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26 The McKinsey Mind

step, you need to figure out which are the top-line issues, the issues
that have to be true for your hypothesis to be true. After a bit of
brainstorming, you isolate three questions that address the validity
of your hypothesis: Will shortening the curing process reduce our
costs? Can we, as an organization, implement the necessary
changes? If we implement this change, can we maintain product
quality? Put these issues one level below your hypothesis, as shown
in Figure 1-2.
Unfortunately, the answer to each of these questions lies in sev-
eral more questions. You will have to answer those in turn before
you can come up with a final yes or no. As you take each question
down one or more levels, your analysis road map will begin to take
shape. Let’s drill down on one of these issues and see where it
leads us.

Subissue: Will it
reduce our costs?

Issue: Can we
Subissue: Can our
increase thrum-mat
organization
profitability with
the new production implement the
necessary changes?
process?

Subissue: Can we
maintain product
quality while
implementing the
process?

Figure 1-2. Issue Tree for Acme Widgets