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xvi Introduction

• Business Need—You can’t have problem solving without a
problem or, more broadly, a need on the part of the client.
In business, those needs come in several forms: competi-
tive, organizational, financial, and operational.
• Analyzing—Once your organization has identified the
problem, it can begin to seek a solution, whether on its
own or with the help of McKinsey (or any other outside
agent). McKinsey’s fact-based, hypothesis-driven problem-
solving process begins with framing the problem: defining
the boundaries of the problem and breaking it down into
its component elements to allow the problem-solving team
to come up with an initial hypothesis as to the solution.
The next step is designing the analysis, determining the
analyses that must be done to prove the hypothesis, fol-
lowed by gathering the data needed for the analyses.
Finally comes interpreting the results of those analyses to
see whether they prove or disprove the hypothesis and to
develop a course of action for the client.
• Presenting—You may have found a solution, but it has no
value until it has been communicated to and accepted by
the client. For that to happen, you must structure your
presentation so that it communicates your ideas clearly and
concisely and generates buy-in for your solution for each
individual audience to which you present.
• Managing—The success of the problem-solving process
requires good management at several levels. The problem-
solving team must be properly assembled, motivated, and
developed. The client must be kept informed, involved, and
inspired by both the problem-solving process and the solu-
tion. The individual team members (that’s you) must strike
a balance between life and career that allows them to meet