I'd like to get your thoughts of what is the best final recommendation structure is for McKinsey. Thanks!
Although the answer is very extensive already, I would like to add a thing that I learned from the case interviews with McKinsey. I was been told that ideally I should end up my recommendations with a mention of potential risks, e.g. there is a risk that the introduction of the new product will fail due to high competition. To address this issue, I recommend to take additional time in analysing customer demands and competitor products.
If I follow this structure, often times I'd be given feedback saying "it's too long". Should I still follow conclusion-supporting facts-next steps-risks even though it seems too long, or drop some info?
June - "it's too long" typically refers not to the number of areas you cover but rather how succintly you can cover it. With practice, you can cover 1-3 within 30 seconds and end with, "if it is of interest, I will be happy to discuss next steps specifically around divestitures and capacity planning".