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Ali

17 hrs ago

Global

structuring uncommon frameworks

Hi , Thanks in advance for your response

in some typical cases like profitability, market entry , etc ... structuring a framework is not that hard cuz you have seen and practiced it multiple times

but in some uncommon random cases like " why number of wolves in Egypt is declining" its so hard to structure a MECE framework to encompass all factors in 2 minutes under pressure of interview.

what should i do ? what is the best way of thinking i must practice to have the ability of structuring such unknown frameworks in 2 minutes?

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Top answer

Julia

Coach

16 hrs ago

Ex-McKinsey Engagement Manager in US and Europe | 3 Years+ Interviewer | Columbia MBA | Strategy & Fit Coach

Hello Ali!

When you get a strange diagnostic question you want to show that you can quickly break down an unfamiliar problem into clear drivers. A simple “universal” structure I teach is: Inputs → Process → Outputs:

Inputs – Resources or conditions needed for the outcome
Process – How those inputs are transformed or maintained
Outputs – What is produced or achieved, and how it’s changing

Using your example we have Inputs (Birth rates, prey population, habitat size), Process (Hunting restrictions, ecosystem balance, disease control) and Outputs (Survival rates, migration patterns, territorial expansion)

This works for almost any “Why is X changing?” question (e.g., Why has the number of electric scooters in Paris doubled in the past year? Why are birth rates in Japan at an all-time low? Why have avocado exports from Mexico increased? Why has the number of small bookstores in New York gone up? Why is the price of olive oil skyrocketing? Why are marathon participation rates falling in Europe?)

With this structure you will show that you can think broadly and logically under pressure. Hope this helps!!

1 comment

Ali

15 hrs ago

so much help . thank you

Kevin

Coach

14 hrs ago

Hi Ali,

For unusual case prompts, it helps to have a few “universal” structuring lenses you can quickly apply to break the problem into MECE buckets. I have listed a couple of them with a quick application to your example.

Ecosystem / Value Chain – Map out the full system the subject depends on (food sources, predators, human activity, environmental resources)
Stakeholder Map – Identify all groups influencing or affected by the change and their incentives (animals, local communities, policymakers, conservationists, farmers)
Time Horizon – Separate immediate triggers from medium-term trends and long-term structural shifts (recent drought vs. years of habitat loss)
Quantitative vs. Qualitative Drivers – Distinguish measurable factors (population counts, hunting rates) from qualitative ones (policy enforcement, cultural attitudes)
Internal vs. External Factors – Split drivers intrinsic to the subject (health, reproduction, behavior) from those in the external environment (climate change, land use)

These lenses are a great starting point and can be easily adapted to fit the specific situation. To feel comfortable applying them under time pressure, it helps to practice with many unconventional prompts. I’ve created a collection of such exercises and run dedicated training sessions to build this “structuring muscle” with detailed feedback. Feel free to DM me for more info.

All the best!

Cheers,

Kevin

Pallav

Coach

5 hrs ago

Non-target expert | Ex-BCG | >200 cases

For uncommon or “out of left field” cases, the key is to stop thinking in terms of memorized frameworks and start thinking in terms of portable mental models you can apply anywhere.

Here’s how to train for that:

Accept the real-world rule:

Uncommon cases aren’t a curveball — they’re the norm in actual consulting work. Wolves in Egypt, chocolate in space, or why an app’s downloads halved — they’re all just problems with causes and levers.

Start with first principles:

Strip away the subject matter and ask:

What is the “thing” changing? (population of wolves)
What are the drivers of that change? Inputs → Processes → Outputs
What categories do those drivers fall into? (biological, environmental, human, economic, regulatory, etc.)

Example: Why wolves declining in Egypt?

Natural factors: disease, food supply, predators
Human factors: hunting, habitat destruction, policy changes
Environmental factors: climate, water availability, desertification

Use portable “meta-frameworks”:

Instead of memorizing 50 frameworks, master 4–5 universal lenses you can adapt in seconds:

Value chain (inputs → transformation → outputs)
Demand/Supply
External/Internal
PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, Legal)
Stakeholders & incentives

Practice “content swap” drills:

Take a known framework (e.g., profitability) and replace the content with a totally different topic — like wolves, volcanoes, or violin sales. This forces your brain to separate structure from subject matter.

Under time pressure:

Don’t freeze trying to be perfect.
Aim for clear and logical, not exhaustive.
Verbally signpost: “I’d look at three main drivers — environmental, human, and biological — and drill into each.”

if you want, we can practice some unstructured cases to help build you that muscle.

Top Answer by

Julia

Coach

Ex-McKinsey Engagement Manager in US and Europe | 3 Years+ Interviewer | Columbia MBA | Strategy & Fit Coach

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MECE Principle

MECE is a buzz word in consulting and is often used in preparation for case interviews.But what is behind the acronym? This article takes a closer look at the MECE principle, its meaning and examples of its use. MECE Is a Best Practice Method for Structuring Case InterviewsMECE is a way of segmenting information into sub-elements that are Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive. In other words, elements should “exclude” each other, i.e. be distinct, and should “exhaust” the relevant field, i.e. contain everything that belongs to it.The MECE framework as a method should be used when you craft an issue tree for your case structure. Doing so will help you avoid dependencies between different branches of the tree, and thus sub-problems can be properly isolated.Mutually Exclusive (ME): aims at reducing complexity by avoiding overlaps. You need to make sure that the possible solutions or groups are not accidentally considered twice. Proving exclusiveness forces you to carefully look at each option, consequently leading you to a much deeper understanding of the issue.Collectively Exhaustive (CE): aims at ensuring a comprehensive collection without leaving alternatives. Exhaustive means that all possible options have been considered. The trick is to divide a problem into categories with a finite number of general groups. For example, if you need to make “means of transportation” MECE, don't start just collecting “per foot, train, plane, bicycle, etc.” Try to find categories, because this practice will prevent you from forgetting important options: wheels vs. no wheels OR air vs. water vs. land. Difference between MECE and Non-MECE – A Simple ExampleA simple example for a MECE breakdown is dividing the population into subsets of age:A group of people below 50 years and another group of 50 years and above is MECE. No person can be in both groups - mutually exclusive - but every person is in either one of them – collectively exhaustiveA group of people below 50 years and another group with people from 40 to 70 years is not MECE, as people from 40 to 50 years belong to both groups - they are not mutually exclusive – and people above 70 are in neither one of the groups – they are not collectively exhaustive. A very common mistake made in this context is to differentiate between people below the age of 50 and people above the age of 50, but this does not include people who are exactly 50 years old.The MECE methodology is very famously used at McKinsey and other top consulting firms all over. Interviewers will especially evaluate whether you are able to structure information in a MECE format – a skill you will not only need in your case interview, but also in everyday life as a consultant. Many well-known frameworks, such as the Cost-Benefit-Analysis, 4Cs, or Porter’s Five Forces are designed with the MECE principle in mind. Use the MECE Principle in Profitability Cases to Split Costs in an Issue TreeThe MECE principle is not only applied for structuring information, but also helpful for simplifying calculations. Questions that require calculations are common in interviews as they are a good way to test your logical thinking and basic math skills. For example, it may be necessary to analyze the cost structure of a company in order to identify the root cause of a profitability problem. A good approach to tackle this task would be to break down the total costs into its single (MECE) components as you can see below: If as a next step you want to calculate the total costs, it is easiest to start at the bottom of your issue tree and carry out the first calculation. Take the result of that calculation and work your way up the tree until you have got the final costs. It is much easier to break down your problem like that than trying to do everything at once. Each calculation can be done in your head (if you need some practice, check out our Mental Math Tool) and is not overly complicated. When you have followed the MECE principle and made some valid assumptions for the actual numbers, your result will most likely be quite accurate (if you have made a sanity check and feel like it is not, it is also easy to look for the mistake by going through the structure of your tree again).

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