Problem Solving
Group work –
Problem
Structuring
Activity Guide
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Introduction
This activity builds on the skills and techniques you learned in Section 4. There are three steps to complete:
As prep work, you’ll each choose a current problem at work and create an issue tree that structures this problem.
You’ll share this draft issue tree with your group members prior to the group meeting.
During the group meeting, your group will:
— Take turns presenting issue trees
— Decide on one issue tree to improve
— Discuss and revise the selected issue tree
— Discuss the questions found on slide 10
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Prep work (complete before group meeting)
Think of a current problem at work that really matters to you and that you can articulate succinctly. It could also be a problem that you
dealt with recently that is still inconclusive. Example problems include how to drive growth in your company, how to improve your team’s
dynamics and collaboration, and how to adjust a new product based on customer feedback.
To prepare for the group meeting, you’ll each create an issue tree that structures this problem. When creating your issue tree, remember
to:
Complete at least two levels of branches
Ensure the question on the left is the question that you have in your problem statement and that it clearly communicates the problem that
you're trying to solve to your group members
Make sure each element of the issue tree is a question
Ensure the tree is as MECE as possible
You may draft and deliver your tree in whatever format works best for you (e.g., PowerPoint, Word outline, photo of hand-drawn tree). A
PowerPoint template is provided on slide 5 if you choose that format. Share your issue tree (at least two levels of branches) with your
group before the group meeting.
To use group time effectively, be sure to review the issue trees created by your group members in advance of the group meeting.
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Group meeting agenda
1 Select a team member (this can be the Group Coordinator but doesn’t need to be) to complete the group work slides (slides 8-10) during the meeting and
submit them on behalf of the group after the session. (~5 min)
2 Briefly present your issue trees (~20 min)
Each group member should briefly describe his/her problem and corresponding issue tree (spend ~5 minutes per team member). The group will then decide
on one issue tree to discuss in-depth and revise in the time remaining. Groups may want to choose the problem for which the group has the most
understanding or familiarity.
3 Revise one issue tree (~35 min)
Then the team conducts a “deep dive” on one issue tree to improve its structure. Group members’ questions and comments should build on concepts from
Section 4, such as whether the issues are MECE, whether there is the same amount of detail within each level of branches, and whether the structure is
insightful and actionable. Group members should also generate questions of their own or use some of the sample questions below from McKinsey
consultants:
If you have an answer to each of these questions, will you be able to solve the problem?
Do you have any issues remaining on the right hand side that are still so complex that they can't be answered easily (in which case you might want to
expand the tree there)?
Are there significant interactions between branches of the issue tree that make the branches not very independent?
Which branches are irrelevant?
4
Complete the group work slides (slides 8-10) (~15 min)
Discuss the following questions:
What gets in the way of regularly doing robust problem structuring on the job?
What ideas do you have to overcome those challenges?
What other ideas do you have for incorporating these skills in your day-to-day work?
Following the meeting, make sure one team member uploads this completed document to the McKinsey Academy platform.
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Issue tree template Issue 1a
Issue 1
Issue 1b
Issue 2a
Problem Statement Issue 2
Issue 2b
Issue 3a
Issue 3
Issue 3b
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Sample “before” issue tree
Pay attention to the types of errors illustrated in this simplistic example and how they are resolved in the sample “after”
issue tree that follows.
Issues are statements, Could you buy less food? Issues are not collectively
not questions Buy fewer items exhaustive – what other
Could you buy less clothing? types of purchases do you make?
How could you save Not all items at the same
Eat less food
money every week? “level”
Problem statement
could be more specific
Could you use coupons? Issues are not mutually
Find better deals exclusive – coupons are a
Could find items on sale? type of sale/promotion?
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Sample “after” issue tree
Could you buy less food?
Could you buy less clothing?
Could you buy fewer
items?
Could you buy fewer entertainment items?
Could you buy fewer travel items?
How could you save
$100 extra every week?
Could you buy lower quality items?
Could you pay less for the
Could you buy items at a discount?
same quantity of items?
Could you share cost of items (e.g., car pool, roommate)?
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Group work: Issue tree “before”
Please copy/paste the original issue tree selected for the group meeting here.
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Group work: Issue tree “after”
Please copy/paste the revised issue tree here after the group meeting.
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Group work: Discussion questions
Capture the group’s responses to the following discussion questions.
1 What gets in the way of regularly doing problem structuring on the job?
Enter text here…
2 What ideas do you have to overcome these challenges?
Enter text here…
3 What other ideas do you have for incorporating these skills in your day-to-day work?
Enter text here…
Once slides 8 – 10 are complete, upload this entire document to the platform.
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