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<p>Foreword ix</p> <p>Introduction: Problem Solving for the Challenges of the Twenty-First Century xiii</p> <p>Chapter 1 Learn the Bulletproof Problem Solving Approach 1<br />A straightforward seven-step process is the key to bulletproof problem solving.</p> <p>Chapter 2 Define the Problem 31<br />Take time upfront to fully understand the problem and its context.</p> <p>Chapter 3 Problem Disaggregation and Prioritization 49<br />Cleave the problem into manageable parts.</p> <p>Chapter 4 Build a Great Workplan and Team Processes 87<br />Drive your workplans from hypotheses to action for efficient problem solving.</p> <p>Chapter 5 Conduct Analyses 111<br />Start with summary statistics and heuristics to find simple answers to complex problems.</p> <p>Chapter 6 Big Guns of Analysis 135<br />Employ sophisticated tools of analysis with confidence when they are needed.</p> <p>Chapter 7 Synthesize Results and Tell a Great Story 179<br />Synthesize your analysis and turn it into a compelling narrative.</p> <p>Chapter 8 Problem Solving with Long Time Frames and High Uncertainty 195<br />Add tools to address issues of long time frames and uncertainty.</p> <p>Chapter 9 Wicked Problems 235<br />Unpick wicked problems to yield surprising insights.</p> <p>Chapter 10 Becoming a Great Problem Solver 253<br />The magic of the bulletproof process is now yours.</p> <p>Appendix: Blank Worksheets for You to Try 259</p> <p>About the Authors 265</p> <p>Acknowledgments 267</p> <p>Index 271</p>

<p><b>Charles Conn </b>is CEO of the Rhodes Scholarships in Oxford. Previously, he was a Partner at McKinsey & Company, led a technology start-up to its IPO, and was an early team lead at the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation in San Francisco.</p> <p><b>Robert McLean </b>is Director Emeritus at McKinsey and Company. He led the Australian and New Zealand McKinsey practice for eight years and served on the firm's global Director's Committee.</p>

<p>"Problem solving is the core skill for the twenty-first century. Now, finally, we have a guide to doing it right that any of us can follow."<br /><b>—Dominic Barton,</b> Global Managing Partner Emeritus, McKinsey & Company</p> <p><b>PRAISE FOR BULLETPROOF PROBLEM SOLVING</b></p> <p>"We always hired for creative problem solving talent above all else; these guys have cracked the code on a replicable approach for problems large and small. Learn it, practice it!"<br />—<b>Eric Schmidt, Former Chairman and CEO, Google; Visiting Innovation Fellow, MIT</b></p> <p>"Together Charles and Rob have taken problem solving out of the business school classroom and into real life, where it belongs. Utilizing 30 cases, these masters of the art have something to teach all of us."<br />—<b>James Gorman, Chairman and CEO, Morgan Stanley</b></p> <p>"As a former policymaker who argues for moving beyond policy to the broader enterprise of public problem solving, I welcome this volume! The techniques and insights apply, with various modifications, to problems everywhere: personal, professional, public and private, local, national and global."<br />—<b>Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO, New America, Former Director of Policy Planning, U.S. Department of State</b></p> <p>"Disruption in today's business environment puts problem solving at the top of every leader's challenges. But how? This engaging book puts together a McKinsey team's scientific seven-step approach. From taking a problem apart to rearranging its pieces, to framing it so its solution can be seen, the book presents a must-read analysis for executives and social sector leaders. It excites both the reader's mind and the possibilities for project teams.<br /><b>—Glenn Hubbard, Dean and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School</b></p> <p><b>7 straightforward steps to solving any problem with creativity and rigor</b></p> <p>Complex problem solving is <i>the</i> core skill for twenty-first century teams. It's the only way to keep up with rapid change. Winning organizations now rely on nimble, iterative problem solving, rather than traditional planning processes. In this book you'll learn the seven-step systematic approach to creative problem solving that will work in any field or industry. It employs a highly visual, logic-tree method that can be applied to any problem, from strategic business decisions to global social challenges. Charles and Rob, with decades of experience at McKinsey & Company and other institutions, provide a toolkit with 30 detailed real-world examples, so you can see exactly how the technique works in action.</p>

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