Situation-Complication-Resolution: The Consulting Framework
SCR — Situation, Complication, Resolution — is the narrative backbone behind nearly every McKinsey slide deck, BCG report, and strategy recommendation ever written. It's built for situations where you need to be analytically credible and persuasive at the same time.
The key insight: every strategic question is triggered by a tension. SCR makes that tension explicit, which is what separates a compelling argument from a list of slides.
The Story Arc
1. Situation — Establish the stable context. What is currently true and agreed upon? This shouldn't be controversial — it's the shared baseline. Keep it brief.
2. Complication — Introduce the tension that disturbs the situation. This is the core: something has changed, something is at risk, something isn't working. The complication is why action is needed now.
3. Question — (Optional but powerful) The complication naturally raises a question. State it explicitly. "Given this, how should we respond?"
4. Answer / Resolution — Your recommendation. The answer should feel like it resolves the tension you've established. If it doesn't, the argument has a logic gap.
The Tension Is the Point
Most presenters are afraid of tension. They soften the complication, hedge the stakes, and arrive at a recommendation that feels optional.
But tension is what creates urgency. Without a sharp complication, your recommendation sounds nice-to-have. With it, it sounds necessary.
When to Use It
SCR is best for:
- Strategy presentations — Board reviews, annual planning, market entry decisions
- Consulting deliverables — Any situation where the output is a recommendation
- Analytical reports — Research, competitive intelligence, post-mortems
- Investment cases — Why now, why this, why us
Less effective for: emotionally driven pitches, short updates, or presentations where the audience is skeptical of analytical frameworks.
Example Slide Sequence
| Slide | Content |
|---|---|
| 1 | Executive summary (answer first) |
| 2 | Situation: the current state |
| 3 | Complication: what changed or is at risk |
| 4 | The central question this raises |
| 5–7 | Evidence and analysis supporting your answer |
| 8 | Resolution: the recommendation |
| 9 | Implementation / next steps |
The Answer-First Convention
In consulting, the answer almost always appears on the first substantive slide — not the last. This isn't a spoiler. It's a courtesy. It tells your audience where you're going, so they evaluate your evidence rather than trying to predict your conclusion.
If your recommendation can't survive leading with it, the argument needs more work.
Generating an SCR Presentation
POST /api/generate
{
"narrative": "situation-complication-resolution",
"topic": "Your topic here",
"colorScheme": "corporate-trust",
"slides": 9
}
Related: Pyramid Principle — complements SCR with a top-down structuring method