Opening, Analyzing, and Closing Strategies for a Winning Interview (Part 4 of 12) | caseinterview

Summary

The transcript outlines a structured approach to problem-solving, often used in consulting and business case interviews. It emphasizes the importance of starting with a hypothesis, gathering data, and refining the hypothesis based on the data collected. The process involves asking targeted questions, segmenting data for a detailed analysis, and identifying trends. The speaker highlights the need to differentiate between company-specific and industry-wide issues and suggests looking for the underlying cause of problems, such as changes in revenue, costs, or unit sales. The transcript also provides tips on how to effectively communicate findings, recommending a clear conclusion followed by supporting data. It concludes with an analogy of how to present a case, comparing a poor close, which is disorganized and lacks a clear conclusion, to a good close, which presents a clear action-oriented recommendation supported by relevant data.

Takeaways

• 📈 **Hypothesis-Driven Approach**: Start with a hypothesis, gather data to verify or refute it, and refine the hypothesis as new information comes to light.
• 🔍 **Deep Dive Analysis**: When analyzing a case, go deeper down a specific branch of the framework if the data suggests doing so. If a dead end is reached, backtrack and explore another branch.
• 🔄 **Iterative Process**: Case interviews involve an iterative process of formulating hypotheses, testing them with data, and adjusting the approach based on the findings.
• ❌ **Avoid Dead Ends**: Recognize when a line of inquiry is not productive and adjust the approach to explore other areas that may yield more insight.
• 🗣️ **Think Aloud**: Verbalize your thought process during the case interview. This helps the interviewer understand your reasoning and can prompt guidance if you're stuck.
• 📊 **Segmentation Strategy**: Break down numbers into segments to understand the components that drive key metrics, such as unit sales or revenue.
• 🧐 **Identify Trends**: Look for trends over time to understand the trajectory of the issue at hand and to distinguish between cyclical and structural changes.
• 📉 **Revenue vs. Cost Analysis**: Investigate changes in revenue and costs to determine the primary driver behind profitability issues.
• 📈 **Price and Volume**: Analyze price and volume to understand changes in revenue, as a decline in price or volume can significantly impact overall sales.
• 🌐 **Market vs. Company-Specific Issues**: Determine if the problem is specific to the company or a broader industry issue to inform the appropriate strategic response.
• 📝 **Clear Conclusion and Action**: End the case with a clear conclusion and actionable recommendation, supported by the data and analysis conducted throughout the interview.

Q & A

What is the initial step in approaching a case interview?

The initial step is to ask for information on where to start within the framework, state a hypothesis, and pick a branch of the framework to start.

How does one refine their hypothesis during a case interview?

One refines their hypothesis by continuously testing it with data, going deeper down the branch if the data suggests it, and if the hypothesis is wrong, going back up and exploring a different branch.

What is the importance of thinking out loud during a case interview?

Thinking out loud helps the interviewer understand your thought process, and if you're stuck, the interviewer may provide guidance or additional information to help you progress.

Why is it crucial to segment numbers when analyzing a case?

Segmenting numbers allows you to break down the total into its components to identify specific areas of concern or success, which can lead to more targeted and effective solutions.

How does one determine if a problem is company-specific or industry-wide?

You can determine this by asking for data on the company's performance in comparison to the rest of the market or industry. If the issue is prevalent across the industry, it's likely an industry-wide issue.

What is the significance of identifying trends when analyzing a case?

Identifying trends helps you understand the direction and pace of change, which can be critical in determining the best course of action for the company.

Why is it important to ask for specific pieces of information?

Asking for specific information allows you to efficiently test your hypotheses and gather data that is directly relevant to the case, avoiding a waste of time on irrelevant data.

How does the process of 'synthesis' differ from 'analysis' in a case interview?

Analysis involves breaking down information into its component parts, while synthesis is the process of combining those parts to form a coherent whole, which provides a clear understanding for the client.

What is the recommended structure for concluding a case interview?

The recommended structure is to start with a clear conclusion, followed by two or three key supporting elements that directly underpin the conclusion.

Why is it beneficial to practice writing and drawing on different surfaces like a whiteboard or flip chart?

Practicing on different surfaces helps you become comfortable with various tools and ensures that your visual aids are clear and well-organized, which is important for effective communication during a case interview.

How can one ensure their case interview is client-friendly and easy to follow?

One should ensure a logical flow from conclusion to supporting data, use clear segmentation, and avoid presenting information in a disjointed or overly detailed manner that could confuse the client.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Case Interview Strategy and Hypothesis Testing

This paragraph discusses the approach to handling a case interview, emphasizing the importance of gathering information, formulating hypotheses, and testing them with data. It outlines a methodical process where the interviewee starts with a blank canvas and moves towards a data-informed perspective. The speaker illustrates how to refine a hypothesis by asking targeted questions and adjusting the approach based on the data received. The paragraph also touches on the importance of articulating one's thought process out loud, which aids in clarity and communication during the interview.

05:01

📊 Analyzing Revenue and Profitability Issues

The speaker delves into a specific example of a profitability case, hypothesizing a decline in revenues as the cause. By asking pointed questions and receiving data from the interviewer, the speaker either confirms or refutes the hypothesis and adjusts the investigative path accordingly. The focus then shifts towards breaking down revenue into units sold and average revenue per unit to understand the nuances of the decline. The paragraph highlights the iterative nature of case analysis, where one must be prepared to backtrack and explore alternative avenues when faced with contradicting data.

10:03

This section provides practical tips for case analysis. It encourages thinking out loud to externalize the thought process and to seek assistance when stuck. The use of hypotheses is emphasized as a tool for guiding the investigation and for requesting data to validate or refute these hypotheses. The speaker also underscores the importance of differentiating between company-specific and industry-wide issues and the need to identify trends over time. Moreover, the segmenting of numbers is highlighted as a key strategy for uncovering the root causes of problems.

15:05

📈 Segmentation and Data Request in Case Interviews

The paragraph focuses on the techniques of segmenting data and the importance of asking for data during a case interview. It advises on how to ask for data effectively by explaining why the data is needed, which not only helps in getting the information but also demonstrates the interviewee's analytical approach. The speaker also discusses the process of closing a case, which involves synthesizing information, forming a coherent conclusion, and recommending a course of action. The paragraph emphasizes the need to identify the critical insight, communicate it clearly, and support it with relevant data.

20:06

🏁 Structuring the Conclusion and Supporting Points

The speaker outlines the structure of a compelling conclusion in a case interview. It should start with a clear conclusion followed by two or three key supporting elements that are logically connected. The paragraph references the 'Pyramid Principle' as a useful framework for structuring communication in a logical manner. It contrasts a poor close, which is data-heavy and lacks a clear conclusion, with a good close that presents a clear action-oriented recommendation with supporting data. The importance of understanding the situation, providing a definitive recommendation, and backing it up with data is emphasized.

25:08

👂 Client-Friendly Communication in Consulting

In this paragraph, the speaker discusses the importance of client-friendly communication in consulting. It contrasts the storytelling style, which is more narrative and less focused, with the consulting style, which is concise, structured, and aimed at delivering a clear point. The speaker uses a humorous anecdote to illustrate the point, emphasizing that consulting communication should be direct and to the point, avoiding unnecessary details that can confuse the client.

Keywords

💡Hypothesis

A hypothesis is an initial assumption or explanation that can be tested with data. In the context of the video, it is used to guide the investigation of a business problem, such as a decline in profits. The speaker demonstrates using a hypothesis to navigate through different branches of a problem-solving framework, adjusting the hypothesis based on the data gathered.

💡Profitability Problem

A profitability problem refers to a situation where a company is experiencing a decline in profits. The video discusses this issue as a central case study, using it to illustrate how to approach problem-solving in a business context. The profitability problem is the main theme that the speaker uses to demonstrate the process of data gathering and hypothesis refinement.

💡Data Gathering

Data gathering is the process of collecting information or data points relevant to a particular issue or hypothesis. In the script, the speaker emphasizes the importance of data gathering to either confirm or refute a hypothesis, which is a critical step in the problem-solving process. The speaker provides examples of asking specific questions to gather data that would support or challenge the initial hypothesis.

💡Problem-Solving Framework

A problem-solving framework is a structured approach or set of steps used to address and resolve issues. The video script outlines a framework that includes stating a hypothesis, identifying key issues, asking standard questions, and refining the hypothesis based on data. The framework is depicted visually as a tree with branches that represent different paths of inquiry.

💡Revenues

Revenues refer to the income generated from the sale of goods or services. In the video, revenues are discussed as a key financial metric that can influence profitability. The speaker uses the example of a decline in revenues to illustrate how changes in this metric can be explored within the problem-solving framework.

💡Costs

Costs are the expenses incurred by a company in the course of its operations. The script discusses costs in relation to profitability, suggesting that an increase in costs could be a factor in a profitability problem. The speaker explores the relationship between cost changes and their impact on overall business performance.

💡Dead End

A dead end in the context of the video refers to a point in the problem-solving process where a particular line of inquiry does not yield useful results or does not contribute to resolving the issue. The speaker advises on how to recognize a dead end and the importance of returning to the problem-solving framework to explore a different branch.

💡Segmentation

Segmentation is the process of breaking down data into smaller, more manageable parts or categories. The speaker highlights the importance of segmentation in understanding complex business problems, such as analyzing sales by region, product line, or channel. This allows for a more detailed and nuanced approach to problem-solving.

💡Trend Analysis

Trend analysis involves examining data over time to identify patterns or changes. The video script discusses the importance of looking for trends, such as whether a decline in sales is a recent development or part of a longer-term pattern. Understanding trends can provide insights into the underlying causes of a business issue.

💡Synthesis

Synthesis is the process of combining separate pieces of information to form a coherent whole. In the video, the speaker describes the final step of the problem-solving process as synthesis, where all the gathered data and analyses are integrated to form a clear recommendation or conclusion for the client.

💡Client Recommendation

A client recommendation is a suggested course of action developed for a client based on the analysis and synthesis of data. The video emphasizes the importance of providing clear, actionable recommendations as the culmination of the problem-solving process. The speaker discusses how to structure these recommendations logically and support them with data.

Highlights

The importance of starting with a hypothesis and using data to verify it in problem-solving.

The process of drilling down into a problem by following a structured framework and adjusting the hypothesis based on data.

The need to refine the hypothesis continuously and the benefit of thinking out loud to clarify thoughts during a case interview.

The strategy of identifying whether a problem is company-specific or industry-wide and its impact on the approach to solving it.

The significance of looking for trends over time to understand the context of the current situation.

The practice of segmenting numbers to uncover insights that may not be apparent in aggregated data.

The necessity of asking for specific data to test hypotheses effectively and the value of explaining why the data is needed.

The concept of 'synthesis' in consulting, which involves combining separate elements of data to form a coherent whole.

The structure of a successful case close, which includes a clear conclusion followed by supporting data.

The comparison of different closing styles, emphasizing the clarity and client-friendliness of a structured approach.

The use of the 'Pyramid Principle' for structuring communication logically and effectively in consulting.

The practical tips for handling case interviews, such as practicing penmanship for clarity and managing time effectively.

The demonstration of how to navigate a dead end in an interview by re-evaluating the framework and adjusting the approach.

The emphasis on the importance of specificity when asking questions to gather information efficiently.

The illustration of how to break down complex business problems into manageable parts for analysis.

The advice on using mathematically complete cases, like profit and loss, for practicing analytical skills.

The reminder to always consider the cost of gathering information in a real-life consulting scenario and its impact on the approach to problem-solving.

The insight that the most insightful conclusions in consulting are often those that are not obvious but spot-on.

The importance of understanding the difference between a 'good' and a 'great' close in a case interview and how it affects client communication.

Transcripts

you have enough information the the the

case and the case interview starts to

feel more like an HPS case you have

information so now it's like you're the

protagonist what would you do you know

you actually have data so you go from

sort of blank piece of paper to

information potential charts data

okay so you ask the standard

question I think I demonstrated that

earlier next you go deeper down the

branch if the data suggest you could if

your hypothesis is correct you keep

drilling down all right if your

hypothesis is wrong you go back up okay

so an example of that is my hypothesis

is that revenues a decline in revenues

is causing the profitability problem do

we have any data that would suggest that

to be do we have any data on whether

revenues have changed okay the

interviewer might say yes revenues have

in fact gone down H my hypothesis is so

far has been confirmed I will go deeper

in that direction if the interviewer

says actually revenues have gone up

that's interesting how can profits go

down when revenues have gone up oh it

must mean that it's a cost problem I'm

going to go up the framework I'll draw

this out in a second so you can see it

I'm going to go up the framework and

move over to cost okay and the last step

which I demonstrated is you want to

continuously refine your hypothesis and

and it's actually a good habit to um say

out loud how your hypothesis is changing

and so I didn't ever use the word

hypothesis I sort of just did it

implicitly but uh but they could sort of

tell ah you know that's kind of odd that

revenues would sort of go up when

profits are down must be a cost problem

so it's better if you say that out loud

in general it's it's good to think out

loud and literally like oh that's kind

of odd you know I literally I'll

literally say that um because it's

easier if you just say what's in your

mind then you don't have to sort of

think whether you should sort of censor

it or

not

okay so you guys all get that okay ask

for information on where to start within

the framework State a hypothesis pick a

branch of the framework to start

identify key issues within the branch

ask standard questions to gather initial

data which is again very formulaic then

go deeper down the branch if the data

suggests you should if you run into a

dead end which is very common sometimes

they'll do it deliberately they'll

deliberately send you down a dead end to

see if you figure out it's dead end you

got to come back up the framework and

move over somewhere else okay and then

continually refine your hypothesis and

state what information you need to test

whe that hypothesis is correct okay

that's important because that's what you

do in real life you know so our

hypothesis is that sales have gone down

in United States because sales in the

Midwest region have really tanked but

all the other regions are fine okay

interesting idea how do we go figure

that out oh we got to go do a data dump

to like the guy in finance and go figure

that out okay that's worth half a day um

so we're trying to simulate that

here we you you don't want to do this is

very linguistic but it's important what

you don't want to do is just ask really

open-ended questions like do we have any

information on the business

situation right then it's like no no no

no no right you gota be more specific

than that okay so you tell them what

your hypothesis is and then you tell

them what specific piece of information

you need to determine whether hypothesis

is true or not because that's what you

would do in real life because gathering

information in real life and Consulting

is expensive it's counted in days and

there are only so many days you have

available to get problem solved so they

want to see that you can see if you can

do that in a case

situation

oops thank

you okay so let me illustrate what going

deeper

means okay going back to my earlier

example you don't have to copy the top

part you can just it's just more of the

visual diagram you sort of I want to

illustrate um if the example was profits

are down 20% uh we're looking at

revenues and we're looking at costs do

we know if revenues have gone up down or

stay the same okay and the interviewer

says uh revenues in fact have

uh have

decreased oh interesting

okay that mean if I so we had earlier we

had sort of

profit cost right so up until now in the

case I've drawn that right and now that

I have data that says revenues in fact

have gone down interesting that means

it's likely to be a revenue problem I'll

say how much have revenues gone down

by okay they've gone down in fact

they've gone down by 20% oh precisely

the same amount as profits have gone

down seems reasonable that

mathematically it seems like this is

really a revenue problem a revenue

decline problem not really a

profitability problem so to further

understand why revenues have gone down

by 20% we need to look at the component

parts of

Revenue and I'll say there's two things

I want to know next I want to break

apart revenues and look at number of

units sold times the average revenue per

unit which is basically like price so

price times volume sold ass your total

revenues do we have any information on

whether the number of units has sold

have changed or not have they gone up

down or stayed the same

okay

and so the inter ofview might then say

um actually number of units sold have

not changed we sold a million units last

year we sold million units this year

interesting H interesting um so

obviously then I wouldn't say obviously

because that's a little bit of a snobby

word but okay so revenues have gone so

profits have sort of you know declined

by 20% and revenues have declined by

20% okay unit sold have not changed okay

and it must mean that prices have gone

down by 20% do we have any information

on whether that's true or not yes in

fact prices are down by 20. okay great

so the real problem here is not why the

profits down is not the revenues of

decline it's that we're for some reason

prices have declined by 20% in this

particular situation and then you you

just keep drilling down right just so

the reason I like sort of profit and

loss cases at least for practice early

on is there sort of the most

mathematically complete it's either or

it's very very clean so a very good way

to sort of practice this go down a tree

come back up a tree uh the other ones

are a little they're a little more

they're squishier um way it's not quite

mathematically clean a lot more overlap

so I like practicing them in terms of

the actual analytical skills and you'll

just keep drilling down further and

further and further

okay so you can see as you go through

this process you the case starts looking

more like an HBS case you're having data

and you get a sense of what's going on

um and you sort of get closer and closer

to that okay so what happens though if

you run into a dead end so I want to

show you what a dead looks like and what

it sounds like and what you visually

want to

do

okay so let's go back to the original

case um profits are down 20% uh we need

to look at revenues or costs have

revenues or costs change actually have

um uh do we know if um do we have any

information or give any suggestions on

as to where to start the says no let's

look at revenues first my hypothesis is

revenues have declined that's why profit

has dropped by 20% do we have any

information on whether or not profits

have revenues have changed um in fact

revenues have actually increased by 20%

that's interesting revenues have

increase by 20% yet profits have decline

by 20% must not be a revenue problem

okay so let's focus on cost

next this means costs have probably gone

up quite

significantly so to understand and is

that true yes in fact costs have

actually gone up by 30 or 40%

okay so we're looking at a cost problem

so we need to actually understand what's

causing what's driving the cost problem

there are two components to cost okay

number of units

sold and the cost per

unit so mathematically you multiply the

two

together and that gets you the cost

right do we have any information as to

whether or not number of units uh sold

has changed in this particular situation

okay

uh yes we have information on that in

fact number of units sold has stay the

same interesting okay so if costs have

declined by minus 40% unit sold has not

changed then it must mean the cost per

unit has gone gone I'm sorry costs have

gone up by 40% unit sold hasn't changed

that must mean that cost per unit has

gone up 40% is that is that true in fact

it is and then you just keep drilling

down so you see the

brand back up the hierarchy go down the

other hierarchy so I like to think of it

as sort of um roots in a tree right you

sort of go down one you come back up you

go down the other

one so so visually you want to sort of

convey that and actually honestly it's

worth practicing

penmanship you know because you're do in

a case interview and I tend not to write

very cleanly so I actually have to slow

down and practice writing and if you're

doing it on a whiteboard you have to

write bigger letters which is a I mean

it seems really silly but it's a

different mechanical skill you know and

I don't I never really written on a

chalkboard so it's just you know and

then you draw if you draw too big then

you run out of space I so like a lot of

very practical things it's worth

practicing on a flip chart worth

practicing on a paper pad um and and

then sometimes a whiteboard is sort of

easy too thing with a whiteboard is you

want to make sure you you're comfortable

with the pant you don't like stick

yourself so you have like ink on your

shirt it's not

good it's all about details

question

because I have a bad poor mathematical

example yeah so these aren't all meant

to sort of be tied out but then you're

right so mathematically you will be

correct you're going to do

well okay so here's some tips for

analyzing

cases other thing too just to back up a

second you'll find that when um

interviewers give cases they either give

cases that they actually have live

experience with hard data in their head

all they'll make it up and so for this

example I was I'm just making stuff

up more to illustrative

Point uh okay um here are some tips

think out

loud it's

useful um if you're struggling you

really don't know what to do but if you

think out loud and you sort of thinking

out loud too long I know you're sort of

stuck I mean they don't they don't want

to be in a room with an awkward

situation either right so they'll help

you you know they might sort of you know

deduct you like two points for style or

whatever um but if you think out loud

I'm stuck that they'll actually help

you um use hypothesis a lot like I just

demonstrated earlier I think it's this

let me get data to verify and and sort

of move

on and you don't the parts underneath

it's it's about taking educated guest

figuring out what data you need to sort

of figure out whether you're not right

or wrong and then validate and then

refine that hypothesis ask for more data

see that hypothesis is correct and you

just keep on

moving okay uh there there are a couple

of types of analyses you want to do

fairly regularly and and I'll mention

this a couple of times um but a lot of

people sort of if they're not

experienced with it they sort of forget

to do this so this is this happens

literally 90% of cases I do

this the first is um what I call

figuring out if the problem is a company

specific issue or an industrywide issue

so like on the the earlier example if

units sold has declined by 20% the next

question I might ask do we have any

information on how the rest of the

Market's doing so is it a 20% decline

for us because we' screwed something up

or is it 20% across the board it's a

market issue you solve those two

problems very differently you respond to

them very differently so that's a very

common analysis I'll ask for data on

company specific or across the

board

uh second thing I always ask for is uh I

try to find the trend line so where are

we this year where was it last year

sometimes was the year before I'm

looking for the chain I'm sorry looking

for the the

trend and often times you'll find that

um the most common Trend you'll see is

around

growth that's the one that I sort of saw

the most you you'll often times have uh

company will be in sort of four

different businesses one will be going

like Gang Busters and one will be sort

of like dying on average they're doing

fine right but on averages the average

is always sort of and the totals always

sort of lie they're misleading you have

to break things up into its parts

because then you might say okay do you

want to solve the problem with the

company that's that's sort of flailing

or do you want to sort of take the one

that's working make it better that would

be a conversation you might have in a

case other things to do um always

segment your

numbers okay and I have specific

segmentation strategies to I'll show you

um but if if revenues are down for

example you know it's a revenue problem

and units and units sold are have

declined let's say um you want to sort

of break up that total so total units

sold have declined what composes units

sold right um and do we have any

information on the sources of where the

units sold and whether those have

changed in fact we do you know units

sold in in North America has stayed

constant Asia has gone up 20% Europe's

gone down 20 20% I see okay so unit sold

has gone down by 20% in Europe do we

know that's a company specific issue or

an is wi issue how are the competitors

doing on volume in terms of Europe uh in

fact Europe the European competitors are

also down 20% in volume ah I see so we

have an industry problem a market

problem in Europe which is suppressing

European sales which is dragging down

overall sales overall units sold for the

company and I'll sort of synthesize that

um but you don't you don't get to that

Insight right until you sort of break

apart the numbers and there like like

there's an infinite number of ways to

sort of break apart numbers in in real

life um I usually like to ask the

interviewer so you you say we need to

break apart the numbers do we have any

more detail we have any more do we have

any more details on what what comprises

you know unit

sold um because on unit sold it could be

by channel right internet channel is up

20% direct Salesforce is down 15% it

could be by region it could be by

product line the super duper product is

up sales are up 20% but the basic

product is down 20%

um and so you could literally sort of do

that all day long and in real life you

would because you don't know um but they

don't want to waste time doing that so

you sort of you make the case that you

need to break it apart and then you ask

them there's any information and they

usually give it to you because they

don't want to like make up numbers

either because then you get you get

embarrassed by you know people who are

really sharp on their numbers right um

okay segment your numbers and then I

mentioned ear always ask for

data okay always

ask and again the key with asking is

make explain why you want the data first

you get credit for asking the right

question which is very important in

Consulting and then when they give you

the data then you kind of proceed if you

ask for the data without asking

explaining why you want it you don't get

points for asking the right question

okay so you got to use the words like we

need to sort of break apart we need to

look at the segments that Drive Unit

shipments do we have any data on the

individual segments okay so that's a

good word to use because segments can

mean segmentation a lot of different

patterns right by region by Channel by

type of customer but you say the word

segments like okay guy the person knows

what they're talking about they're going

to segment stuff I'll save them some

time we should segment by region because

that's where the inside is great um so

if you just use the word segments or

break it apart or in those words they

will give you data on how to do that

I'll give you the actual segmentation

pattern that's most

productive all

right uh mechanically speaking here's

how to close a case and then we'll get

into some actual

cases it's really a three-step

process as you're sort of gathering all

this information you have these

hypotheses you're sort of driving down

various analyses your case in the

interview starts looking a lot more like

an HBS case Okay and then towards the

end of the case interview it's more like

a cold call what would you do if you're

the protagonist in this situation or

what would you do what would you tell

the client to do um the one the thing

you need to work on here first off is

just figure out what's

important I'll give you a demo of that

in a second what's the important idea

what's the big aha what's the big

Insight um by the way one of the biggest

compliments you can sort of pay to a

colleague in Consulting is really

insightful you know that was really

insightful which is basically not

obvious but

spoton so figure out what's

important and that's sort of an internal

process then you want to actually say it

out allowed and give a point of view a

conclusion profitably a conclusion with

a recommendation on an action the client

should take or likely actions the client

might want to consider I'm hedging again

right if I don't have enough data to

know definitively they should do that

I'll say it would seem to me that you

know doing a pilot program of some sort

in the new Emerging Market would be

useful given it's going 50% per year

when the Market's only growing 2%

okay and then then you want to support

your point of view with

data and so um at least I don't know

what the other firms call it but we call

the synthesis taking all this

information and like building up

something one thing what's the one

answer that we're looking for and I also

sort of Googled the definition of

synthesis uh it means to combine

separate elements to form a coherent

hole which basically means taking all

the Lego blocks on the floor building a

house ah it's a house right I understand

what to do

now so analysis is all about pulling

apart the pieces into its component

parts synthesis is then all this

analysis putting it back together into a

coherent hole so a client can make sense

of

it it's it's it's the opposite of

analysis it's

interesting um let's

see so by the way I'm I'm recording this

event I'm going to refer to like page

numbers and slide numbers just what's on

the recording um you guys will get

access to all this after the fact too so

if you see me sort of referring to page

numbers that don't exist you you'll know

why um the common structure by the way

of a close just visually

speaking it sort of looks like this and

you guys want be already familiar with

it you don't actually sort of draw it

out

necessarily but your um

you always start with the con well not

always but in most cases you start with

a

conclusion ABC companies should consider

exting the European market how come uh

market sales have tanked cost structure

of the business is too high and so you

have your your sort of supporting

elements underneath your conclusion okay

so there's an order to it you start with

the conclusion first a lot of people

start with the data first and I'll show

you what that sounds there's there's a

certain Rhythm if you listen to It's

almost almost like music there's a

certain Rhythm to how a poor clothes

goes versus a good cloth versus a great

cloes always conclusion first and then

the key supporting elements underneath

usually it's like two or three things

there's a useful book um that a lot of

people swear by I actually never read it

but I think I've learned it sort of

through osmosis it's called the P

principle have you guys heard of that

okay uh there's this book called The

pyram principle it's by bar Mento I'll

put up the name in a in a second and um

it's the it's the communication it's

it's I think it's a book about critical

thinking logical thinking and writing um

sort of every McKenzie consultant sort

of uses that whether they realize it or

not I I use it without realizing it

others have done it more deliberately

and a lot of the consulting firms use it

and it has to do with structuring your

Communication in a very rigorously

logical way uh and it's it's a good

skill to have um and it's different it's

a little different um in some cases

depending on how you were sort of taught

to write so I got a lot out of that um

but that's the structure it's sort of

big idea up front and then three main

ideas underneath that sort of support

that uh almost look like an expository

writing essay from high school if you're

familiar with

that okay I want to give you um examples

of

closes and I want you just hear what it

sounds

like and I'm going to I'm going to take

my crack at using sort of a a business

example because I think it sort of helps

convey the

point okay

um the the rhythm of a poor close is

like this data data data data data data

data data data part of a conclusion data

data another part of a conclusion data

data dat dat another part of the

conclusion in its entirety all the

information is there it's hard to follow

not client friendly

okay

um a good close would be conclusion

three relevant pieces of data that

directly support that

conclusion and a great close would be a

conclusion with a definitive action

recommendation right and three pieces of

data that are logically related to that

conclusion so the logic is really very

clear and very

compelling and I'll give you example

that umide this hypothetical

situation I know okay still it um but I

can read it this way because that's it's

too small to print and you won't be able

to see

it um I have this hypothetical situation

where I got two I have two daughters and

I'm sort of envisioning this situation

sort of in the future uh and sort of

trying to make it interesting so to make

the point um my youngest one comes to me

and says daddy daddy daddy like what

honey what honey um I'm sorry it was an

accident but my my sister made me do it

we weren't trying to it was an accident

not my fault her fault

okay I know candles no bad idea matches

I know but she pushed me she did really

right oh I I'm coughing a lot help what

do I what should I do okay that's a poor

close because you have no idea what the

how is going on right a lot of

information no conclusion no action

right

okay

um the next one my my my my older

daughter comes to me and

says dad the house is on fire we were

playing with matches let's get the hell

out of here okay that's like a

conclusion action driven

right and then uh the the babysitter

comes down who's trying to train to be a

Management Consultant and says Mr

Tren you have to read this um the house

is on fire it's in fact burning to the

ground quickly and it cannot be saved

you have no other choice than to get the

heck out of here right now okay good

recommendation action conclusion

there are three reasons why I feel this

way let me show you my PowerPoint

presentation okay slide one please the

fire will consume the house in less than

1 minute this is based on the fact that

it's moving at 10t every 5 seconds and

I've measured the width of the house to

be 120 ft we got less than 60 seconds to

live number two supporting Point putting

out the fire is in fact not possible

okay the fire is too big at this point

to put out plus the fire extinguisher is

at the opposite end of the house and

guess what Mr CH I've been watching you

worked out you're not as quite as fast

as you used to be the treadmill you

won't make it great third supporting

Point third slide please uh your only

remaining option is to save you and your

kids now fact the supporting point is

you promise your wife you take care of

the kids if you leave them in a burning

house and go put out the fire she will

kill you therefore conclusion is you

have no other choice than to get the

heck out of here and that's like the

rhythm of a good clothes and you can

obviously tweak and make it better um

but the idea is sort of main idea with a

clear action why you feel that way and

then restate the the

conclusion but you see the difference

right and and there's interesting I mean

I have relatives who were who who who

think this way on the poor

clothes and actually my

mother-in-law and it's just

like I I I my limit's like seven minutes

I can listen to seven minutes of well

first I went to the parking lot and then

I went in and then this happened oh and

there was this really interesting lady I

talked to oh did you realize that she

has a DA and just like

and what what's the point mom uh oh we

need more toilet paper oh okay I can

take care of that right and but she had

to sort of tell the whole story um and

so not that it's right or wrong it's

different but in Consulting that doesn't

work because it's not client friendly

you can't follow

it