Hi there,

This is a BIG topic because every Q1 of every McKinsey interview starts like that i.e. “what do you think is important for situation xyz” and many candidates get this completely wrong.

A good answer may look like a framework to solve the case, but it really isn't. McKinsey doesn't want you to solve the case, they want you to answer questions about a case, starting with Q1. This is very important to internalize, which you may already have based on your critical assessment.

As for how to get great at answering, here's some important things to consider:

• PROMPT: This is going to be your source of inspiration so please make sure you squeeze the value out of the little info you get. McKinsey prompts are actually quite extensive, and you will score big points the more you relate to the specific context. Most candidates neglect this part, which really affects the quality of their answer.
• QUESTION: Please listen to the question you're being asked! The same prompt could be followed by wildly different questions, all of which should technically lead to completely different answers. Since you're not solving the case but answering the question, it's really important to get this right!
• FACTORS: You need to formulate in great detail as to why something is important. This is where you have to come up with hypotheses. Most candidates just list factors i.e. single words without any explanation, justification, or contextualization. That's just not good enough. Dare to go deep and really tell a story to make each factor come alive with an example.
• STRUCTURE: All factors should be categorized in simple MECE structures. However, these can be just about anything and depend very much on the prompt and the question being asked. Structures are meant to make you think broad and it's often an iterative process between coming up with factors and the right categories for your structure. This is too much to go into but I run specific sessions on this - please feel free to get in touch.
• COMMUNICATION: Whatever your answer may be, try to communicate top-down. This is not specifically score but still important because it makes your speech more concise and efficient, allowing you to get more content in.
• TIME: In order to give a good answer, go deep and go broad, you will need to take a few minutes and that's OK. Don't shy back from giving a little monologue that can take a few minutes. I sometimes get great answers that can take up to 5-6 minutes to communicate. However, most candidates feel rushed and keep it super short and high level, which isn't always the right thing to do.  So long as you're not just rambling, interviewers will be happy to listen!

A high-level answer with the key things to bear in mind. If you'd like to learn more, please feel free to get in touch.

Best of luck!

Moritz

(edited)

This is a very good but very broad question :)

In short, it's difficult to give you a very good answer for it. 

I'll start by sharing this guide that I wrote with McKinsey in mind for structures and brainstorming. It lays out the two core techniques for approaching them:

• Expert Guide: Mastering Structuring & Brainstorming

Then, being more creative is about making use of two dimensions: 

1. the knowledge that you posses (what makes you unique) and 
2. the knowledge that you have about the client (from the prompt)

When you receive the structuring question, try to use your own common sense to generate these areas of content and then tailor them as much as possible to the client situation as you've discovered it through the prompt. 

The most important thing is to calibrate the structure specifically for the client, to make it insightful - you shouldn't be able to pull out a bullet point from your structure and drop it into the structure for a different case.

Best,
Cristian

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(edited)

Hi, 

Three things that I can recommend, from the perspective of a trained McK interviewer:

1. Take some time to come up with a MECE structure. Even though you feel like you have instant ideas how to solve the problem, take some time to write down your initial thoughts to cluster them.

2. Make sure to be exhaustive. During brainstorming questions we want to see structure, but also creativity. Make sure to list at least 3-4 different buckets. Often times you can get “bonus points” by coming up with creative ideas (e.g., out of the box marketing campaigns to win customers that are tailored to the individual industry context etc.

3. Communicate Top down. Always start by introducing level 1 of your solution, before drilling deeper in the individual drivers 

4. Bonus: Apply reasoning to the prioritization of the individual initiatives (e.g., how to increase customers). Apply business acumen to the client context: What initiative ist feasible and effective? 

Feel free to reach out in case you want to drill deeper. 
Cheers, 

Philipp

Hello,

Not repeating what others said but one concrete tip I've found to be highly effective, both for myself and my coachees, is to visualize the problem. In many cases, the topics under discussion lend themselves to a visual representation, such as a customer journey or a business process.

Here's the drill: Mentally trace this journey step by step, immersing yourself in the process. As you do so, keenly observe any pain points, bottlenecks, or critical junctures where issues may arise. These observations often hold the key factors you are looking for. Once you've identified them, cluster these factors logically to form a structured framework for your analysis.

I'd be happy to offer you a free coffee chat to delve deeper into this technique and practice it together. It can be an excellent way to refine your McKinsey-style problem-solving skills in one focused session.

Warm regards, Frederic ☕

It's great to hear that you have received positive feedback on your structuring and thoroughness in other types of cases. When it comes to McKinsey-style interviews, it's important to approach the structuring process with a focus on being exhaustive and creative.

To replicate your success in these interviews, I would suggest considering the following factors when answering questions like "What factors should you consider to increase customers, reduce costs, or reduce quitting teachers?":

Indicators: Start by identifying the key indicators that are relevant to the objective. For example, if the objective is to increase customers, you might consider indicators such as customer acquisition rate, customer retention rate, or customer satisfaction.

Components: Dive deeper into the indicators and consider the various components that contribute to them. For instance, if customer acquisition rate is an indicator, you could explore factors like marketing campaigns, sales channels, pricing strategies, or customer referral programs.

Stakeholders: Think about the different stakeholders involved and how their actions or preferences might impact the objective. This could include customers, employees, suppliers, or competitors. Consider factors like customer segmentation, geographic location, distribution channels, or partnerships.

By incorporating these elements into your structure, you can demonstrate your ability to think broadly and deeply about the problem at hand. Remember to prioritize the most impactful factors within your structure and be prepared to discuss your hypotheses at the end.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

Begin with a structured approach, leveraging frameworks such as the 4Ps (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) or the 7S framework (Strategy, Structure, Systems, Shared Values, Skills, Style, Staff) to ensure a comprehensive analysis.