The Universal Lessons I Learned From Case Competitions
With a total of two years of case comps under my belt, I have competed in five disciplines, earned two podiums, and made hundreds of friends in the process.
Case breaking is one of the best ways to learn application of business concepts. Teams are given a written business case — a problem a real company is having — and have 3 hours to solve it. At the end of the three hours, teams give 20 minute presentations to a panel of judges — usually employees of the company about which the case is written.
In preparation for competitions, I cracked over 60 cases. Each brought its own set of challenges and perspectives, as well as the opportunity to see into a new and unique business model. Since I competed in so many disciplines, I saw a wide variety of challenges and had to understand what solutions and concepts applied universally. I came out of it with a few major lessons. Here they are:
- Sell, sell, sell!
- K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid)
- Communication is key
Sell, sell, sell!
If the person you are speaking to doesn’t “buy” your solution, it doesn’t matter how good it is. If they don’t understand, if they don’t think it’s relevant, if they don’t understand what analysis led you to it, you may as well go home. This applies to everything in life, and has been a very valuable lesson.
K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid)
It’s all in the title. Don’t complicate things. Complex problems often stem from simple changes or miscommunications. Simple solutions are easier to sell, communicate, and implement. Don’t get me wrong, details are necessary, but they are easier to understand, communicate, and justify if they are based in simple logic and solutions.
Communication is Key
Almost every problem boils down to broken communication, or at least has this as a core component. Whatever changes are being suggested — or have taken place — must be clearly analyzed and articulated to all stakeholders. It’s simple. If people don’t know what’s going on, they won’t buy in, they will lose trust, motivation, and loyalty.
The golden rule: treat people how you want to be treated. If you’re doing something that affects other people, let them know.
Competitions I Attended
Inter-Collegiate Business Competition 2017, Queens University
At ICBC, I competed in Management Information Systems (MIS)
Concours KGP 2016, ESG UQAM
At KGP, I competed in Project Management (PM)
Jeux du Commerce 2017, Université de Moncton
At JDC 2017, I competed in International Business (IBUS)
HR Symposium, Université Laval
At HR Sympo, I competed in Human Resources Management (HRM)
Jeux du Commerce 2018, John Molson School of Business
At JDC 2018, I competed in Human Resources (HR)
