MECE FRAMEWORK for STRUCTURED

THINKING

CRACK Scenario-based & Case Interview

Questions

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 What is the MECE Framework?
MECE stands for “Mutually Exclusive – Collectively Exhaustive”
The optimal
Problem Statement solution path

Option 1 Option 2 Option 3

Option 1-A Option 1-B Option 3-A Option 3-B Option 3-C

It is a problem-solving approach that forces you to list down all possible options without double
counting.
• The Problem Statement is written down first. You must choose your words carefully while
writing this down to ensure that there is no ambiguity in understanding the problem.
• The Options to solve the problem are then listed down in a tree-like fashion. The options must
not overlap (Mutually exclusive) and no option must be missed out (Collectively exhaustive)
• Once the tree is built, the pros and cons of each path in the tree is discussed until the optimal
solution path is decided.
MECE is popular among business consultants to solve problems and communicate their solutions.
 MECE Illustration 1: A business case study
Problem Statement: My restaurant is not profitable

Increase Revenue Reduce costs

Increase # of orders Increase menu prices Reduce Reduce salary Reduce raw
rental costs expenses material expenses

Shift to a Marketing Change cuisine/ Shift to a less Fire Change the Better storage
mall to get promotions theme pricey redundant vendor facilities to avoid
more foot neighborhood workers wastage
traffic

Once a MECE Tree like this is built, each option can be analyzed for feasibility. The optimal solution can then be chosen.
MECE Illustration 2: Situational Interview Question
Situational Interview Question: One of your team members is not delivering their work on time
and you are worried that as a result the project will not be completed before the deadline.

Ignore the issue. Solve it internally. Chat with the If the issue is very
It will probably be teammate to understand what’s drastic, raise it
fixed on its own. wrong with Mgmt.

Increase your Increase productivity of Increase Personnel Realign delivery

teammate’s productivity others in team to productivity of the change expectations
compensate concerned
employee

Offer help with Offer tutoring Rebalance the Get everyone to Feedback Recommend Personal leave Change this Drop low Postpone
personal/ on problem workload to align chip in and do a bit sessions/ Training as necessary to person to some priority the
professional areas with your more while your Disciplinary Programs get personal other project features deadline
problems teammate’s teammate is going warnings if issues sorted that he/ she is from the
strengths through a tough needed out more interested project
period in. Bring in
someone else
for this project.
 MECE Illustration 3: Software Project Mgmt
Software Project Mgmt Interview Question: You have identified that the customer requirements cannot be delivered on
time. What do you do?

Increase productivity of Add more resources Realign delivery

the team Risk: See the Man Hour Myth. expectations
New employees take 2-3
months to ramp up

Push people to work Training & Mentoring Change development Take shortcuts Extend time for Drop low priority
harder with incentives Downside: Training methodology to during the delivery items from backlog
(team outing). takes a few months to increase productivity development cycle Risk: Customers may but ensure delivered
Risk: Burn out have impact to save time not be happy items are high quality
Risk: Quality will and tested end-to-
Both agile and test driven development suffer. Not end.
together is also possible. Recommended

Switch to agile. Continuous Use Test Driven development.

delivery with testing can Define interfaces clearly based on
increase productivity by keeping requirements and have QA
QA always engaged (In develop test cases against those
waterfall, QA gets engaged only interfaces, while developers write
towards the end). Feedback is code to satisfy interfaces.
also incorporated early to avoid
time wasted on corrections.
 Using MECE Framework in a job interview
The MECE Framework is a structured approach to problem solving that is useful in
answering many types of job interview questions.
1. Before staring on the solution, focus on defining the Problem Statement using a clear, unambiguous sentence.

2. DON’T just use the MECE Framework within your mind. Use it to communicate that your thought processes are actually
structured. Draw the MECE Tree on paper or on whiteboard during the interview.

3. Once you have drawn the MECE Tree, engage the interviewer on different solutions that are the leaf nodes in the MECE Tree.
o Ask questions to get more context to see if this solution is applicable.
o Discuss pros and cons of each solution with the Interviewer.
o Always think out aloud to ensure that you and the Interviewer are on the same page.

4. If the Interviewer offers any hints, always take those hints and make corrections to the MECE structure as necessary.

5. After you have arrived at the final solution, conclude with a quick summary. The summary should restate the problem
statement, describe the pros and cons of various alternatives considered and finally state the solution that you would
recommend.
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CodeGround Online Testing Platform is an online assessment and evaluation system that helps Recruiters conduct
online screening tests to filter candidates before the interview process. CodeGround Recruitment Tests can be used
during Campus Recruitment or screening walk-in candidates. CodeGround supports Aptitude Tests, English
Communication Skills Assessments and Online Coding Contests in C, C++, Java, PHP, Ruby, Python and JavaScript.
CodeGround also supports asynchronous automated interviews.