The Consultant’s OS
A professional operating system for solving problems, delivering work, and creating impact, both in recruiting and in client engagements.
What is The Consultant’s OS?
The Consultant’s OS is the behavioral operating system that drives performance at top consulting firms. It’s not a single framework but a complete way of thinking, working, and communicating that you can apply to any professional challenge.
This course teaches you The Consultant’s OS and you will apply it to two contexts:
- Landing a consulting offer through networking, resume building, and interview preparation
- Delivering real impact by building consulting proposals and pitch decks using outside-in analysis
The same OS that helps you structure a case interview helps you structure a client recommendation. The same approach that helps you network effectively helps you build trust with stakeholders.
At the heart of The Consultant’s OS is structured problem-solving. McKinsey’s 7-step process is among the most influential problem-solving frameworks in consulting, and variations of it appear across firms and business schools.
The 7-Step Problem-Solving Process
| Step | Name | Description | OS Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Diagnose the current state | Understand what is happening and why before defining the problem | Think Clearly |
| 1 | Define the problem | Write a clear, precise problem statement that specifies what decision must be made, under what constraints, and by when | Think Clearly |
| 2 | Disaggregate the problem | Break the problem into mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive (MECE) components so the team can work in parallel and think clearly | Think Clearly |
| 3 | Prioritize the issues | Focus on the branches that matter most: those with the biggest impact and that are realistically changeable | Think Clearly |
| 4 | Develop a work plan | Decide what analyses to run, who will do them, how deep to go, and on what timeline (with iteration built in) | Move Work Forward |
| 5 | Conduct the analysis | Start with simple heuristics and descriptive statistics, then move to deeper analysis as needed; constantly test assumptions | Get to the Right Answer |
| 6 | Synthesize the findings | Integrate results into a coherent, insight-driven answer (not just analysis), clearly addressing “What should we do?” | Get to the Right Answer / Create Impact |
| 7 | Communicate and motivate action | Tell a compelling story, acknowledge uncertainty, and drive alignment so the organization actually acts on the recommendation | Create Impact with People |
Throughout this course, we build on the 7-step process. Core actions aligned to specific steps are annotated with (0) through (7).
But problem-solving is only part of the story. The Consultant’s OS extends beyond analytical rigor to include the professional behaviors that turn good analysis into real impact: owning your work, navigating ambiguity, building trust, and communicating with clarity. These capabilities are what separate consultants who deliver insight from those who drive change.
Two foundational concepts appear throughout The Consultant’s OS: the Pyramid Principle for communication and MECE for structure. You’ll see these referenced with symbols in the core actions.
The Pyramid Principle
The Pyramid Principle, developed by Barbara Minto at McKinsey, is a communication framework that structures ideas top-down: lead with the answer, then support it with evidence. Instead of building to a conclusion, you state your recommendation first, then group supporting arguments into logical clusters. This approach respects your audience’s time, makes your logic transparent, and ensures your message lands even if the conversation gets cut short. Every slide, email, and verbal update in consulting follows this pattern.
MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)
MECE is the gold standard for structuring problems. Mutually Exclusive means categories don’t overlap, so each item belongs in exactly one bucket. Collectively Exhaustive means the categories cover everything, so nothing falls through the cracks. When you build an issue tree, segment a market, or structure a case, MECE ensures you’ve carved the problem into clean, complete pieces. If your structure isn’t MECE, you’ll either double-count (overlapping) or miss something important (gaps). Being perfectly MECE isn’t always possible, but striving for it forces clarity and exposes flaws in your thinking.
Symbol Legend
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| (n) | 7-Step Problem-Solving Process step number |
| 🔺 | Pyramid Principle (top-down, answer-first logic) |
| ◯ ◯ | MECE logic (complete, non-overlapping structure) |
The Four Imperatives
The Consultant’s OS is organized around four imperatives. The imperitives call upon you to answer the four fundamental questions that drive every piece of consulting work:
| Imperative | Guiding Question |
|---|---|
| Think Clearly | Are we solving the right problem in the right way? |
| Get to the Right Answer | What do the facts and data actually say? |
| Move Work Forward | Is the work actually progressing toward a decision? |
| Create Impact with People | Do people understand, trust, and act on this work? |
Each imperative contains specific core actions that describe the concrete behaviors that consultants practice.
1. Think Clearly
Guiding Question: Are we solving the right problem in the right way?
| Core Action | Description | Toolkit |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnose the Current State (0) 🔺 | Understand what’s happening and why | Structured Problem-Solving |
| Define the Problem (1) 🔺 | Identify the gap between current and desired state | Structured Problem-Solving |
| Frame the Problem (1) 🔺 | Articulate the decision set, constraints, and scope | Structured Problem-Solving |
| State a Day-1 Hypothesis 🔺 | Form a provisional view about which decision to make | Structured Problem-Solving |
| Articulate “What Would Have to Be True” (3) 🔺 | Make your critical assumptions explicit and testable | Structured Problem-Solving |
| Disaggregate into MECE Issues (2) ◯ ◯ | Break hypotheses into non-overlapping, comprehensive components | Structured Problem-Solving |
| Prioritize by Decision Impact (3) ◯ ◯ | Focus on what would actually change the answer | Structured Problem-Solving |
| Exclude Non-Decision Questions | Know what NOT to analyze | Structured Problem-Solving |
2. Get to the Right Answer
Guiding Question: What do the facts and data actually say?
| Core Action | Description | Toolkit |
|---|---|---|
| Design Hypothesis-Testing Analyses (5) 🔺 | Build analyses that will prove or disprove critical assumptions | Analytics & Modeling |
| Build an Outside-In Fact Base (5) | Gather external data before relying on internal opinions | Analytics & Modeling |
| State Assumptions Explicitly (5) ◯ ◯ | Make your assumptions visible and find good proxies | Analytics & Modeling |
| Bound Answers with Quick Math (5) | Establish reasonable ranges before building complex models | Analytics & Modeling |
| Build Models and Run Sensitivities (5) ◯ ◯ | Test how sensitive outcomes are to key assumptions | Analytics & Modeling |
| Synthesize into Clear Answers (6) 🔺 | Climb from data to insight to recommendation | Clear Communication |
3. Move Work Forward
Guiding Question: Is the work actually progressing toward a decision?
| Core Action | Description | Toolkit |
|---|---|---|
| Create a Workplan (4) 🔺 | Convert structured thinking into owners, deliverables, and deadlines | Workstream Ownership |
| Own Your Workstream | Take full responsibility from question to answer | Workstream Ownership |
| Sequence for Early Insight | Generate useful findings as early as possible | Workstream Ownership |
| Reprioritize Dynamically | Adapt to new information without losing momentum | Workstream Ownership |
| Anticipate Risks and Bottlenecks | Identify problems before they become crises | Workstream Ownership |
| Manage Up | Surface what your manager needs to know | Workstream Ownership |
| Move Without Certainty | Progress with best-available information | Tolerance for Ambiguity |
4. Create Impact with People
Guiding Question: Do people understand, trust, and act on this work?
| Core Action | Description | Toolkit |
|---|---|---|
| Craft a Storyline (6) 🔺 | Build a narrative arc from situation to recommendation | Clear Communication |
| Communicate with Executive Brevity (7) 🔺 | Lead with the answer, support with evidence | Clear Communication |
| Tailor to Stakeholders (7) 🔺 | Different audiences need different messages | Client Hands |
| Build Trust | Demonstrate judgment, reliability, and empathy | Client Hands |
| Coordinate as a Team | Present with consistent messaging and smooth handoffs | Teamwork & Collaboration |
| Seek Feedback | Constantly improve through input from others | Coachability |
The Eight Toolkit Components
As you practice the core actions, you develop eight interconnected skills and mindsets that together are commonly referred to as the consulting “toolkit”.
| Component | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Structured Problem-Solving | Decompose ambiguous problems using MECE logic and hypothesis-driven thinking |
| Analytics & Modeling | Build models in Excel, Python or other quantitative tools; synthesize data into insights; estimate with confidence |
| Clear Communication | Apply the Pyramid Principle; write action-titled slides; deliver crisp verbal updates |
| Workstream Ownership | Act with high agency by owning a workstream end-to-end; anticipate needs and drive outcomes without waiting to be told |
| Tolerance for Ambiguity | Navigate uncertainty; make progress without complete information |
| Client Hands | Interact professionally with senior stakeholders; build trust through credibility |
| Teamwork & Collaboration | Collaborate effectively with team members and other stakeholders; give and receive feedback |
| Coachability | Incorporate feedback rapidly; demonstrate growth through iteration |
These skills emerge as you practice the core actions within each imperative.
Toolkit Components by Imperative
| Component | Primary Imperative |
|---|---|
| Structured Problem-Solving | Think Clearly |
| Analytics & Modeling | Get to the Right Answer |
| Clear Communication | Get to the Right Answer, Create Impact with People |
| Workstream Ownership | Move Work Forward |
| Tolerance for Ambiguity | Move Work Forward |
| Client Hands | Create Impact with People |
| Teamwork & Collaboration | Create Impact with People |
| Coachability | Create Impact with People |
Translating Your Experiences to Consulting Language
Many BYU students served full-time missions, and that experience provides rich examples of consulting skills in action. If you’re a returned missionary, this section helps you translate those experiences into consulting language. If you didn’t serve a mission, the same toolkit components develop through any intensive experience—work, leadership roles, athletics, service, or other challenges. What matters is identifying your experiences that demonstrate these skills.
For Returned Missionaries
Mission service maps directly to the consulting toolkit. Firms value these experiences when you articulate them in professional terms:
| Toolkit Component | Missionary Experience | Consulting Parallel |
|---|---|---|
| Teamwork & Collaboration | Working 24/7 with a companion; companion inventory (giving/receiving honest feedback) | Intense team-based case work; direct feedback culture; working with teammates you didn’t choose |
| Tolerance for Ambiguity | Short transfers every 6 weeks–3 months; whitewashing new areas with no contacts; constant rejection | Project-based engagements with new teams and industries; starting from scratch; resilience in networking |
| Client Hands | Being looked to for leadership at 19-21; working with Mission President and stake leaders; handling criticism calmly | Junior consultants presenting to executives; managing stakeholders you don’t control; composure under pressure |
| Clear Communication | Teaching the same principles differently based on the person; memorizing and adapting lesson frameworks | Tailoring messages to different audiences; mastering structured approaches; learning jargon quickly |
| Workstream Ownership | Zone/District Leader responsibilities; weekly planning with key indicators; area book handoffs | Owning a workstream; metrics-driven work; documentation and knowledge management |
| Coachability | Weekly interviews with leaders; Mission President interviews; MTC training intensity | Regular check-ins with managers; executive feedback; rapid onboarding and steep learning curves |
| Structured Problem-Solving | Diagnosing why investigators aren’t progressing; prioritizing serious investigators | Root cause analysis; hypothesis-driven troubleshooting; qualifying opportunities |
Whether or not you served a mission, consider these questions:
- What intensive experience taught you to work closely with others under pressure?
- When did you have to adapt your communication style for different audiences?
- What’s your best example of owning a project end-to-end?
- When did you have to make decisions and keep moving without complete information?
Your answers—from missions, jobs, athletics, leadership roles, or other service—are the raw material for behavioral interview responses and networking conversations.
How This Course Uses the OS
Each chapter in “The Four Imperatives” section covers one imperative in depth:
- Think Clearly: Problem definition, framing, hypothesis development, MECE structures
- Get to the Right Answer: Research, estimation, analysis, synthesis
- Move Work Forward: Workplanning, execution, managing ambiguity
- Create Impact with People: Storylines, communication, stakeholder management, feedback
For each core action, you’ll see how it applies to:
- Job search: How this action helps you land an offer
- Client work: How this action helps you deliver impact
Applying the OS Starts Now
You don’t wait until you’re at a firm to start using the OS. You start now:
- Structure your resume using the same logic you’d use for a client recommendation
- Research companies for networking using the same outside-in approach you’d use for a diagnostic
- Practice cases using the same hypothesis-driven thinking you’d use on an engagement
- Build your capstone using the same storyline and communication principles you’d use for a steering committee
The OS is how you’ll work for the rest of your career. This course is where you begin to install it.