Tuesday, July 2, 2013

The Straw Man - An Important Tool for McKinsey-Style Problem Solving

Image from playbackups.com
As a Firm, McKinsey if often engaged to work on a client's most challenging problems and McKinsey teams apply structured approaches to arrive at the best answers.  The "straw man" is an important tool for collaborative problem solving in all phases and at every level of a client engagement.  In this post I'll explain what a straw man is, why they're important, and caveats for their use...


What is a straw man?

In the context of problem solving, a "straw man" is a draft version of something that a team can debate, pick apart, and improve.

The use of a straw man is aligned with a couple of hallmarks of McKinsey problem solving.  The straw man is hypothesis-driven and it enables an iterative process for getting to increasingly better solutions.  Like anything else hypothesis-driven, the team should be prepared to discard it if necessary and resume work with a new straw man.

Disclaimer:  This "straw man" should not be confused with the political / debating version of a "straw man" in which your opponent takes Position "A", you find a similar but easily attacked Position "B", and argue against Position "B" (the "straw man") rather than your opponent's actual Position "A".

Common examples of where a straw man might be used

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but includes some examples of occasions when a straw man could be used to drive team problem solving:
  • Initial hypothesis for the overarching answer for a client engagement
  • Preliminary outline ("dot-dash") for a PowerPoint presentation (deck) storyline
  • Draft version of a PowerPoint page for making a particularly challenging point
  • Simple, working model in Excel that will eventually require more complex functionality

Why the straw man is important

In each of the examples above, it is much easier for a group of people to engage in discussion about a draft version of something rather than debating it in abstract.  The intent is never for the straw man to be the ultimate answer, instead, it is a tool to help get to the best answer.

The arguments and ideas that arise from the straw man provide valuable feedback that inform and improve the final answer.  Sometimes, the most successful straw man is the one that gets discarded but adds tremendous value by revealing where the answer is NOT.  Often, the best arguments against a straw man end up being or leading to the actual solution.

Consider how a collaborative problem-solving session can get derailed without a straw man.  Here are some ways group work can get derailed without a straw man...
  • Lack of common understanding of the problem and/or potential solutions results in miscommunication, frustration, and wasted effort
  • An infinite solution space can leave teams stuck in the brainstorming phase without making progress toward a solution
  • Without a straw man to test and discard, teams could end up wasting valuable time developing and refining solutions that are suboptimal or incorrect

Caveats for using a straw man

1.  Present it as a rough draft

It's critical that a straw man be presented in the proper context- that it is highly preliminary and meant to be picked apart.  Clients, in particular, can be uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the hypothesis-driven approach.  That makes it especially important that the following be made clear:
  • The team is not assuming that they already know the answer - a common knock against consultants is that we act like we know everything.  A straw man taken out of context would reinforce that perception.
  • The straw man is preliminary, incomplete, and possibly incorrect - without the proper context, clients can anchor on the straw man and reference it, even after it has been discarded.  It can also hurt your credibility if the client has a culture that values always being right.
  • This is an iterative process and the intent is to discard or improve the straw man - clients might question why they're paying so much for something that's so clearly wrong

2.  Don't over-invest time and effort

Because the straw man is a rough draft, it doesn't make a lot of sense to spend a lot of time and effort fine-tuning and polishing it.  As long as it's developed enough to make its position clear and trigger the necessary thinking and debate, it's ready to go.

3.  Avoid pride of ownership

If you find yourself defending your straw man too vigorously, take a step back and make sure you're arguing for the hypothesis and not for your own work.  The straw man is meant to be attacked and picked apart - either so it can be discarded or so that it can be improved.  Don't take it personally.  And if you're on the other end of the process, remember to focus your critical eye on the straw man, not its creator.

Another important use of the straw man

In a previous post, I covered 3 ways to keep your McKinsey boss happy.  In a future post I'll go into greater detail on how a straw man can help you with a 4th way to keep your McKinsey boss happy - always go to him/her with solutions, not problems.  The straw man can be an important tool for doing this.

29 comments:

  1. The central idea in graphic design, is the communication of ideas. Ideas that are organized through the use of images, in which it seeks to combine art with typographical aspects. See more best academic poster

    ReplyDelete
  2. *Consultants will be required to comply with the British Council’s safer recruitment procedures and to supply all required documents such as references, police checks, and academic certificates.
    housing in perth

    ReplyDelete
  3. We are confident that using our 3312 study guide materials will have you passing this exam easily, and if you won't pass you'll get your money back.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice information I wrote similar blog please Read it too
    https://www.indianeconomycurrentsituation.com/2019/03/straw-man-arguments-and-its-solution.html?m=1

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ecolo (エコロー) is an e-commerce website that provides sugarcane straw all over the world.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Odd to see this term used in a positive context. I mostly hear it in the context of logical falacies. This was a new usage for me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice reading, I love your content. This is really a fantastic and informative post. Keep it up and if you are looking for uk growth consulting then visit Wicked-people.com.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I was diagnosed as HEPATITIS B carrier in 2013 with fibrosis of the
    liver already present. I started on antiviral medications which
    reduced the viral load initially. After a couple of years the virus
    became resistant. I started on HEPATITIS B Herbal treatment from
    ULTIMATE LIFE CLINIC (www.ultimatelifeclinic.com) in March, 2020. Their
    treatment totally reversed the virus. I did another blood test after
    the 6 months long treatment and tested negative to the virus. Amazing
    treatment! This treatment is a breakthrough for all HBV carriers.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This post is very simple to read and appreciate without leaving any details out. Great work! omnichannel contact center solution

    ReplyDelete
  10. I contacted lord Bubuza when all hope was lost, when no one could help me stop my cheating boyfriend from cheating, He left me for another girl because of this. I love him and didn't want him out of my life so i cried to my friend. she told me how lord Bubuza reunited her and boyfriend with his spell. I immediately contacted Lord Bubuza for help via WhatsApp: +1 505 569 0396. He responded and told me not to worry that my boyfriend will come back begging. I did as lord Bubuza instructed and he casted the spell. 14 hours after the spell was casted, I was so surprised when my boyfriend came begging me on his knees. This man save my relationship and we are happily married now. Contact lord Bubuza for help via WhatsApp: +1 505 569 0396 or email: lordbubuzamiraclework @ hotmail . com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I won $739,342,000 Million dollars with the help of lord Bubuza winning numbers, I have been playing lottery games for years and I have never been lucky but my Friend in the office won 496,800.000 million dollars and resigned from work so I beg him for help and he said lord Bubuza predicted his winning after casting a spell and gave him the winning number to play and he won so I spoke to lord Bubuza on WhatsApp: +1 984 240 7211 for help. He responded and said a reading had to be done and a spell cast to reveal my SIX winning numbers, I provided his requirements for the casting of the spell. After casting the spell, he gave me SIX numbers and told me when and where to play. I did as instructed and 24 hours later, I got a call that I won $739,342,000 million dollars, I thought it was a joke until i saw $739,342,000 Million dollars on my bank account. Is this not amazing ? Contact him via WhatsApp: +1 984 240 7211 or email: lordbubuzamiraclework @ hotmail . com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hello Everyone,

    Welcome to the future! Financing made easy with Prof. Mrs. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS

    Have you been looking for financing options for your new business plans, Are you seeking for a loan to expand your existing business, Do you find yourself in a bit of trouble with unpaid bills and you don’t know which way to go or where to turn to? Have you been turned down by your banks? MRS. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS says YES when your banks say NO. Contact us as we offer financial services at a low and affordable interest rate of 2% for long and short term loans. Interested applicants should contact us for further loan acquisition procedures via profdorothyinvestments@gmail.com

    Services rendered include:

    * Refinancing Loans
    * Car Loan
    * Truck Loans
    * COVID-19 Financing Loan
    * Home Loan
    * Mortgage Loan
    * Debt Consolidation Loan
    * Farm Loan
    * Business Loan [secure and unsecured]
    * Personal Loan [secure and unsecured]
    * Students Loan and so many others.

    For more info; Contact us via Email profdorothyinvestments@gmail.com

    With Prof. Mrs. DOROTHY LOAN INVESTMENTS. you can say goodbye to all your financial crisis and difficulties as we are certified, trustworthy, reliable, efficient, fast and dynamic

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great Post! I really loved reading through this article. Thanks for sharing such a amazing post with us and keep blogging BM&A is trusted by over one hundred corporate clients, risk and management consultancy firms, IGOs and high net worth individuals.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I have been browsing over the net for days now and boom I felt on this interesting article which helped me change my mind set , I also learn a lot about Malta country and SOMEONE DISCOVERED TIPS ON HOW TO GET A MALTA CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT I've bookmark your site and furthermore include RSS. keep us refreshed all the time. Y’all don’t forget to join this EXPERTS TELEGRAM GROUP for more information about the Malta Citizenship and how to acquire them easily with no stress. You can also take advantage to learn and meet many Experts who will guide you on numerous techniques for anyone who love hacking and don’t know how to go about it .

    ReplyDelete
  16. When I felt like giving up completely, Dr Ilekhojie stepped in and reminded me that nothing is too hard for Him! I have been standing for many years and didn’t know that I was on the verge of accepting to divorce my husband, when I found Dr Ilekhojies contact online. It took me getting to a place of being absolutely broken for me to see that I needed to tell him what i had been facing in my marriage with my husband. I made a War Room in my bedroom closet and went straight to the Source! It did get hard many times; my husband was still at home and not being supportive and still wanted a divorce, but I knew the little i had would sustain me and my daughter.Then suddenly came this past Saturday, Dr Ilekhojies reconciliation spell put him in a place to decide whether he would abandon us or work on our marriage. Only by the reconciliation spell spell did he actually say that he still wanted to be married and canceled the contract on a home he was about to buy in Hemet California! Indeed, nothing is impossible with Dr Ilekhojies reconciliation spell. NEVER give up!” contact Dr Ilekhojie if you are having problems in your marriage or relationship on gethelp05@gmail.com or reach out with his phone number +2348147400259

    ReplyDelete
  17. My husband just woke up and decided our marriage was over. For a few months now, Roger and i have not been going well because he was having an affair with his assistant at work. I loved my husband so much and decided to stay and work on our marriage. In a short time, Roger stopped coming home and his close friend told me he has another apartment where he live with her. I was hurt and went on seeking for help because Roger was different from the man i married 10 years ago. Luckily, i found Dr Ilekhojie who promised to return my husband back to me. He performed a reconciliation spell which returned Rogers back and now we are both happy again with our boys. If you have issues like mine, send Dr Ilekhojie an Email: gethelp05@gmail.com or contact him on Whatsapp/Viber(+2348147400259

    ReplyDelete
  18. I started to notice some strange behavior from my husband a few weeks ago and I found out that my husband is seeing someone. He started coming home late from work, he hardly care about me or the kids anymore, Sometimes he goes out and doesn't even come back home for about 2-3 days. I did all I could to rectify this problem but all to no avail. I became very worried and needed help. As I was browsing through the Internet one day, I came across a website that suggested that Dr Ilekhojie can help solve marital problems, restore broken relationships and so on. I contacted him and he promised to help me with a reconciliation spell. I did all he asked me and just as Rodicas case, my husband returned two days later a different man. He started confessing all he has been doing and asked me to give him a second chance to make amends. All thanks to Dr Ilekhojie, my husband is now more loving and responsible. Reach out to Dr Ilekhojie with these contacts Whatsapp/call/viber +2348147400259 or Email: gethelp05@gmail.com)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I was married for 16 years to a loving mother and wife. We had 2 children together who are now 11 & 13. I reconnected with an old girlfriend from college on Facebook and we began an affair and I left my wife. The woman I had an affair with is a wonderful woman and I love her too and our kids had begun accepting the situation and my wife has kind of moved on, but not in love with the man she is seeing. I thought I fell out of love with my wife and I felt terrible about what I did to her - she is a good woman and I don't know what came over me. I decided to try and get her back and I was recommended to Dr. Ige Ajayi for help to get reunited with my wife and within 48 hours after I made contact with Dr. Ige Ajayi my wife decided to work things out with me and now we are back together with our children living as one happy family. I really don't know the words to use in appreciation of what Dr. Ige Ajayi, did for me but I will say thank you sir for reuniting I and my family back. For those in trying times with their marriages or relationship can Contact him. E-mail drigeajayi@gmail.com. Phone/Whatsapp +234(81)-3003-5939

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi viewers did you know there are spell to win love back from an ex. I have done it. I love reading about relationships and how to make them work, how to better the relationship, and how to keep the spark alive, even how to talk to them a certain way to get them to think a different way about the situation and you. If you need advice  or want to win your ex back, try Dr Augus: whatsapp +447883246472 copy and message on the following (draugus77@gmail.com ) will change your mentality and get you what you want.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Drake Grove Finance Limited provides personal loans/business loans/trade finance/import & export loans/project loans to companies of all sizes ranging from individuals, companies and trader's globally. Just one simple process, We make financing the growth of your business simple, transparent, and fair.


    No jargon, no hidden fees
    Simple approval process
    Fast business loans funded in just 2-3 business days
    Low Interest rate of 2%
    Zero credit checks required
    Flexible repayment schedules
    CIS & KYC required for all loan applicant irrespective of location/country
    Loan Duration: f1 year - 25 years
    Grace period of 12 - 24 months for large business loans/working capital
    Loan Funding/Financing is not limited to any geographical location or country whatsoever


    Intermediaries/Consultants/Brokers are welcome to bring their clients and are 100% protected. Email: loans@drakegrovefinance.net | Whatsapp: +44 7469 453827

    ReplyDelete
  22. I know an organization who have private investigators for hire who can help you get into your spouse’s phones,emails remotely from your phone they can also help you with your
    * credit score
    * clearing of criminal record
    *increasing of school grades and any thing that has to do with hacking etc
    You can confirm for yourself from their email ethicalhackers009@gmail.com so you can also give your testimony
    Whatsapp No: +14106350697

    ReplyDelete
  23. ¿Está buscando una solución a su problema matrimonial o de pareja? Si su respuesta es "SÍ", no dude en enviar un mensaje de texto. Solución marital. El doctor me ayudó a recuperar a mi ex amante. Los hechizos del doctor son auténticos. Mi esposo me dejó durante 8 meses y estaba devastada y no podía encontrar ninguna salida Tráelo de vuelta. En algún momento estuve deprimido, hasta que encontré comentarios mientras navegaba por Internet donde la gente testificaba sobre cómo el Dr. Robbinson los ayudó a resolver problemas similares a los que estoy enfrentando en mi matrimonio. Lo contacté y nunca dudó en ayudarme a mí también, hoy estoy en paz con mi esposo nuevamente y mi felicidad está restaurada.
    Texto/llamada: +12267705795
    Correo electrónico: Drrobbinssonspiritualhome@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Drake Grove Finance Limited provides personal loans/business loans/trade finance/import & export loans/project loans to companies of all sizes ranging from individuals, companies and trader's globally. Just one simple process, We make financing the growth of your business simple, transparent, and fair.


    No jargon, no hidden fees
    Simple approval process
    Fast business loans funded in just 2-3 business days
    Low Interest rate of 2%
    Zero credit checks required
    Flexible repayment schedules
    CIS & KYC required for all loan applicant irrespective of location/country
    Loan Duration: f1 year - 25 years
    Grace period of 12 - 24 months for large business loans/working capital
    Loan Funding/Financing is not limited to any geographical location or country whatsoever


    Intermediaries/Consultants/Brokers are welcome to bring their clients and are 100% protected. Email: loans@drakegrovefinance.net | Whatsapp: +44 7469 453827

    ReplyDelete
  25. itu bagus, terimakasih informasinya.. jika anda mencari informasi tentang kursi roda silahkan cek di
    Kursi Roda Traveling dan
    Harga Kursi Roda Terbaru

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks to robinson.buckler@yahoo com.. .................I am free from herpes

    Sure Treatment!!

    My heart is so filled with joy.

    Contact him

    ReplyDelete
  27. So great to listen that so many people have benefited from this blog.

    ReplyDelete