), Here’s someone with a different point of view (--> who is right), In this situation we have three alternatives (--> which one should we take?). Tell your reader things with which you know they will agree, prior to your telling them things with which they may disagree. Minto Pyramid Principle, also referred to as the McKinsey’s Pyramid Principle, is a The main recommendation is on top. Step 2: Decide the question. The Pyramid Principle will show you how to communicate your ideas clearly and succinctly.Barbara Minto reveals that the mind automatically sorts information into distinctive pyramidal groupings. Deduction presents a line of reasoning that leads to a ‘therefore’ conclusion, and the point above is a summary of that line of reasoning, resting heavily on the final point. Can also be as short as a sentence: “In your  letter of January 15 you asked me whether…’. The length of the introduction depends on the needs of the reader and the demands of the subject: Generally two or three paragraphs. Use the same grammatical form for the wording of each heading. Complication. identifying precisely what you mean by ‘the problem’ and how you will know when you have achieved a solution. This memorandum describes the project team approach to identifying and achieving significant profit improvements. ), Something could go wrong (--> how can we prevent it), Something changed (--> what should we do? It is generally easier to start at the top and work down because you begin by thinking about the things that it is easiest for you to be sure of - your subject and the reader’s knowledge of it, which you will remind them of in the introduction. The Pyramid Principle is the concept covered by the book by Barbara Minto and describes the way that strategy consultants (like myself in a former life) are taught to construct their arguments.. Sequential analysis: When faced with a problem, answer the following questions in order: Example: “We’re losing 2 hours of productivity a day. Step 4: Identify the situation. That’s where the Pyramid Principle comes in. The order in which you present your thinking makes your writing clear or unclear: If a person’s writing is unclear, it is most likely because the ordering of the ideas conflicts with the capability of the reader’s mind to process them. If he is incapable of understanding the action without prior explanation, so you must give him the reasoning that underlies it. Every grouping implies an overall point that reflects the nature of the relationship between the ideas in the grouping. If the first idea is a problem in the company, the others in the grouping must be related problems. Dinero (Resumen) de Laura Whateley Avoid headings called ‘Findings’ or ‘Conclusion’. that its order reflects a process, a structure, or a classification). The Minto Pyramid Principle® is the powerful and compelling process for producing everyday business documents – to-the-point memos, clear reports, successful proposals, or dynamic presentations. Once you state the answer (your main point at the top of your pyramid), it will raise a new question in the reader’s mind that you will answer on the line below. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. You will have to make a judgment call early on about which areas deserve the greatest concentration of effort. It describes an alternative to a stable situation, rather than a problem per se, although sometimes the alteration is a problem. What is the Pyramid Principle? Why is the Pyramid Principle important in consulting? ), Here’s what you might expect to find in it (--> do we find it? Take the subject, move up to the situation, and make the first noncontroversial statement about it you can make. When you divide a whole into its parts, whether it be a physical whole or a conceptual one, you must make sure that the pieces you produce are MECE (mutually exclusive of each other, collectively exhaustive in terms of the whole). It is easier on the reader. Barbara Minto. Always give the summarizing idea before you give the individual ideas being summarized. SCQ FrameworkSM. One excellent tool is the pyramid principle by an ex-McKinsey consultant by the name of Barbara Minto. Refresh and try again. At the paragraph level, deductive arguments are lovely, and present an easy-to-follow flow. Specifically, they must obey three rules: (1) ideas at any level in the pyramid must always be summaries of the ideas grouped below them, (2) ideas in each grouping must always be the same kind of idea, (3) ideas in each grouping must always be logically ordered." This book provides answers to questions like, “How can I grab my audience’s attention in just a couple of minutes?” and “How can I create a compelling stor… The Pyramid Principle. Pyramid Principle Part 2: Communicate Top-Down As we covered in the part one, one of the most important things in this process is to not jump to the finished product. You cannot simply group together a set of ideas and assume your reader will understand their significance. It is very suitable for structuring storylines in a broad range of fields: from research, to business, policy making and even creative writing. By giving the summarizing idea first, we are using top-down communication and giving our readers the main message first. This cultural explosion occurred at the same time over large parts of western and eastern Europe. It works by introducing a thesis statement before going into points and arguments that support it. What is the first thing you can say about it to the reader that you know they will agree is true - either because they know it,or because it is historically true and easily checkable? If it was formed by reasoning deductively, the ideas go in argument order (major premise, minor premise, conclusion): In deductive groupings, logical order is the order imposed by the structure of the argument. They mostly contain quotes from the book as well as some of my own thoughts. Download. Executive attention spans are notoriously short – don’t make your point in the first 10 seconds, and you’ve already lost your audience. It is organized in six sections as follows: …, Some more helpful pointers for better communication. The company should have three objectives. Or maybe she’s surprised at the amount tolerated in the consulting profession.’), “And of course facial hair has been a part of the London scene for at least 10 years.”, (‘Ah,’ you think, ‘at last I see what she’s getting it. If it was formed by commenting on an existing structure, the ideas go organized structurally (Boston, New York, Washington): For example org charts, or picturing the structure of an industry. Limit the introduction to what the reader will agree is true: The introduction is meant to tell the reader only what they already know. Barbara Minto. So let’s get to the meat. Not all possibilities are likely to prove equally important in solving the problem. Example: Assigning responsibilities for overseas operations, Removing boards from the chain of command. If you find can’t make a statement about the subject, then either you have the wrong subject, or you’re starting in the wrong place to talk about it. If they don’t already know, make sure that the point being made can be easily checked by an objective observer and deemed to be a true statement. Welcome back. Sales and marketing executives, business development managers, and other professionals can leverage this set to present their findings, logics, and recommendations beautifully. If you have any children you know that the best stories in the whole world are ones they already know. If they have no need, they will have no question, and vice versa. My notes are informal and tailored to my own interests at the time of reading. Some minds can hold as many as nine items, while others can hold only five. (the magical number 7, +/- 2 - George A. Miller). Step 6: Recheck the question and answer. Inspire your readers to ask the question you wish to address. Include only the information that will be relevant to the reader’s question. The main recommendation is on top. Or maybe she’s going to compare the style in various offices. The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto (The logic of writing) The pyramid structure A person that seeks to learn your thinking about a particular subject faces a complex task. It should start with an answer to an issue, and then supported by data to explain the answer. Something went wrong (--> what do we do? A situation statement, telling the reader about something. Show parallel ideas in parallel form. This question/answer dialogue cannot be counted on to engage their interest unless the statement that starts it off is relevant to them. This situation is startling, since our practice in this area over the past 5 years has grown by 40%. Before you can legitimately advise someone on how to change an undesirable result, you must have defined clearly five things: (1) The gap between where he is and where he wants to be, (2) The structure of the situation that gave rise to the gap, (3) The structure of its underlying processes, (4) The alternative ways the structure could be changed, (5) The changes required to accommodate the alternative you choose. Make transitions unobtrusive yet clear, primarily through picking up the key word or phrase and carrying it forward. We’d love your help. The Pyramid Principle explains in detail how written documents and presentations can be logically structured, and the methods described in the book are used by almost every major management consultancy on the planet. Focus on three ideas at most, only one is even better: The mind cannot hold more than about seven items in its short-term memory at any one time. In the example, five possible things could be going wrong: no materials at the machines, broken machines, no operator, poor operator, or poor supervisor. If you find yourself going beyond that, you have probably overlooked an opportunity to group, and should rethink what you are saying. However, as yet no one in the London Office can claim the magnum of champagne available to the first consultant who can demonstrate an acquisition or merger by a client that would not have happened without our efforts. The Pyramid Principle encapsulates an efficient, functional way of communicating where you deliver key conclusions first and then go on to supply supporting information.. We can use the pyramid principle in many different contexts, but it is particularly crucial to adhere to in delivering your client recommendation at the end of your case study. How You Can Use The Pyramid Principle To Convince Anyone Situation. Don’t regard headings as part of text. Never has clear, convincing communication been as important as in today’s information-cluttered environment. If you find 8 problems, group them by category of problem. When you identify a problem, essentially what you do is recognize that a particular situation yields a specific result. Simple historical occurrences do not exist as the result of logical thought, and therefore cannot be included as ideas. A grouping of steps that represents a process or system always goes in time order. It is built on mid-level recommendations, each of which are supported by smaller facts, data , … The Pyramid Principle explains in detail how written documents and presentations can be logically structured, and the methods described in the book are used by almost every major management consultancy on the planet. If the first idea in a grouping is a reason for doing something, the other ideas in the same grouping must also be reasons for doing the same thing. Thoroughly assess different courses of action. Summarize the action ideas by stating the effect of carrying out the actions. Two situations in which the argument might be more important to the reader than the action: If he is going to disagree strongly with your conclusion, so you must prepare him to accept it. Make sure to group things together to avoid having more than 3-4 items. The purpose of the monopolies law is to stimulate production and distribution, → The union monopoly over manpower stops production and distribution, → Therefore the unions should be controlled by the monopolies law. The main message is represented visually by the top of the pyramid and the key points and details that follow form the middle and base of the pyramid. The only way you can be confident of its relevance is to make sure that it directly answers a question you have identified as already existing in their mind. What I want to know is what is causing those lost hours? To whom are you writing, and what question do you want to have answered  in their mind about the subject when you have finished writing? ‘Appoint a full-time chief executive to provide clear central authority’ is too long. Is it the structure of the brain? You have determined in advance the effect you want to achieve, and then identified the action necessary to achieve it. This memorandum outlines the major issues and hypotheses that should be resolved and tested during the project. Ideas in each grouping must always be the same kind of idea. You should first define that relationship for yourself, and then state it for the reader. Some companies have shifted their attention to emerging markets like China and India, but by ignoring Japan they are making a big mistake.”, S = US/Europen companies frustrated with Japan, C = Have shifted attention to China/India. 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