What will I learn about: the 4S method—State, Structure, Solve, and Sell—to completely transform how you tackle complex business challenges and persuasively pitch your solutions?

Master the 4S method—State, Structure, Solve, and Sell—to completely transform how you tackle complex business challenges and persuasively pitch your solutions.

What will I learn about: how to balance fast, intuitive thinking with slow, methodical analysis to overcome cognitive biases without falling into analysis paralysis?

Discover how to balance fast, intuitive thinking with slow, methodical analysis to overcome cognitive biases without falling into analysis paralysis.

What will I learn about: why domain expertise can actually blind you to alternative answers, and learn how to cultivate a beginner's mindset to uncover broader perspectives?

Understand why domain expertise can actually blind you to alternative answers, and learn how to cultivate a beginner's mindset to uncover broader perspectives.

What will I learn about: Apply the TOSCA framework—Trade-offs, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, and Authority—to comprehensively define a problem so you never waste time solving the wrong issue?

Apply the TOSCA framework—Trade-offs, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, and Authority—to comprehensively define a problem so you never waste time solving the wrong issue.

What will I learn about: how to look beyond surface-level symptoms to identify connected, underlying problems, ensuring you build robust, long-term strategies rather than temporary quick fixes?

Find out how to look beyond surface-level symptoms to identify connected, underlying problems, ensuring you build robust, long-term strategies rather than temporary quick fixes.

Cracked it!

How to solve big problems and sell solutions like top strategy consultants

Bernard Garrette, Corey Phelps & Olivier Sibony

★ 3.9 / 5(74 ratings)

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Categories:

Management & Leadership Career & Success

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered why even the smartest leaders often fail to solve complex problems, and how a structured framework could change your results?
💡What if you could master the exact same 'hypothesis-driven' techniques used by elite consultants to tackle any business challenge with precision?
💡What’s the secret to using the Pyramid Principle to ensure your solutions are not only brilliant but also impossible for your organization to ignore?

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Key Takeaways from Cracked it!

✓Master the 4S method—State, Structure, Solve, and Sell—to completely transform how you tackle complex business challenges and persuasively pitch your solutions.
✓Discover how to balance fast, intuitive thinking with slow, methodical analysis to overcome cognitive biases without falling into analysis paralysis.
✓Understand why domain expertise can actually blind you to alternative answers, and learn how to cultivate a beginner's mindset to uncover broader perspectives.
✓Apply the TOSCA framework—Trade-offs, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, and Authority—to comprehensively define a problem so you never waste time solving the wrong issue.
✓Find out how to look beyond surface-level symptoms to identify connected, underlying problems, ensuring you build robust, long-term strategies rather than temporary quick fixes.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Cracked it!

Mind Map

Cracked it!

Core Mindsets+

Step 1: State+

Step 2: Structure+

Step 3: Solve+

Step 4: Sell+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6

According to the text, what is a recommended strategy to overcome the 'trap of expertise' when solving complex problems?

A. Relying strictly on fast thinking to bypass domain-specific biases.
B. Cultivating a beginner's mindset and bringing in perspectives from other domains.
C. Delegating the problem entirely to someone outside of your industry.
D. Utilizing the MECE principle to validate your immediate domain instincts.

Question 2 of 6

What does the acronym TOSCA stand for in the context of the 'State' stage of problem-solving?

A. Threats, Opportunities, Strengths, Constraints, Actions
B. Timing, Objectives, Scope, Costs, Authority
C. Trade-offs, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, Authority
D. Tactics, Outcomes, Strategy, Conditions, Analysis

Question 3 of 6

When structuring a problem, what is identified as a major risk of using a hypothesis-driven approach?

A. It can lead to analysis paralysis due to scrutinizing every possible angle without making progress.
B. It demands significantly more time and resources than an issue-driven approach.
C. It prevents you from breaking down the problem into smaller sub-hypotheses.
D. It may lure you into confirmation bias, causing you to overlook alternative game-changing solutions.

Question 4 of 6

In the hypothesis-driven approach, what is the purpose of the MECE principle?

A. To guarantee that sub-hypotheses are Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive, covering all bases without overlap.
B. To ensure that the problem statement includes Measurable, Executable, Clear, and Engaging objectives.
C. To prioritize fast thinking over slow thinking when generating candidate solutions.
D. To transition smoothly from the Structure stage to the Solve stage by Mapping Every Core Element.

Question 5 of 6

How does the Pyramid Principle structure communication during the 'Sell' stage?

A. It begins with detailed evidence, builds up to key arguments, and ends with the core message.
B. It starts with the core message, follows with key supporting arguments, and finishes with detailed evidence.
C. It presents multiple hypotheses equally and allows the audience to build their own conclusions.
D. It focuses primarily on the constraints and trade-offs before revealing the proposed solution.

Question 6 of 6

Why does the author recommend presenting your core message early and asking for initial thoughts during a presentation?

A. To shift the burden of solving the problem onto the stakeholders.
B. To quickly identify if the audience has the authority to approve the project.
C. To foster a dialogue that allows you to address objections and reservations in real time.
D. To artificially extend the length of the presentation and appear more thorough.

Cracked it! — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
21 — Finding your way through the maze of problem-solving
32 — Exploring the first step in 4S problem-solving
43 — Mastering the Structure stage of 4S
54 — Moving from solving to selling in 4S
65 — Final summary

Cracked it! Summary & Overview

Cracked it! (2018) offers you a toolbox for solving complex problems with speed and precision. Uncover how to apply methods from hypothesis-driven thinking to the Pyramid Principle, ensuring you tackle challenges effectively. Elevate your decision-making skills and become the go-to problem solver in your organization.

Who Should Listen to Cracked it!?

MBA students learning problem-solving techniques
Business executives seeking actionable strategies
Consultants looking to sharpen skills

About the Author: Bernard Garrette, Corey Phelps & Olivier Sibony

Corey Phelps is an award-winning business school professor and Fred E. Brown Chair at the University of Oklahoma, specializing in corporate growth and innovation. His expertise has led him to deliver over 75 keynote presentations and training programs globally, and he's a recipient of several teaching and research awards.

Bernard Garrette is a strategy professor at HEC Paris and a former McKinsey consultant who is lauded for his courses in strategic management. Not only has he penned award-winning case studies, but he’s also a fiction writer with a collection of illustrated short stories called Vous voulez de mes nouvelles?

Olivier Sibony is a renowned professor at HEC Paris and associate fellow at the Saïd Business School, specializing in decision-making and strategy. With 25 years at McKinsey and co-authorship of a Harvard Business Review feature alongside Nobel Prize-winner Daniel Kahneman, he's a go-to expert on behavioral biases in decision-making.

Cracked it!

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Cracked it! — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Cracked it!

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Cracked it! — Full Chapter Overview

Cracked it! Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Cracked it!?

About the Author: Bernard Garrette, Corey Phelps & Olivier Sibony

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