Hi Anonymous, thanks for the interesting questions.
I would recommend acting as follows:
1. If not clear, ask the interviewer to clarify the question
2. ask the interviewer for a moment (10-30 seconds) to think about a structure of ideas
3. think about MECE buckets of ideas. For example, "you are at home and angry, what do you do" answers could be:
a - Order food
b- Cook food
c- Eat snacks
d- Wait for later
this is MECE and action-oriented
4. If they ask you for more ideas, it's fine just take time to think about it. The goal is to keep being structured
Feel free to send me a message if needed Thanks

Norah

Hi,

as in most situations, the best approach is in the middle. This means that you should always begin from the key points/ ideas needed to give a meaningful answer, but, at the same time, you should also go in as much depth as possible, as consulting interviews are frequently very detail-oriented and if your answers are too "superficial" then you may be prompted for a more comprehensive answer.

Of course, if you only have 30 seconds, you should focus mostly on the ideas that have the highest impact on the case. However, please note that, even if at first you are given a short time frame to provide an answer, you will often receive follow-up questions where the above considerations apply. Additionally, it is usually also ok to ask for a minute or two to gather your thoughts.

Best,

G

Great question! I must say that its most likely both but I would typically start with the fewer priortised and relevant ideas first (i.e., 3-5).

If you share 2-3 prioritised ideas in a structured and MECE way, your interviewer will most likely ask "anything else" where they will push you for more. On the other hand, if you initially give them more (i.e., 6-8+) then they will probably ask you to prioritse and assess which of your ideas makes most sense.

Good luck!

Hey there,

Both concepts are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the strongest candidates are able to combine them for an excellent answer.

First, focus on breadth, depth, and inventive ideas (while being MECE, communicating top-down, and using signposting), then clarify what you would prioritize in the next step.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I agree with the coaches - it is somewhere in between , and yet the interviewer will try to push you into giving you more options.

Even a lit of stories should be well- structured. Again, MECE is a great approach.

Cheers, GB

Hello!

It´s not either/or.

You need to:

• Try to say as many ideas as possible
• make them as original as you can
• Don´t forget the obvious either, even if they are not original!
• Group them/structure them in a comprehensive way

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Hi there,

I'm sorry but there isn't a yes/no answer here! Unfortunately, the Q&A is much more nuanced than you're making it!

There are situations where 2-3 ideas is what's needed, and others where 6-8 are.

Ultimately, you need to have a structured, mostly comprehensive set of ideas that directly address the objective/question and are communicated in a clear way.

Hi,

In creativity questions several things are important:

• Structuring the ideas
• Being able to provide as many ideas as possible
• Being able to see the big picture, i.e. your ideas can be broad in scope

Thus, the more the better. But make sure that they are more or less realistic.

Hope it answers your question

Best

(edited)

Ideally, you'd give many options that are creative and all should be relevant.

I wouldn't make it and either or sort of question :) 

The most important thing to begin with is to listen to the question closely and then seek to come up with points that are really specific to the client situation (i.e., making the answer as insightful as possible). 

Sharing with you a guide on structuring techniques that you might find useful to review:

• Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming

Best,
Cristian