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354 PART 6 • STRATEGIC-MANAGEMENT CASE ANALYSIS

20. Do not merely recite ratios or present figures. Rather, develop ideas and conclu-
sions concerning the possible trends. Show the importance of these figures to the
corporation.
21. Support reasoning and judgment with factual data whenever possible.
22. Your analysis should be as detailed and specific as possible.
23. A picture speaks a thousand words, and a creative picture gets you an A in many
classes.
24. Emphasize the Recommendations and Strategy Implementation sections. A com-
mon mistake is to spend too much time on the external or internal analysis parts
of your paper. Always remember that the recommendations and implementation
sections are the most important part of the paper or presentation.

Process Tips

1. When working as a team, encourage most of the work to be done individually. Use
team meetings mostly to assimilate work. This approach is most efficient.
2. If allowed to do so, invite questions throughout your presentation.
3. During the presentation, keep good posture, eye contact, voice tone, and project
confidence. Do not get defensive under any conditions or with any questions.
4. Prepare your case analysis in advance of the due date to allow time for reflection
and practice. Do not procrastinate.
5. Maintain a positive attitude about the class, working with problems rather than
against them.
6. Keep in tune with your professor, and understand his or her values and expectations.
7. Other students will have strengths in functional areas that will complement your weak-
nesses, so develop a cooperative spirit that moderates competitiveness in group work.
8. When preparing a case analysis as a group, divide into separate teams to work on
the external analysis and internal analysis.
9. Have a good sense of humor.
10. Capitalize on the strengths of each member of the group; volunteer your services in
your areas of strength.
11. Set goals for yourself and your team; budget your time to attain them.
12. Foster attitudes that encourage group participation and interaction. Do not be hasty
to judge group members.
13. Be prepared to work. There will be times when you will have to do more than your
share. Accept it, and do what you have to do to move the team forward.
14. Think of your case analysis as if it were really happening; do not reduce case analy-
sis to a mechanical process.
15. To uncover flaws in your analysis and to prepare the group for questions during an
oral presentation, assign one person in the group to actively play the devil’s advocate.
16. Do not schedule excessively long group meetings; two-hour sessions are about right.
17. Push your ideas hard enough to get them listened to, but then let up; listen to others
and try to follow their lines of thinking; follow the flow of group discussion, recog-
nizing when you need to get back on track; do not repeat yourself or others unless
clarity or progress demands repetition.
18. Develop a case-presentation style that is direct, assertive, and convincing; be con-
cise, precise, fluent, and correct.
19. Have fun when at all possible. Preparing a case is frustrating at times, but enjoy it
while you can; it may be several years before you are playing CEO again.
20. In group cases, do not allow personality differences to interfere. When they occur,
they must be understood for what they are—and then put aside.
21. Get things written down (drafts) as soon as possible.
22. Read everything that other group members write, and comment on it in writing.
This allows group input into all aspects of case preparation.
23. Adaptation and flexibility are keys to success; be creative and innovative.
24. Neatness is a real plus; your case analysis should look professional.