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Cracked It! How to solve big problems and sell solutions like top strategy consultants
Solving complex problems and selling their solutions is critical for personal and organizational success. For most of us, however, it doesn’t come naturally and we haven’t been taught how to do it well. Research shows a host of pitfalls trips us up when we try: We’re quick to believe we understand a situation and jump to a flawed solution. We seek to confirm our hypotheses and ignore conflicting evidence. We view challenges incompletely through the frameworks we know instead of with a fresh pair of eyes. And when we communicate our recommendations, we forget our reasoning isn’t obvious to our audience.
How can we do it better?
In Cracked It!, seasoned strategy professors and consultants Bernard Garrette, Corey Phelps and Olivier Sibony present a rigorous and practical four-step approach to overcome these pitfalls. Building on tried-and-tested (but rarely revealed) methods of top strategy consultants, research in cognitive psychology, and the latest advances in design thinking, they provide a step-by-step process and toolkit that will help readers tackle any challenging business problem. Using compelling stories and detailed case examples, the authors guide readers through each step in the process: from how to state, structure and then solve problems to how to sell the solutions.
Written in an engaging style by a trio of experts with decades of experience researching, teaching and consulting on complex business problems, this book will be an indispensable manual for anyone interested in creating value by helping their organizations crack the problems that matter most.
How can we do it better?
In Cracked It!, seasoned strategy professors and consultants Bernard Garrette, Corey Phelps and Olivier Sibony present a rigorous and practical four-step approach to overcome these pitfalls. Building on tried-and-tested (but rarely revealed) methods of top strategy consultants, research in cognitive psychology, and the latest advances in design thinking, they provide a step-by-step process and toolkit that will help readers tackle any challenging business problem. Using compelling stories and detailed case examples, the authors guide readers through each step in the process: from how to state, structure and then solve problems to how to sell the solutions.
Written in an engaging style by a trio of experts with decades of experience researching, teaching and consulting on complex business problems, this book will be an indispensable manual for anyone interested in creating value by helping their organizations crack the problems that matter most.
303 pages, Hardcover
Published July 2, 2018
433 people are currently reading
1981 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
August 25, 2024
الكتاب الأروع والأهم على الإطلاق في طريقة حل المشكلات. كنت أبحث عن هكذا كتاب لأكثر من ٥ سنوات، وكثفت بحثي عن كتاب مشابه في آخر سنة، ثم وجدته صدفة
قرأته مرة، وسأعيده عدة مرات أخرى. وسأعود له كل مدة. وسأنصح به أي شخص يعتمد عمله على حل المشكلات.
قرأته مرة، وسأعيده عدة مرات أخرى. وسأعود له كل مدة. وسأنصح به أي شخص يعتمد عمله على حل المشكلات.
June 22, 2020
A really good, well-structured guide into some of the basic tools and practices taught to new management consultants in intro courses, namely:
- defining the problem to be solved
- three modes of problem solving: hypothesis-driven, issue(-tree)-driven and design thinking
- navigating between the three modes
- presenting findings (a.k.a. how to build slides)
I do believe this is a great intro to new problem-solvers and also has some interesting ideas and details for seasoned ones. The strength of the book lies in the traditional management consulting domain (e.g. hypotheses, issue trees, building slideware), but it also contained a surprisingly good intro to basic design thinking methods.
- defining the problem to be solved
- three modes of problem solving: hypothesis-driven, issue(-tree)-driven and design thinking
- navigating between the three modes
- presenting findings (a.k.a. how to build slides)
I do believe this is a great intro to new problem-solvers and also has some interesting ideas and details for seasoned ones. The strength of the book lies in the traditional management consulting domain (e.g. hypotheses, issue trees, building slideware), but it also contained a surprisingly good intro to basic design thinking methods.
March 8, 2019
This is an ambitious textbook effort to train students to be problem solvers in the style of the big consulting firms. The authors are an interesting mix that do not seem tied into the typical paths for the business trade books. It is a good effort on a first read and might actually be useful, although that will take some time to see.
Many of these efforts move quickly into the content of some line of research and practice or another - mergers and acquisitions, specific industries, high tech, new ventures. When that happens it becomes hard to focus on what a particular consultant needs to do in a situation to make an impact and matters get lost in the details of the subject. The key is often how the analyst/consultant links to the problem to have some effect. It is hard to do well and easy to run afoul of the stereotypes. Watch the movie Toni Erdmann for a hilarious take on the business.
The authors do a nice job of outlining a reasonable process, explaining it, and working through the details in a variety of situations. It rings true, or at least plausible. The writing style of good and the references and support material seems OK, although I need to field test it more.
It is much better than most business trades.
Many of these efforts move quickly into the content of some line of research and practice or another - mergers and acquisitions, specific industries, high tech, new ventures. When that happens it becomes hard to focus on what a particular consultant needs to do in a situation to make an impact and matters get lost in the details of the subject. The key is often how the analyst/consultant links to the problem to have some effect. It is hard to do well and easy to run afoul of the stereotypes. Watch the movie Toni Erdmann for a hilarious take on the business.
The authors do a nice job of outlining a reasonable process, explaining it, and working through the details in a variety of situations. It rings true, or at least plausible. The writing style of good and the references and support material seems OK, although I need to field test it more.
It is much better than most business trades.
April 6, 2025
whomp whomp
February 21, 2022
A well structured book. Good for someone who starts to have management role or having a resource to tackle a problem in their work. Structured like a paper and have a good case example. Although many cases comes from a perspective of a consultant, it still applies if you come from internal companies. Address bias and another anti pattern in solving problem. Worth the money. Definitely should revisit once in a semester to hone and adjust your problem solving skill.
March 10, 2020
A must read for all aspiring and established managers and consultants.
June 20, 2020
Really well written. Super interesting cases with great insights. Highly recommended for people who wish to improve their consulting and problem solving skills.
July 26, 2023
It is one of the best problem-solving books that I have ever read.
The proposed methodology is designed in such a way to avoid the most common pitfalls in problem-solving, namely: flawed problem definition; solution confirmation; wrong framework; narrow problem framing; and miscommunication.
The 4S method is based on the problem-solving approach of strategy consulting (PSAC). The 4S method has three paths: hypothesis driven, issue driven, and design thinking. Each path covers the four stages: State, Structure, Solve, and Sell.
Before stating the core question, a problem solver must ask five questions that Tosca’s situation illustrates—and that spell the acronym TOSCA:
• Trouble: What makes this problem real and present? (Mario’s arrest)
• Owner: Whose problem is this? (Tosca’s)
• Success criteria: What will success look like, and when? (Escape)
• Constraints: What are the limits on the solution space (e.g., resources, timeline, and context)? (Virtue)
• Actors: Who has a say in the way we solve this problem, and what do they want? (Scarpia, who wants a night with Tosca.)
Structure the problem, depending on the path you’re on: With a hypothesis pyramid (if you are highly confident in the candidate solution); With an issue tree (if you don’t have a good candidate solution, but can decompose the problem); With ideation based on solution imperatives (if decomposing the problem is ineffective).
Solve the problem: By performing the analyses required (first two paths); By prototyping and testing solutions (design thinking path).
Sell the solution, focusing on the answer and your audience, not on how you solved the problem.
The 4S method is iterative and not rigidly sequential.
I love the idea of "Eight Degrees of Analysis":
1.Hypotheses that can be taken as a given without further analysis.
2. Analyses requiring hard numbers that are easy to identify, if not always to obtain
3.Assessments based on facts that are not numbers. Qualitative facts are still facts.
4. Hypotheses that can be settled by simple analysis beyond the facts
5.Hypotheses that force you to make assumptions
6.Hypotheses based on a special type of assumption: internal plans
7.Assumptions that call for technical expertise.
8.Assumptions that are, irreducibly, a matter of judgment.
The proposed methodology is designed in such a way to avoid the most common pitfalls in problem-solving, namely: flawed problem definition; solution confirmation; wrong framework; narrow problem framing; and miscommunication.
The 4S method is based on the problem-solving approach of strategy consulting (PSAC). The 4S method has three paths: hypothesis driven, issue driven, and design thinking. Each path covers the four stages: State, Structure, Solve, and Sell.
Before stating the core question, a problem solver must ask five questions that Tosca’s situation illustrates—and that spell the acronym TOSCA:
• Trouble: What makes this problem real and present? (Mario’s arrest)
• Owner: Whose problem is this? (Tosca’s)
• Success criteria: What will success look like, and when? (Escape)
• Constraints: What are the limits on the solution space (e.g., resources, timeline, and context)? (Virtue)
• Actors: Who has a say in the way we solve this problem, and what do they want? (Scarpia, who wants a night with Tosca.)
Structure the problem, depending on the path you’re on: With a hypothesis pyramid (if you are highly confident in the candidate solution); With an issue tree (if you don’t have a good candidate solution, but can decompose the problem); With ideation based on solution imperatives (if decomposing the problem is ineffective).
Solve the problem: By performing the analyses required (first two paths); By prototyping and testing solutions (design thinking path).
Sell the solution, focusing on the answer and your audience, not on how you solved the problem.
The 4S method is iterative and not rigidly sequential.
I love the idea of "Eight Degrees of Analysis":
1.Hypotheses that can be taken as a given without further analysis.
2. Analyses requiring hard numbers that are easy to identify, if not always to obtain
3.Assessments based on facts that are not numbers. Qualitative facts are still facts.
4. Hypotheses that can be settled by simple analysis beyond the facts
5.Hypotheses that force you to make assumptions
6.Hypotheses based on a special type of assumption: internal plans
7.Assumptions that call for technical expertise.
8.Assumptions that are, irreducibly, a matter of judgment.
January 21, 2024
Ok. 3 stars may be a little generous but I’m giving it three anyway. While not entertaining in the slightest, it never promised to be interesting. It also will probably help me a lot with the project that I have to do in my consulting class (hence why the class assignment was to read the book). While I suffered through this book, I know I won’t regret reading it later, and, here me out, it may help me.
May 3, 2021
This is a must read for anyone working in a corporate environment. If I were the CEO of any public company I would gift the book to all my employee together with slide writing and excel courses. I am always confused on how much training money is spent on “leadership” topics and very little money spent on training what everyone in an organization is doing the whole day: solve problems, analyze data, communicate.
More suited to consultants and corporate employee. A bit too theoretical for entrepreneurs and “doers”.
More suited to consultants and corporate employee. A bit too theoretical for entrepreneurs and “doers”.
May 18, 2020
Beautiful book in this topic. The mix of authors between academics and actual consultants paid off, bringing to life a balanced book including a practical and theoretical approach. It is fairly comprehensive in how it covers the different topics and I really loved the fact they introduced design thinking as an alternate method to the more dry consulting method. The one-page chapter summaries are also great. Reading this book is definitely a no-regrets.
May 17, 2022
This book is for those who want to see for themselves what a consultant does. The process of stating a business question, structure the work to be done, solve the problem and share the solution is well described. Personally I loved the stating and sharing chapters the most. The book uses clear language, lots of examples and breaks down the process in well digestible reading pieces. 4 stars for me.
November 3, 2019
Pretty good, pragmatic overview of basic McKinsey methodology.
Nothing terribly knew (though I did not know that they started to peddle Design Thinking too... people like it so let's give it to them).
But well organized, to the point and pragmatic!
Nothing terribly knew (though I did not know that they started to peddle Design Thinking too... people like it so let's give it to them).
But well organized, to the point and pragmatic!
October 13, 2023
4s method for problem solving i can use also in marketing
———
State, Structure, Solve, and Sell.
State: you can use something called the TOSCA framework, which stands for Trade-offs, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, and Authority.
Structure: choosing the right structuring approach – be it hypothesis-driven (start with solution)or issue-driven(start with problem to solve the problem)when u don’t know where is problem .
The other two steps:
Pyramid Principle first(start with your core message at the top of the pyramid. This is the big idea you want everyone to walk away remembering. Then, lay out key arguments that support this message, followed by detailed evidence that backs up those arguments)
———
State, Structure, Solve, and Sell.
State: you can use something called the TOSCA framework, which stands for Trade-offs, Objectives, Scope, Constraints, and Authority.
Structure: choosing the right structuring approach – be it hypothesis-driven (start with solution)or issue-driven(start with problem to solve the problem)when u don’t know where is problem .
The other two steps:
Pyramid Principle first(start with your core message at the top of the pyramid. This is the big idea you want everyone to walk away remembering. Then, lay out key arguments that support this message, followed by detailed evidence that backs up those arguments)
December 5, 2023
As a management consultant, I often face tricky problems, both in business and personal matters. I've always wondered if there's a clear way to go beyond guesswork and find truly effective solutions. "Cracked It: How to Solve Big Problems and Sell Solutions Like Top Strategy Consultants" is a fantastic book for anyone looking for a structured approach to problem-solving. It's divided into four parts, each with lots of chapters, and it gives helpful advice with real-life examples.
Problem-solving is like a puzzle that needs balance, strategy, and good communication. One important idea from the book is finding a balance between quick thinking and slow thinking when solving problems. Trusting your gut feeling is a good start, but it's even better when you back it up with careful analysis. Another important point is not sticking only to what you know but being open to ideas from different areas. Being open-minded like a beginner can help you see things from a fresh perspective. Lastly, it stresses the importance of clearly stating the problem, using tools like the 4S method and TOSCA framework to guide you from defining the problem to presenting the solution.
The 4S method breaks down problem-solving into four stages: State, Structure, Solve, and Sell. How you structure the problem can either be based on a guess or a clear understanding, depending on your situation. Lastly, the book talks about good communication, using techniques like the Pyramid Principle. This helps not only in creating a strong solution but also in convincing others it's the right one. In a nutshell, solving tough problems needs careful planning, staying open-minded, and being good at explaining your ideas. If you're into problem-solving or just want some useful tips, I highly recommend giving "Cracked It" a read!
Problem-solving is like a puzzle that needs balance, strategy, and good communication. One important idea from the book is finding a balance between quick thinking and slow thinking when solving problems. Trusting your gut feeling is a good start, but it's even better when you back it up with careful analysis. Another important point is not sticking only to what you know but being open to ideas from different areas. Being open-minded like a beginner can help you see things from a fresh perspective. Lastly, it stresses the importance of clearly stating the problem, using tools like the 4S method and TOSCA framework to guide you from defining the problem to presenting the solution.
The 4S method breaks down problem-solving into four stages: State, Structure, Solve, and Sell. How you structure the problem can either be based on a guess or a clear understanding, depending on your situation. Lastly, the book talks about good communication, using techniques like the Pyramid Principle. This helps not only in creating a strong solution but also in convincing others it's the right one. In a nutshell, solving tough problems needs careful planning, staying open-minded, and being good at explaining your ideas. If you're into problem-solving or just want some useful tips, I highly recommend giving "Cracked It" a read!
July 25, 2020
Very solid book on problem solving.
A very good book on problem solving. The authors presented a structured framework for defining a problem, analyzing a problem, and ideating a solution. They also shared tips on presenting the solution to stakeholders. I find this book extremely useful.
It is written in a slightly textbook like manner, which makes me feel a little dry at times. Nevertheless, highly recommended read. I wish I read this earlier!
A very good book on problem solving. The authors presented a structured framework for defining a problem, analyzing a problem, and ideating a solution. They also shared tips on presenting the solution to stakeholders. I find this book extremely useful.
It is written in a slightly textbook like manner, which makes me feel a little dry at times. Nevertheless, highly recommended read. I wish I read this earlier!
September 13, 2022
Fantastic book on a vital topic - how to solve problems AND motivate others to act upon your solution. This is one of those rare books that provides both theory and practical advice on an important topic. Problem-solving is one of the most urgent issues of our times. In fact, as Karl Popper says, "All Life is Problem Solving."
"Cracked It!" provides frameworks, checklists, and advice on how to "sell" or motivate others to adopt your solution. Highly recommended.
"Cracked It!" provides frameworks, checklists, and advice on how to "sell" or motivate others to adopt your solution. Highly recommended.
June 12, 2025
This book is an easy read. The examples cut across different chapters, so the reader can relate the methodological concepts to the example in a crescendo and characterize the interactive nature of the methodology.
The methodology in itself, once laid out, depicts a pragmatic, common-sense, and straightforward path. I am applying to different cases with MBA teams this summer. It has been proving effective so far.
The methodology in itself, once laid out, depicts a pragmatic, common-sense, and straightforward path. I am applying to different cases with MBA teams this summer. It has been proving effective so far.
March 4, 2019
Not perfect, but great
Though this book is not perfect, but it does deliver on complex problem solving. It provides a clear framework, structure and reasoning. Easy to understand case studies and real life examples. Very good diagrams indeed! Highly recommended to those who wants to consult, or just practice problem solving everyday in their life.
Though this book is not perfect, but it does deliver on complex problem solving. It provides a clear framework, structure and reasoning. Easy to understand case studies and real life examples. Very good diagrams indeed! Highly recommended to those who wants to consult, or just practice problem solving everyday in their life.
April 8, 2022
How to frame a problem when many things are unknown? How to gather, analyze and present information or data in the most convincing way?
Written by Bernard Garrette, associate dean at HEC business school and renowned expert in corporate strategy, this book delivers very practical on the tools and techniques used by strategy consultants to process business data.
Written by Bernard Garrette, associate dean at HEC business school and renowned expert in corporate strategy, this book delivers very practical on the tools and techniques used by strategy consultants to process business data.
September 18, 2021
The best introductory book about problem solving. Hypotheses and issue driven problem thinking and design thinking are the mental models proposed by this book. It articulates very well when to use these tools
October 18, 2022
This was a thorough and informative book. Very detailed with a good framework for solving business problems in a practical manner. The mix of informational lessons coupled with utilization techniques makes this a great playbook working towards a resolution.
January 17, 2023
The book has everything you may need to solve a case and still nothing that you may be able to use. A good compilation of learnings in a job where the principles are very unique and not always transferable!
September 5, 2023
Nice book about how management consultants tackle problems following the 4S method: State, Structure, Solve, Sell. It is well-written with plenty of examples. I like how each chapter ends with a summary of the key ideas.
September 23, 2025
design thinking là một chủ đề khá nổi bật trong cuốn này
còn khoảng 200 trang đầu tiên thì đọc một hồi như lạc vào rừng rậm nhiệt đới haha
việc trình bày, sự quan trọng của slide cũng được đề cập
còn khoảng 200 trang đầu tiên thì đọc một hồi như lạc vào rừng rậm nhiệt đới haha
việc trình bày, sự quan trọng của slide cũng được đề cập
February 3, 2019
A great book !
February 1, 2021
A good book about consulting that isn't too theoretical and has lots of real-world examples
March 27, 2022
The basic premise of this book is so powerful. Worth a read if you are looking to really move needles or if you are taking on a new leadership role.
November 4, 2022
(read the French version)
August 21, 2023
This book is useful and easy to read. There are several chapters (particularly chapters about selling stories) I definitely need to read again to fully comprehend and apply it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews