, wearing protective face masks during COVID-19 pandemic

From pandemic to endemic

COVID-19 continues to pose risks, and managing it as endemic will require a momentous societal shift. Perhaps the hardest part will be coming to terms with the idea that this is no temporary phenomenon; we all must make permanent behavioral changes after the crisis.

If we are to truly reclaim

our lives, now is the

moment to start building.

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A new talent crisis emerges

Employers can’t

fix what they

don’t understand.

The pandemic served as a period of reflection for many, and in its wake, millions of US workers quit in what some dubbed the Great Resignation. With employees reassessing their options and leaders grappling with how to respond, the future of work became a hot topic. Will it be hybrid, purposeful, inclusive, and built for balance and well-being? With so much up for grabs, organizations risk their very existence by ignoring people and talent issues.

Young mother with a baby and a dog, sitting on the floor in her living room and working via videoconference

Grappling with people challenges

In a 2021 McKinsey survey, 40 percent of employees said they are at least somewhat likely to quit in the next three to six months.

There appears to be a showdown shaping up over a large-scale return to the office.

“Many people are leaving the job they’re in without another job in hand.”

—Senior partner Aaron De Smet

This graphic shows the difference in views, based on a 2021 survey, on the return to on-site work between C-suite managers and employees. There are two stacked charts that show how many people out of 100 agree with a given view. The top chart shows that 52% of 504 total respondents, all of whom are C-suite managers, expect workers to be physically present four days a week in the office. The bottom chart shows that only 37% of employee respondents, out of 5,043 in total, are expecting to be fully on-site after the COVID-19 pandemic.

A transgender woman listening to one of her colleagues while working together in the office

Listen

Keeping your best employees happy was never an easy task—and today it’s more important than ever. Leaders who neglect culture and connections do so at their own peril. Do you know what your employees want? Are you really listening?

It’s all about the

employee experience.

Organizations can seize

this moment to do more.

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Digital dominates the growth agenda

We identified 10 top

tech trends to watch.

The pandemic greatly accelerated the embrace of digital technologies, and companies with a digital edge pulled farther ahead of also-rans. But fundamental strategic rules still apply, and companies shouldn’t underestimate the power of making bold moves with new twists as they pursue innovation and other objectives. And as companies and economies move forward, there’s an increasing recognition that growth must be both sustainable and inclusive to meet tomorrow’s challenges.

Commissioning machine taking medicine off shelves in a pharmacy

Tapping technology for growth

By 2030, cloud could be a $1 trillion opportunity, and IoT could enable $5.5 trillion to $12.6 trillion in value globally. Other technologies we pinpointed in “The top trends in tech” may not be the coolest or most bleeding-edge trends, but they represent promising opportunities. Where to begin?

COVID-19 showed that bold digital moves happen fast.

“I’m more concerned about not being bold enough than about being too cautious.”

—From “The CIO agenda for the next 12 months: Six make-or-break priorities”

Two circle charts show the number of days that were required to respond to or implement remote working. The top chart shows 454 small circles, arranged into a bigger circle, that represents the pre-COVID-19 estimate that it would take 454 days to make remote work happen. This is juxtaposed against a smaller arrangement of 11 small circles, which represent the actual number of days most organizations took to respond to or implement remote working when the pandemic set in.

Technological prosthetic robot arm being tested by two engineers

Strategy for a digital world

The tech landscape is noisy and complex, but crafting a compelling strategy to tap into digital innovation and unlock growth is crucial. Although many companies scrambled to pull off swift digital transformations as COVID-19 took hold, stepping back can be powerful, too. How thoroughly and carefully are you reassessing your strategy to fuel growth?

The fundamentals still apply—

provided you keep a

close eye on how digital

is reshaping them.

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Sustainability gains steam

Commitments are

rising, but net zero

remains elusive.

Wildfires, ice storms, flooding, and more: The effects of climate change became increasingly visible in 2021, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The COP26 meetings drove a number of commitments as leaders reckoned with what it will take to stabilize global temperature increases at 1.5°C and achieve other energy-related sustainable-development goals. Many say net zero is the new organizing principle for business. Now it’s time for action that safeguards the planet and advances sustainability goals.

Electric cars charging in at a charging station

Making the transition

The world needs to move from what is to be achieved to how to get it done. Our coverage in “Solving the net-zero equation” pinpointed nine crucial requirements.

Solving the net-zero equation means delivering on nine requirements in three broad areas.

“This will require the largest capital reallocation in human history. Our analysis suggests it’s going to be about $9 trillion a year.”

—Senior partner Dickon Pinner

A graphic that shows three circles that are connected to one another with thin rules, arranged in a triangle shape. Each circle has three smaller dots within it, and the circles are labeled to describe broad areas of intervention that will be needed for organizations to make the transition to net zero. One circle is labeled “Physical building block,” the second is “Commitment and enabling mechanisms,” and the third is “Economic and societal adjustments.”

Grandfather showing granddaughter a wind turbine model in office

Envisioning a more sustainable future

Complex problems rarely have easy answers. Decarbonization and the energy transition in service of sustainable, long-term growth will take collective will in the coming years. While humanity may be facing the most existential challenge in its history, there’s still time for concerted action to make a difference in protecting the planet and its people.

Tackling these challenges

successfully will require

experimentation, speed,

and broad coalitions

for change.

Top reads of 2021

Our year in charts and year in images tease out more on these themes—don’t miss them. The search for sustainable, inclusive growth will continue in 2022, and we’ll continue publishing our insights on how that plays out for business and society. As the year draws to a close, explore some of 2021’s most popular and innovative insights on these themes and more, and thank you for reading along.

2021: The year in charts

Here’s a look back at some of our favorite data visualizations from our Charting the Path to the Next Normal series.

View the collection

2021: The year in images

The year’s defining moments offer insight into the elements that drive, unite, and inspire us as we face the future.

View the gallery

Top 10 Lists of Most Popular Insights

Top reports this year

Our top reports of 2021 dug deeper on the management issues resonating across organizations, from the future of work and tech’s potential to diversity and inclusion matters. To explore our robust library of downloadable signature reports and special collections, visit the McKinsey Download Hub.

The future of work after COVID-19

The future of work after COVID-19

February 18, 2021 -

The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than previously estimated potentially needing to switch occupations.

What matters most? Five priorities for CEOs in the next normal

What matters most? Five priorities for CEOs in the next normal

September 8, 2021 -

How leaders can adapt to a very different future.

Portrait of a mature businesswoman having a meeting with her team in a modern office

Women in the Workplace 2022

October 18, 2022 -

Women leaders are switching jobs at the highest rates we’ve ever seen, and ambitious young women are prepared to do the same. To make meaningful and sustainable progress toward gender equality, companies need to go beyond table stakes. That’s according to the latest Women in the Workplace report from McKinsey, in partnership with LeanIn.Org.

An icon for inclusivity across sexual orientations overlaid on city buildings

Being transgender at work

November 10, 2021 -

Although corporate America has stepped up its public support of LGBTQ+ rights, it still has a long road ahead to foster a truly inclusive environment for transgender employees.

Hands holding electronic device

IoT value set to accelerate through 2030: Where and how to capture it

November 9, 2021 -

New research shows that the Internet of Things offers significant economic value potential, particularly in standardized production settings, but companies must achieve scale to capture it.

White weathervane on blue gradient background

McKinsey’s Global Banking Annual Review archive: 2014 to 2022

December 1, 2022 -

Updated annually, our Global Banking Annual Review offers the best of our research and insights into the global banking industry. Explore the findings from past years’ reports.

New Series & Experiences

My Rookie Moment

Quote of the Day

Author Talks

POPULAR SPECIAL COLLECTIONS THIS YEAR

Explore a few of our most visited special collections from 2021, which draw together articles, multimedia, and more to deeply engage on many facets of a single topic.

Wind turbines

Sustainable, Inclusive Growth

Explore insights on the new era of growth—one that doesn’t treat growth and positive impact as opposing forces.

McKinsey Collections

McKinsey Themes

Explore essential reading on the topics that matter, from beating burnout to preparing for a digital-centric world.

America 2021

America 2021

February 12, 2021 -

After 2020 disrupted lives and livelihoods, the country is geared for a reset. In America 2021, leaders, innovators, and changemakers have an opportunity to make a telling difference. Here are the first in a yearlong series of our contributions to the discussion.

Emerging stronger from the coronavirus pandemic

The Next Normal: Emerging stronger from the coronavirus pandemic

Explore McKinsey’s curated collection on the business outlook for 2021 and beyond—plus insights about how companies can emerge stronger from the coronavirus crisis.

McKinsey on Books

Explore this month’s best-selling business books prepared exclusively for McKinsey Publishing by Circana and a collection of books by McKinsey authors on the management issues that matter, from leadership and talent to digital transformation, corporate finance, and more.

CEO Counseling

Building Great CEOs

Explore McKinsey’s CEO counseling offerings, as well as our latest insights and learnings for current and future CEOs to unlock heightened performance.

Top Videos

Watch some of our most interesting videos, including early-career advice from My Rookie Moment, a lens on the future of work, and more. Check out McKinsey Video for even more multimedia.

Popular Podcasts this year

In 2021, listeners tuned in for insights focused on building resilience, homing in on talent, and more. Explore some of our most streamed podcasts of 2021, and check out The McKinsey Podcast for even more audio.

Culture in the hybrid workplace

Culture in the hybrid workplace

June 11, 2021 -

Hybrid work is happening. Your culture will need to catch up—fast.

From the great attrition to the great adaptation

November 3, 2021 -

To keep top talent in the fold, managers must actively change their leadership styles—focusing less on controls and more on culture and connections.

The vanishing middle manager

February 5, 2021 -

Flatter. Faster. Leaner. The COVID-19 crisis has once again trained a spotlight on the value of middle management. What happens after the pandemic ends?

The search for purpose at work

The search for purpose at work

June 3, 2021 -

Purpose is personal, but companies play a critical role in how we express it.

The boss factor

The boss factor

April 27, 2021 -

How you get along with your manager can shape your health, happiness, and productivity.

Kevin Sneader on the eight trends that will define 2021–and beyond

The eight trends that will define 2021–and beyond

June 21, 2021 -

Kevin Sneader discusses the new ideas and business models transforming industry landscapes.

Inbox Hits

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On Point

Connecting daily news to what it means for your business.

Intersection

Delivering on diversity, gender equality, and inclusion for our digital age.

Quote of the day

Daily Read

An article a day, picked by our editors.

Leading Off

McKinsey’s editors help you get ready to take on the leadership challenges of the coming week, through revealing research, inspiring interviews, and insightful quotations.

The Shortlist

A weekly sampling of need-to-know ideas—and why those matter.

McKinsey Classics

Timeless insights—and why they’re as relevant as ever.

2021 turning point: Reinvention and opportunity in the economy of the future

The pandemic has reset the ways we live, work, and do business, accelerating some long-term shifts and setting new changes in motion. In 2021, the McKinsey Global Institute took stock of how the economy is transforming—and the new opportunities now at hand.

Explore the charts

COVID-19: Vaccine advances and takeaways for 2022

With billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered, the pandemic response has proved what collaborative science can do. But to build on this achievement and help get the virus under control worldwide, more work needs to be done. The following collection below recounts the progress that’s been made in global vaccine development, accessibility, and distribution and what comes next.

View the collection

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

McKinsey Global Publishing would like to thank, first and foremost, the many authors of these articles and other insights for their contributions and analysis.

And we want to acknowledge the many direct contributors who offered vital energy and expertise—under extraordinary personal and professional circumstances—to the development, editing, risk review, copyediting, fact checking, data visualization, design, production, and dissemination of all of McKinsey’s content over the past year.

McKinsey Global Publishing

Publisher

Raju Narisetti

Global Editorial Director

Lucia Rahilly

Editors

Julia Arnous, Richard Bucci, Christine Chen, Lang Davison, Tom Fleming, Roberta Fusaro, Eileen Hannigan, Heather Hanselman, Justine Jablonska, Bill Javetski, Arshiya Khullar, Jason Li, Katy McLaughlin, Cait Murphy, Rama Ramaswami, Josh Rosenfield, Astrid Sandoval, David Schwartz, Daniella Seiler, Andrew Simon, Mark Staples, Rick Tetzeli, Barbara Tierney, and Monica Toriello

Audience development & innovation

Nicole Adams, Emily Adeyanju, Mike Borruso, Sean Conrad, Zachary Enco, Megan Fierro, Torea Frey, Mary Halpin, Matt Jennings, Mehreen Khan, Eleni Kostopoulos, Laurel Moglen, Najah Mushatt, Babi Oloko, Kareem Parrot, Mythili Sankara, Katherine Tam, Petra Vincent, Bifen Xu, and Joyce Yoo

Copy desk

Vanessa Burke, Heather Byer, Nancy Cohn, Roger Draper, Drew Holzfeind, Julie Macias, LaShon Malone, Merethe Najjar, Pamela Norton, Kanika Punwani, and Sarah Thuerk

Visual storytelling

Vicki Brown, Victor Cuevas, Nicole Esquerre-Thomas, Richard Johnson, Maya Kaplun, Stephen Landau, Janet Michaud, Matthew Perry, Diane Rice, Jonathon Rivait, Amanda Soto, Dan Spector, Angela Walker, Jessica Wang, and Nathan Wilson

Editorial and digital production

Michael Allen, Ankush Arora, Matt Baumer, Elana Brown, Andrew Cha, Ramya D’Rozario, Christopher Friedmann, Paromita Ghosh, Gwyn Herbein, Chris Konnari, Milva Mantilla, Philip Mathew, Katrina Parker, Charmaine Rice, Dana Sand, Brandon Schultz, Katie Shearer, Venetia Simcock, Chandan Srivastava, Sean Stebner, Sneha Vats, Pooja Yadav, and Belinda Yu

Social media/video

Chelsea Bryan, Sheraz Farooqi, Mona Hamouly, Lauren Holmes, Emily Kocoloski, Simon London, Puneet Mishra, Kathleen O’Leary, Christine Roberts, Elizabeth Schaub, and Rita Zonius