blog

Case Study Challenge Lessons

by Johanna

Last week, kasina hosted its 3rd annual MCG Case Study Challenge in coordination with the NYU Stern Management Consulting Group. This year we had a record participation rate with over 12 teams (and a total of 48 students) facing off during the competition.

The case this year focused on issues of corporate social mission, economics, and employee morale. We invited student teams to our offices where Lindsay Geimer, Corianna Sichel, and I spent time with each team to talk through the case and answer their questions. Mike McLaughlin and Anu Heda judged the final competition where 4 finalist teams presented their recommendations for 15 minutes.

Times are hard in our industry, and sometimes its tough be optimistic about the future. However, taking the time to interact with the creative and ambitious NYU students was truly invigorating. Their enthusiasm for analyzing problems and devising potential solutions reminded me of just how fun my job as a person in the business world is.

Overall, the presentations of the 4 finalist groups were excellent, and reminded me of a few presentation best practices that can apply to many work situations:

• Communicate a clear agenda: At the beginning of a meeting or presentation, let your audience know the goals of the meeting and the steps the group will take to accomplish those goals.
• Practice makes Perfect: During the competition, it was obvious which groups had practiced ahead of time. Knowing the content on the next slide and having smooth transitions between presenters were things the winning team did seamlessly. At kasina I often present to an empty conference room just to practice speaking out loud, which helps me ensure I'm hitting the key points and smoothly transitioning between ideas.
• Make Abstract Concepts Substantial: While many of the competing teams recommended that the theoretical company engage in product development efforts, only one effectively illustrated the concept using examples of potential products. Use hypothetical or real examples to demonstrate abstract concepts so your audience understands your recommendations in a tangible way.
• Conclude: Even the presentation attendees who are paying close attention will have trouble distilling all the information from a 15-20 minute presentation. The conclusion is a crucial time for the meeting leaders to reiterate key takeaway points. A strong conclusion leaves everyone in the meeting feeling like they have a clear idea of what was addressed and a good sense of action items for the future.

While there's nothing like a competition for prizes and bragging rights to make sure you polish your presentation skills, many of these points are pretty simple but make the difference between an OK meeting and a great one. Thanks again to all the case study challenge teams for participating!