How do you identify and prioritize the most critical issues and opportunities in a case interview?

This is of course true but it makes understanding the client’s objective sound as if it is a straight forward and non-contentious idea. Rarely is it that simple. The “client” is usually not one person, is often confused about the objectives themselves, has hidden objectives (e.g. help me out), and there may be conflicts between different members of the client team. Identifying the objective can be surprisingly hard and quite different from what the client originally states. Identifying requires deep engagement with the client, building trust so they open up and usually several attempts iterating around until the objective is clearly specified. If you think the objective is simple and clear, you may well be wrong!

One of the most overlooked elements in a framework of this kind is 'context'. Context can be thought of as a set of conditions that the listener or reader can use to process your case response in the way its meant. It puts a frame or the 'why' around your case response and can, in some instances ensure that you're not misunderstood. Context can reflect an ability to think holistically about a case, taking time and the current conditions into consideration (e.g. situational context).

Usually the case interview is more about testing the thought process rather than getting the exact result. However the result or outcome should be realistic and plausible, even if it is not very accurate. What is important for the candidate to demonstrate is a way to validate the hypothesis. The candidate will have to to find ways to demonstrate that the hypothesis could be verified if anyone wishes to do so. Prioritizing the issues are also important as we need to make sure that covered the most important aspects of the case.

The process of hypothesising and prioritising is a dynamic and iterative one. Making educated guesses, testing them with data, and continually reassessing and reprioritising issues based on their importance to the client's success is so important. How you then subsequently convey this information is where the fun starts, aim the information at the right level and in my opinion things get a little easier.

One thing I've found helpful is to paint an initial view or a big picture of the successful outcome first and then work your way toward accomplishing the end goal or objectives. A short vision story can be helpful and gets everyone excited about what is to come within the recommendations, solutions, and potential risks and trade-offs.

Like an exam, a case study interview can feel stressful. The key to success is practice. Most business schools have case study examples and you can find many on line. Be sure to practice all types of case studies and are prepared to explain your assumptions and logic. If possible, practice with a colleague in the industry so that you appreciate the nuances to the case study interview and get comfortable performing under pressure.