Making Good Solutions Winning Solutions

One of the most common questions I encounter while coaching or mentoring case-solving teams is, "What does a solution look like?" In this video, I want to discuss how to transform a good solution into a winning solution.

It all starts with setting the stage, which is primarily done through your title page. This page should feature an engaging title and provide information about the audience, including who they are, their positions, locations, and the date of the presentation. Have some fun with it! Additionally, introduce yourself so the audience knows who you are. The title page serves as an opportunity to engage your audience and spark curiosity about the title you've chosen, as it will be displayed for a few seconds or minutes before you begin your presentation.

To engage your audience effectively, you may use an executive summary. In this summary, briefly highlight the key issues and provide a high-level recommendation, offering a 30,000-foot view of your proposal and its potential impact on the business.

Once you've done that, move into the situation-complication-question-answer framework. Describe the problem, articulate what needs to be solved, and then alleviate the tension by providing the answer. This should be supported by a well-defined analysis that is specific, detailed, and easy to understand, resulting in a solution that is realistic, feasible, and, most importantly, implementable.

When delivering your findings, focus on insights from both internal and external analyses, rather than just presenting facts. It's crucial to convey what the data reveals about the organisation you're examining. Ensure that your audience understands the decision-making process and the criteria used, as well as how the organisation knows that the implemented solution is working.

Additionally, go beyond just presenting answers; discuss a risk and mitigation strategy. The risks should be reflected in your analysis, with considerations on how to address those risks outlined in your solution. Your risk and mitigation strategy slide should serve as a summary of what you've discussed, highlighting how you have accounted for these risks and the strategies you've developed to manage them.

You can also consider that throughout the process, we’ve addressed your questions, and these are the queries you raised along with our answers. At the end, it’s important to discuss the future and what lies beyond this competition. In many cases, particularly in a case-solving competition, you are positioning yourself as a consultant, and the future insights can help secure your next job.

To add more realism to your presentation, focus on closing the sale. It's essential to demonstrate the value you've delivered with high energy, exuding confidence while discussing the impact and value proposition of your solution. Often, presentations conclude with phrases like, "Now we open the floor to questions." However, I recommend stopping before reaching that point. In competitive environments, questions will arise naturally, and in real-world situations, they've likely already been posed during your presentation.

Instead, concentrate on the value your solution provides, deliver that message with enthusiasm, and thank your audience for their attention throughout your presentation. When building a well-defined solution, begin by clearly defining the context. Move back and forth between various aspects to ensure clarity and depth in your definition. Once defined, you can deliberate further by drawing from your research, utilising facts, literature, and practical information that’s suitable for the issue at hand.

In a case competition, this is generally where your efforts conclude. In actual practice, you move forward to deploy and implement those ideas efficiently, validating them along the way. Following that, there’s often a debriefing session where you can reflect on the outcomes. During the deployment phase, you may also need to step back and revisit the design to ensure everything aligns with your objectives.

So, what does a winning solution look like? In both case, competitions and real-world scenarios, it should align with a scorecard, which may vary but always exists. Be sure to meet those criteria while providing both qualitative and quantitative support for your solution. It's important to express comfort with the issues at hand. Additionally, being likeable, confident, and consistent plays a significant role, especially in global or international case competitions. The teams are often highly capable, and likability can be a crucial factor that distinguishes a winning team from a losing one.