Trouble with brainstorming

My answer will not help the person who asked this question. But for the benefit of all who are reading, I feel I can not stay silent here.

What breaks my heart about questions like this isn’t the lack of effort. It’s the misunderstanding of the craft.

If you’re “cramming frameworks” before a case interview, you’re not learning to think like a consultant, you’re training yourself to imitate one. And imitation fails the moment the problem doesn’t fit the template - which is every real problem that matters!

Frameworks are not answers. They are scaffolding for judgment. A structure to help you ask better questions, not to supply them.

If you struggle to brainstorm, it’s not because you lack ideas. It’s because you’re trying to recall, not reason!

Consultants don’t memorize frameworks. They build them live, from a set of rigorous principles. 

They ask:
– What is the client actually trying to achieve?
– What drives or constrains that goal?
– How would I break that down into controllable parts?

That is brainstorming: structured curiosity, not flashcard recall.

So stop cramming.
Start thinking.

Pull apart real business problems. Build issue trees from scratch. Ask “why” until you reach a root cause.

The best interview prep isn’t about storing frameworks. It’s about training your mind to create them under pressure.

In consulting, 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 > 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤.
Always.

___________________

Dr. Sidi S. Koné

Former Senior Engagement Manager & Interviewer at McKinsey | Former Senior Consultant at BCG | Co-Founder of The MBB Offer Machine™

Hi,

Ultimately this is a test of your structuring ability (i.e. are you able to break things down in a structured manner) and a little bit of creativity. 

I need to point out 1 important misconception and challenge your self assessment - you mentioned "i do pretty well in frameworks since I have a good amount of industry knowledge" -> this is actually the opposite of what is being tested. Consulting interviews are not testing you for industry knowledge. Even for expert roles, what is more important is still the problem solving fundamentals. 

Therefore, what is needed is the ability to break things down - which applies both for 'frameworking' as well as brainstorming. It is not actually any different. A brainstorming in the middle of the case also requires you to come up with a structured response. The only difference is in the level of depth you are expected to have (definitely less deep than the upfront framework) because you have less time to think/respond. 

Technically, if you are good at structuring at the start of the case, you should also be good at structuring a brainstorming question. 

So what are the implications for you? 

• Building up fundamental skills and ability to think on the spot takes time - 2 days is not alot of time
• Therefore I suggest the most practical thing you can do in 2 days is get familiar with several different 'lenses' or common 'frameworks' that you can try and refer to during the interview (e.g. internal/external, financial/non-financial, carrot/stick etc)
• However, if you are going to refer to these 'stock' frameworks for a brainstorming, you MUST still think on the spot and make sure it is fully logical and relevant.. there is no getting around this

There isn't a quick fix to this, IMO. I've seen many coachees struggle with this too. If it were that easy, then consulting wouldn't be so difficult to get in as well. :)

All the best!

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the invitation from OC&C!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, even if it would be on short notice, if you don't feel thoroughly prepared for the interviews, I would strongly advise you to consider asking for a postponement. There are enough reasons to reject a candidate that are beyond their control, so you really don't want to add any that are within your control.
• Moreover, unfortunately, being able to provide a good initial structure has nothing to do with your industry knowledge, but with your ability to break down problems into a set of meaningful steps (except for McKinsey, who typically ask about dimensions or factors specifically), where each one of them brings you closer to being able to provide an answer to the questions at hand.
• Lastly, I would strongly advise you to consider working with an experienced coach like me on your structuring skills. I developed the "Case Structuring Program" to help exactly such candidates like you who struggle with case study structures.

You can find more on this topic here: How to succeed in the final interview round.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming OC&C interviews, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi! The best way to structure any creativity or brainstorming question, or for that fact, any part of your case is to remind yourself to be MECE. What broad areas, if you were to analyze them, would cover most (if not all) aspects of the problem? The more you challenge yourself to encounter these questions in the mocks, the more this muscle is built. The benefit of structuring is that it 1) makes things easy to understand from the interviewer's perspective and 2) gives you the room to share multiple sub-ideas while still sounding cogent. Practicing and putting yourself in the shoes of an actual consultant will be your best friend here. 

Hi there,

That’s a very common issue — especially before early interviews — and it’s good you’re catching it now. At OC&C, brainstorming isn’t about creativity alone; it’s about structured idea generation. Here’s how to strengthen that quickly:

1. Use mini-structures – When asked to brainstorm, don’t jump straight to ideas. First group your thinking into 2–3 logical buckets (e.g. internal vs external, short vs long term, product vs customer vs process). This buys time and shows structure even before the ideas come.
2. Anchor on business logic – Think in terms of levers: how to grow revenue (new customers, higher spend, retention), how to cut cost (efficiency, automation, sourcing), or how to improve customer experience (speed, quality, reliability). Almost every question ties back to these fundamentals.
3. Practice idea sprints – Take random prompts (like “How could a coffee chain grow?”) and time yourself to produce 6–8 ideas grouped under 2–3 headings. The goal isn’t brilliance; it’s flow and structure.
4. Connect to context – Always tie ideas back to the case facts. For example, if the client is a telecom company with falling retention, ideas should reflect industry realities (bundled services, loyalty programs, better coverage).
5. Stay calm and verbalize logic – Even if you pause, narrate your structure (“I’ll think through this in two parts: internal operational levers and customer-facing initiatives…”). It signals control and clarity.

I would focus less on memorizing frameworks and more on practicing quick, structured brainstorming under time pressure. 

Happy to help you prep – feel free to reach out!

Best,
Evelina

Hi there,

Brainstorming can definitely feel tough, but it really builds on the same core skill as creating your initial framework, which is figuring out what key areas you need to cover to address the main objective.

There are many ways to structure your thinking depending on the question. Sometimes a hypothesis-driven approach makes sense (“for this market to be attractive, these must be true…”), and other times a more process-oriented (“where in the value chain could things be improved?”) is more suitable. What matters most is developing the judgment to know which approach fits best, and the structuring skill to break it down further so your buckets capture the key drivers and stay MECE.

If you're looking to deeper your understanding of brainstorming, you might find this guide useful:

• Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming

Also, if you feel you're not ready for your upcoming interview, consider postponing it. It's rather common and this might help you get some extra time to consolidate your casing skills. I would advise against learning frameworks by heart, if that is what you seem to be suggesting.

Best,
Cristian

Hey there :)

Totally normal at this stage, the key is to stop memorizing frameworks and instead train your thinking structure. Practice brainstorming by forcing yourself to group ideas into 2–3 logical buckets (e.g. customer, product, operations) and speak out loud as you build them. Also, after each case, reflect on what angles you missed and how you’d bucket them next time. It improves fast once you practice with intention.

best,
Alessa :)