Forgive me if I’m stating something obvious.  I’m just surprised how often I see people (in all kinds of situations) make recommendations without providing any rationale behind their recommendations.  IMHO, this makes recommendations, and all the hard work and thought that went into them, virtually meaningless.  Always frame the problem first and start with the primary objective.

Marquee consulting firm McKinsey has an approach to problem framing called “MECE“.  This refers to “Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive.”  The value is more in the philosophy than a specific approach.  Implementation can be done in many ways (outlines, graphics, mindmaps, etc.).  The key is achieving the MECE framing objective.