A Practical Toolkit for Case-Solving Competition Teams
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Emeritus Professor | Coach & Mentor to Aspiring Professionals | Helping the Next Generation Dis...
Series Preface
This series of manuals represents my attempt to capture, organise, and share more than 20 years o...
Introduction
"Frameworks don't solve cases. People do." The other four manuals in the Discover Your MAD Skill...
About the Author
Cam Welsh is an award-winning educator and coach who has been honoured with the title of emeritus...
How to Use this Manual
The Discover Your MAD Skills Masterclass is built around a simple idea: Great case solvers do mo...
PART I: Building the MAD Skills Toolkit - Choosing the Right Tool for the Right Question
Case competitions expose you to a wide range of tools, frameworks, and analytical techniques. Som...
Building Your Toolkit - From Framework Knowledge to Analytical Judgment
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: explain the differen...
PART II: Thinking Skills
"Winning teams don't simply know more frameworks. They think differently." Video: Where Do We Ev...
Critical Thinking - Earning the Right to Make a Recommendation
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: distinguish facts, o...
Strategic Thinking - Making Choices That Position the Organisation for Long-Term Success
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: distinguish strateg...
Systems Thinking - Seeing the Relationships Behind the Problem
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: define a system in t...
Analytical Thinking - Turning Information into Decision-Relevant Insight
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: define the question ...
Creative Thinking - Expanding the Possibilities Before Selecting the Solution
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: define creativity as...
Ethical Thinking - Making Decisions That Create Value Without Unacceptable Harm
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: identify the ethical...
Decision-Making Under Uncertainty - Making Defensible Choices When the Future Is Unclear
Video: Decision Trees Visually Show Your Strategic Choices and Why You Chose Them Learning Objec...
PART II: Closing Reflections: Five Thinking Skills - One Strategic Mindset
The five skills in this section are different, but they work together. Critical Thinking asks:...
PART III: Understanding The Situation
"Before you can solve the problem, you have to understand the situation." Case competitors have ...
SWOT Analysis - Turning Four Boxes into Strategic Insight
Video: Stop Presenting Laundry List SWOTs: Turn SWOT into Real Insights That Support Your Solutio...
PESTLE Analysis - Turning External Change into Strategic Insight
Video: PESTLE Analysis in Business Cases: How to Identify External Forces That Actually Matter L...
Porter's Five Forces - Turning Industry Pressure into Strategic Direction
Video: Porter’s Five Forces: How to Analyse Competition and Industry Profitability in Business Ca...
Value Chain Analysis - Finding Where Value Is Created, Lost, and Strengthened
Video: Value Chain Analysis: Find Where Your Business Creates Value and Where It Loses It Learni...
VRIO and Core Competencies - Building Strategy Around What the Organisation Can Uniquely Do
Video: Core Competencies: The Most Underused Tool in Case Competitions Video: Competitive Landsc...
Business Model Canvas - Testing How the Organisation Creates, Delivers, and Captures Value
Video: Business Model Canvas & Lean Canvas: Visualise, Align, and Strengthen Your Case Solution ...
McKinsey 7S - Aligning the Organisation to Execute the Strategy
Video: McKinsey 7S: Why Great Strategies Still Fail Video: Change Management in Case Solutions: ...
Stakeholder Analysis - Building Support, Managing Tensions, and Strengthening Implementation
Video: Stakeholder Analysis: The Often-Ignored Tool That Makes Your Solution More Credible and Et...
PART III: Closing Reflections - From Frameworks to Judgment
You now have a powerful collection of tools for understanding a business and the environment in w...
PART IV: From Insights To Solution
"Analysis tells you what matters. Strategy tells you what to do about it." The purpose of case a...
The Human Side of the Case - Personas and Customer Journeys
Video: Personas & Customer Journeys: Bring the Human Side into Your Case Solution Learning Objec...
Building Alternatives That Actually Solve the Problem - Creating Genuine Strategic Choices
Video: Alternatives That Win: MECE Options + Decision Criteria That Make Your Recommendation Obvi...
Decision Criteria - Making the Choice Defensible
Video: Decision Matrix Shows Judges Exactly How You Made Your Recommendation Learning Objectives...
Financial and Quantitative Feasibility
Video: Financial Analysis in Cases: Situation Review, Modelling, and Sensitivity Learning Object...
Building the Strategic Choice
Video: Strategic Planning for Case Solutions: Build a Clear, Phased Strategy That Wins Learning ...
PART IV Closing Reflections: From Insight to Choice
Part IV represents one of the most important transitions in case solving. You began with: Unders...
PART V: Turning Strategy Into Action
"A great strategy is only valuable if the organisation can make it happen." A case competition s...
Making the Recommendation Inevitable - From Evidence to Decision
Video: Recommendation & Implementation That Seals the Win: Make It Realistic, Visual & Unforgetta...
Proving the Economics - Financial Support for the Recommendation
Video: Financial Analysis in Cases: Situation Review, Modelling, and Sensitivity Video: Situatio...
Building the Implementation Roadmap - From Strategy to Action
Video: Recommendation & Implementation That Seals the Win: Make It Realistic, Visual & Unforgetta...
Risk and Mitigation - Making the Recommendation Resilient
Video: Risks & Mitigations That Actually Strengthen Your Recommendation: Don’t Hide Them - Integr...
KPIs and Measuring Success - Knowing Whether the Strategy Worked
Learning Objectives By the end of this chapter, you should be able to: distinguish strategi...
Future Considerations and Phase 2 Thinking - What Comes Next Without Confusing the Recommendation
Video: Future Considerations & Out-of-the-Box Ideas: Don’t Confuse the Judges - Present Them the ...
PART V: Closing Reflections: From Choice to Execution
At the beginning of Part V, the team had a strategic choice. By the end, you should have a comple...
PART VI: Winning the Room
A strong solution is not enough. Judges must be able to understand it, believe it, remember it, a...
Building a Persuasive Story
Video: Storytelling in Case Presentations: How to Build a Relatable, Memorable Story That Judges ...
Executive Communication - Speaking Like a Decision Maker
Video: How to Make Your Case Presentation More Conversational - Even When It’s One-Way Video: Ho...
Delivering the Presentation - Presenting Like Trusted Advisors
Video: Presentation Tips That Actually Work: Body Language, Warmth, and Authenticity Video: Slid...
Winning the Close - Finishing Strong and Leaving a Lasting Impression
Video: The Perfect Close: Wrap Up Strong, Re-Engage Your Audience & Control the Q&A People may f...
Mastering Q&A - Turning Questions into Opportunities
Video: Master the Q&A: Never Lose Points in the Scariest Part of Your Case Presentation The ques...
Recovering Under Pressure - Turning Mistakes into Moments of Leadership
Video: Effective Speaking Strategies: 10 Practical Techniques to Deliver a Memorable Case Present...
Reading the Judges - Understanding the Decision Makers Across the Table
The best presenters don’t simply deliver information. They pay attention to the people receiving ...
Becoming a Podium Team - Beyond Winning Competitions
Winning a case competition is an achievement. Becoming the kind of person who can consistently so...
Closing Reflections: Coach's Message
Coach’s Final Message If there is one lesson I hope you carry forward, it is this: Don't measure...