Hi Annadele,
The key is to anchor your top level structure to the decision being made rather than the wording of the prompt. Even when a question sounds operational like “what should we do in the next 12–18 months,” the interviewer is still expecting structured diagnosis before action.
For analytical prompts like declining profitability, your top level structure naturally starts with drivers and root causes. For more action oriented prompts, you can stay MECE and avoid jumping to solutions by structuring around decision criteria rather than actions. For example, what options exist, what would make each option attractive or unattractive, and what risks or constraints matter. You’re not prescribing solutions yet, you’re defining how you would evaluate them.
A useful rule of thumb is to ask yourself “what do I need to understand before recommending anything?” and let that guide your structure. This keeps you analytical and hypothesis driven while still clearly moving toward an answer.
Happy to help you practice through this thinking - feel free to reach out!
Best,
Evelina
