Business Insight丨Author / Liu Run Finished / Banana Pi
This is the 1024th original article of Liu Run's public account
Some time ago, I took some entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs to visit a famous consulting company.
Everyone asked a question: In the face of so many intricate problems, how do you analyze them?
The other party replied: Seven-step analysis method.
Define the problem, decompose the problem, sort the problem, analyze the plan, key analysis, summarize the suggestion, communicate and communicate.
Everyone asked again: Most people know these seven steps. But why is it always not good enough and what went wrong?
The other party replied: Because there is no structured thinking and expression framework.
So, how to train this ability?
The three most important suggestions:
Clearly define the problem. Follow the MECE law. Communicate logically.
— 1 —
Clearly define the problem
Why is it important to clearly define the problem?
Because the premise of solving the problem is to find the right problem.
The chairman said that the problem I want to solve is A, the general manager said that I think the problem is B, and the director said that I think the real problem is C. Everyone is different.
What is the problem?
The problem is behind what and how, that big why.
What do you mean?
Let me give you an example.
Once I opened a private board of directors with a group of entrepreneurs, and one of them asked a question:
Excuse me, how can I fire my senior management?
The other entrepreneurs on the scene learned more about the situation through questions and wanted to give him some suggestions.
What is the specific position of an executive? How much income? Are there any risks in the contract? ...
I listened for a while and couldn't help interrupting everyone. Asked this entrepreneur a question:
Why are you firing your executives?
Pause. We tried to clearly define the real problem of this entrepreneur.
How can I fire a senior executive? This is a "how" question.
In fact, he has already made the decision by tacit consent-to fire the executive.
Taking this decision as the answer, what is the problem behind him?
Is "through what method to fire him, the least harm to the company"? This is a question of what.
But is this a real problem?
Behind what and how, there is another why. why? why?
The entrepreneur said:
Because in interviews with investors, every executive spoke differently about the company's vision.
Annoying. I have talked for so many years, but there is still no unified understanding.
I face investors, slapped my chest and vowed, everyone is one mind and has a great vision. As a result, none of you can tell.
Therefore, the purpose of this entrepreneur is to lose face because of some executives' performance, so he wants to kill them.
But the real problem may be how to make executives truly understand the company's culture and strategy.
Therefore, clearly defining the problem is actually to find the real why behind what and how.
So, what if you can't find that why?
Ask. Keep asking.
The real reason is hidden in the constant questioning.
— 2 —
Follow the MECE law
What is the MECE law?
MECE law is a thinking tool proposed by McKinsey consultant Barbara Minto in "Pyramid Principle".
It is the abbreviation of Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive, which means "independent of each other and completely exhausted." It is also called "no repetition and no leakage".
It sounds abstract, but it's actually very simple. The MECE law is like a jigsaw puzzle.
We put together a complete jigsaw puzzle piece by piece. If the pieces are put together correctly, there must be no more pieces but no more pieces.
The problem must be fully and clearly unfolded before us.
I gave an example in "5 Minutes Business School":
If you want to discuss the target user positioning of a new game, which group do you plan to develop a new game for?
First list all possible user positioning possible. For example: men, children, adults, old people, otaku, two-dimensional girls...
It looks very rich. But these fragments obviously violate the MECE law.
Men and children overlap, called little boys. The otaku, overlapped with the old man, is called the lonely old man. Moreover, some other roles are omitted, such as female white-collar workers. and many more.
How should it be listed?
On the first level, it is divided according to gender: man, woman.
On the second level, it is divided according to age: children, young people, middle-aged people, and old people.
Each layer complies with MECE's rule of no emphasis and no leakage.
When we decompose, we can have many, many angles.
If it is analysis progress, it can be broken down according to process stages.
If it is cost analysis, it can be broken down according to work items.
If you are analyzing users, you can break them down according to gender, age, and educational background.
And these decomposition angles are "models."
These mature studies are frameworks. Such as SWOT analysis, such as marketing's 4P model, such as Porter's five forces framework.
The thinking of predecessors, our ladder. Don't reinvent the wheel.
— 3 —
Communicate logically
Analyze the problem, why add "logical communication"?
Why is communication so important?
Because of collaboration. The process of analyzing problems often requires a lot of interaction with the outside world. It is very important for others to understand what you are saying.
Synchronizing progress, reporting progress, proposing plans, persuading and negotiating are all communication.
Without logic in communication, analysis will fail.
Then, how do you train yourself to communicate logically and express structuredly?
Barbara Minto, in addition to proposing the MECE rule, also proposed a structured expression tool: SCQA.
S is the background (Situation).
C, namely complexity, is often translated as Conflict (Complication).
Q is the question (Question).
A is the answer (Answer).
The same thing, different ways of expression, give people the feeling, the results may be completely different.
Let me give you an example.
Suppose you are a sales director and want to open up new markets, but the talent does not agree to be transferred. You and your boss report that you want to change the incentive system. How do you express it?
For example, the first type is straightforward (ASC). Answer-background-conflict.
Boss, what I want to report to you is the suggestion to change the company’s sales incentive system from a commission system to a bonus system. (A, answer.)
Since its inception, the company has been using a commission system to motivate sales teams. This is one of the three mainstream incentive mechanisms (commissions, bonuses, dividends), and they are applicable to different scenarios. (S, background)
However, with the rapid development of the company’s business and the coverage of more and more cities, the commission system has caused a lot of unfair incentives: unfairness in rich and poor areas; unfairness in mature markets and new entrants; even Employees get large commissions, but the company is losing money. (C, conflict)
Therefore, I suggest changing the commission system to a bonus system. You can get the same bonus if you complete 1 million in area A and 700,000 in area B. Encourage talents to explore the market in area B.
This way of communication is clear and straightforward.
For example, the second type, prominent worry type (CSA). Conflict-background-answers
Boss, our strategy this year is to open up the B area market. Now the B market is surrounded by powerful enemies, and our market share has fallen far behind our opponents. If this continues, we may lose the area. (C, conflict.)
We have always used a commission system to motivate the team, but the commission has created a lot of unfair incentives. Sales backbones are not willing to go to new places to open up the market, worrying about the decline in their commission income. (S, background.)
I suggest that we can change from a commission system to a bonus system. As long as the B area achieves a certain performance, the same bonus can also be obtained. (A, answer.)
For another example, the third type is to highlight confidence (QSCA). Question-Background-Conflict-Answer
Why has our plan to develop the B market this year been challenged? (Q, question.)
Because we have always used a commission system in the past. (S, background.)
The commission system has caused a lot of unfair incentives. Sales talents are not willing to go to new places to open up markets, worrying that their commissions will decrease and their income will be affected. But if so, we may lose the entire region of B. (C, conflict.)
So, this is no small challenge. I suggest that we change from a commission system to a bonus system. Let the sales people get the same income on the premise of completing the performance. Only in this way can they inspire them to fight in new places. (A, answer.)
SCQA is a classic, structured expression tool.
We must not only communicate, but also communicate logically, but also communicate logically to achieve our own goals.
In the end, therefore, when analyzing the problem, you do not have no focus, but you have no structure. Structured thinking and expression are the key to effective problem analysis. Clearly define the problem, follow the MECE rule, and communicate logically, which not only helps you sort out your ideas, but also helps the other party better understand. You must work hard to understand and understand these trainings. Forcefully pierce through the layer of window paper that you understand or don't understand, whether or not. Before we talk about many magnificent concepts, interesting phenomena, and difficult problems, the most important thing is to practice the basic skills first. When you practice the basic skills well, it's like having a powerful weapon arsenal. When you analyze the problem, you will be able to get rid of the cocoon, and it will never be a bad personal combat.