An introduction to structured written communication using Barbara Minto’s Pyramid Principle as a key element. ️ What the Minto Pyramid Principle is and how it works. I saw many examples during my time at McKinsey when the Pyramid Principle was invoked in written and verbal communication to successfully motivate action. At McKinsey, one of the lessons I learned was the importance of structured thinking and communication. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. No matter the medium of your presentation – whether a client-facing slide deck, an internal meeting, or a marketing pitch – structuring your thoughts with the Pyramid Principle will help you get your point across clearly and effectively, while staying MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive). What is the Pyramid Principle? By delivering your recommendation in the “answer first” format, you are fitting into the executive’s mental model and allowing them to quickly process your recommendation. The Pyramid Principle offers the advantage of powerful written communication by structuring it logically. How do you use the Pyramid Principle? Der Kern von Minto's Denkmethode ist, die Ideen im … However, if any group of ideas are arranged into a pyramid structure in the first place, not only will it save valuable time and effort to write, it will take even less effort to read and comprehend it. You’ll be giving your audience what they need in the way that they need it to say yes or no to moving forward. The Pyramid Principle was created by Barbara Minto at McKinsey as a method of structuring communications for maximum impact. Or worse yet: do you willfully ignore it? Mastering the Pyramid Principle is a critical skill. During your next presentation (internal or external), present your findings and overarching recommendation in the Pyramid Principle structure. The other common objection to the Pyramid Principle is that it is perceived to take away from the authority of the answer or conclusion – the “punchline.” That is a valid concern. We communicate a lot, but is it clear to others what we mean? The pyramid principle essentially is a methodology to structure your ideas. Executives are busy people. "The intrapersonal level refers to the processing of information on an individual basis Es konzentriert sich stattdessen auf den Denkprozess, der dem Schreiben vorausgehen sollte. This is a seminal concept in executive communication, and has spread like a virus from McKinsey to every other consulting firm worth its salt, including of course Bain and BCG. Yet, when communicating to executives, put yourself in their shoes. It works equally for internal or external audiences, and regardless of medium or language. The Pyramid Principle starts with the end in mind. “Ideas at any level in the … Namely, communicating a key takeaway right away can potentially hold your audience’s attention for the entire duration of your article. This not only applies to writing, but also works for verbal communication. This is a seminal concept in executive communication, and has spread like a virus from McKinsey to every other con… Typically, executives think big-picture and “top-down.” What is the big picture? What if we told you that there’s a better way to create and present your decks? That’s what The Pyramid Principle is at its core: a principle that allows you to quickly seize your audience’s attention and communicate with gravitas, by creating a compelling story that is easy to understand and remember. When an executive asked a question — “What should we do?” — you were to start your response with, “You should do X,” very crisply and directly. In most cases, we are used to listing a … The Pyramid Principle advocates that “ideas in writing should always form a pyramid under a single thought.” The single thought is the answer to the executive’s question. MECE Learn More. The idea is to start with your main idea, and then use logically grouped arguments to support your position. What is Pyramid Principle. ️ Three rules of structuring your communication. One that will drive action and get you to the most important part of the conversation right away? The Pyramid Principle is a tool used to “organise” or “structure” messages in any communication: it could be a presentation, report, email, or even a … 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. So you may as well help them do it and make your overall recommendation more effective and memorable. What Is the Minto Pyramid Principle? That’s right – today we’re talking about the world-famous Pyramid Principle. Controlling the sequence of how you present your ideas is very important. The Pyramid Principle advocates that “ideas in writing should always form a pyramid under a single thought.” The single thought is the answer to the question at hand and the supporting arguments are found under. The Pyramid … How You Can Use The Pyramid Principle To Convince Anyone. Das Pyramiden-Prinzip von Minto nimmt an, dass Sie bereits gute Sätze und Absätze schreiben können. It gets right to the heart of the matter: either your recommendation aligns with what they were already thinking and you can move on to next steps, or they have objections that you get to use your supporting arguments to address. ️ How to tell a story that makes your audience care. In situations where it is the first time you are interacting with an audience, and you don’t have pre-built trust, yes. While the concept is straightforward, it’s surprisingly difficult to master. Structural order: break a singular thought into its parts, ensuring that you have covered all of the major supporting ideas. She then started her own company teaching the principle. Use the time you have to get to the part of the conversation you really want to engage in. The pyramid principle was invented by Barbara Minto at McKinsey. If the stakeholder wants to hear your supporting arguments, they’ll ask for the more granular level of data. Only then, after you have answered the question, should you present your supporting reasons. The image above is shaped like a pyramid. The chart above shows this graphically. The Pyramid Principle was created by Barbara Minto – the first female post-MBA hire at McKinsey – in the 1970s. We’re storytellers. Either way, you’re discussing the most important matters right up front. They want to focus on the big picture—in this case the “answer”— and don’t want to get bogged down by details. ️ How to structure your communication in a way that’s easy to understand. Communicating the thinking requires only that you guide the reader down the pyramid. Use the Pyramid Principle to have your key takeaway land home with your target audience. The key take-aways from the Pyramid Principle at McKinsey were: To communicate in a structured way with a busy executive, you should start with the answer to the executive’s question first, and then list your supporting arguments. Underneath the single thought, you are supposed to group and summarize the next level of supporting ideas and arguments. Pyramid Principle Learn More. That’s where the Pyramid Principle comes in. Second, many executives often think in a “top-down” manner. The Pyramid Principle will show you how to communicate your ideas clearly and succinctly. Perhaps more than ever before, attention is an incredibly rare resource. Basically, the Pyramid Principle is a communication technique that allows you to to structure your points and arguments properly. As an entrepreneur, the tool could be what you use to communicate with prospective investors or board members. In some cases, the executive may already mentally be at the conclusion you want them to reach, in which case she will accept your recommendation and move on (without you having to go into the detailed supporting arguments). That’s where the Pyramid Principle comes in. It helps personal reflection and organisation. Three Decision Traps, and How to Overcome Them, How to Scale a Magical Experience: 4 Lessons from Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, A Three-Step Framework For Solving Problems , Product Management in Notion: How to Shape Up Without Basecamp. Barbara Minto's Pyramiden-Prinzip ist eine hierarchisch strukturierte Denk- und Kommunikationstechnik, die verwendet werden kann, um gut strukturiertes Schreiben vorauszugehen. It works by introducing a thesis statement before going into points and arguments that support it. You can read more about it in her book ‘The Pyramid Principle’. Then, for each supporting idea or argument, break that further into more ideas or arguments until you have formed a pyramid. Minto Pyramid Principle, also referred to as the McKinsey’s Pyramid Principle, is a By answering the executive’s question first, you sound more assertive and confident. These are: the vertical relationship between points and sub points, the horizontal relationship within a set of sub points, the narrative flow of the introduction." There are a few different ways of logically ordering ideas that belong in the same group: When combined with the Rule of 3, the Pyramid Principle becomes an extremely powerful structured communication tool for making recommendations to busy executives. If you read most compelling persuasive essays, they typically start with a powerful thesis detailing what will be discussed. Ready to take your team’s performance to the next level? As a leader in an organization, you can use the Pyramid Principle to communicate with peers or project stakeholders when you make an important proposal. The Pyramid Principle explained. It’s applicable anytime you are trying to convey a persuasive argument. For many people, it’s natural to build up to a conclusion by first reciting all of the facts, recounting all of the analyses that have been done, or reviewing all of the supporting ideas. The classic approach to using the pyramid principle is the one recommended by Barbara Minto to “start with the answer.” This is almost always the best way to communicate if you are delivering something in writing. I confirm that I am not an EU citizen or downloading this from an EU territory. Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle is a hierarchically structured thinking and communication technique that can be used to precede good structured writing. Chat with our team about a tailored training Schedule Now. It was developed in the late 1960s by Barbara Minto at McKinsey & Company and underlies her Minto Pyramid Principle, and is based on ideas going back as far as Aristotle. Consultants often use groupings to clarify and simplify a problems. all situations needing escalation, but not meeting Code Blue criteria. She based her thinking around ideas ranging from Aristotle’s Rhetoric and other sources on logic throughout history. approach to structured thinking is one excellent methodology that could help. This “top-down” structure is counter-intuitive for many of us, especially those with a scientific or engineering background used to writing technical papers. Reach out today to learn more, and let our team of MBB consultants take your team’s executive communication to the next level! ️ How to make sure your main point is crystal clear in any situation. I bet that you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results. However, when interacting with clients where you’ve already built trust up over time, leading with your proposed solution first can be very effective in framing the rest of your conversation. So why lead with the answer first? It is an effective tool to communicate with anyone who faces … The Pyramid Principle has a four-part introductory structure: The Pyramid Principle is not just valuable for communicating with executives, but really it’s effective to communicate with anyone whom you wish to persuade with argument. You’re not searching for reasons or words, and you don’t sound like you’re wavering. If you’re interested in learning more, definitely pick up the original book by Barbara Minto. Source. The McKinsey Minto Pyramid Principle for communicating complex topics easily. The communication of ideas, whether to colleagues or clients, is one of the key factors in determining personal success. Pyramid, Message Stack Campaign Plan, Design Template, Content. Her concept literally flipped presentations on their head, and her book on the subject is still widely recognized as the standard for communicating concepts and arguments in a logical, well-structured way. What it is all about. And not in our writing. Many times, we only had a few minutes to communicate that recommendation — then, if the executive was interested in digging deeper, we could present more details. To get the most out of your short time with an executive, you want to make your recommendation first and foremost. [citation needed] I would urge you to try out the Pyramid Principle when writing your next proposal, making your next elevator pitch to an investor, or even the next time you respond to an executive’s question. The Pyramid Principle is used the consulting world over – whether during interim internal discussions or executive-level presentations. Then you get to the punch line. Not in our speech. Whether your team’s focus is sales, advisory, marketing science, or anything else, Management Consulted offers customized on-site training to some of the world’s biggest brands. The Minto Pyramid Principle assumes that you already know how to write good sentences and paragraphs. The core of Structured Thinking is to group ideas in a presenter’s inductive or deductive thought process into small clusters that support the main thesis in increasing detail (granularity). Underneath the single thought, group and summarize the next level of supporting ideas and arguments. It starts with the answer first, then gives 3 general supporting reasons why, then multiple more granular details about each reason below that. The Pyramid Principle teaches that, “Ideas at any level in the pyramid must always be summaries of the ideas grouped below them.”. Give your conclusion or answer first, follow it up with your main arguments, and then follow those with data that supports each one. Barbara Minto developed the Pyramid Principle while working at McKinsey. Executive attention spans are notoriously short – don’t make your point in the first 10 seconds, and you’ve already lost your audience. Download our free Pyramid Principle Applied Guide, Types of Leadership: Position vs Influence, The 3 Levels of Effective Communication Skills Training, Give main supporting arguments as opposed to details, Back up supporting arguments with data points. Group and summarize your supporting arguments. Put in simpler terms, it starts with asking for what you want, and explaining why you want it. The technique applies to every type of document in which your purpose is to offer your thinking to a reader – email, 1-page memo, multi-page report, or formal slide presentation. She authored a book called The Minto Pyramid Principle here (affiliate link) which essentially defined the way consultants structure most of their presentations. The Pyramid Principle® advocates that “ideas in writing should always form a pyramid under a single thought”. The Pyramid Principle is a framework for clear thinking and writing. One of the tools that we used at McKinsey was the Pyramid Principle, a methodology for structured communication. It provides you with an efficient and effective way to communicate. Barbara Minto reveals that the mind automatically sorts information into distinctive pyramidal groupings. Why is the Pyramid Principle important in consulting? Your audience—whether listeners or readers—will naturally begin to group and summarize your arguments and ideas in order to remember them. We’re not naturally trained to communicate like this. You will increase your value to an organization by learning how to apply it. Intrapersonal communication Within a single person ­ self­communication ­> encoding & formulating of a message / thinking process. Finally, you are more persuasive when you are direct. Buckle up for a quick overview of The Pyramid Principle, and more importantly, some key takeaways on why you should implement it into your own presentations. At McKinsey, “start with the answer first” was drilled into us. Barbara Minto’s Pyramid Principle. Learn how to give clear, concise, and effective communication. Consultants are just skeptical enough to believe that many business … Try it! Delivered in person or virtually, equip your teams with increased effectiveness in their communication. I show you how I map the pyramid principle to a short presentation I created to research the question "how do you manage a millennial?" Our Pyramid Principle Training consistently gets high marks for engagement and value. The Pyramid Principle advocates that “ideas in writing should always form a pyramid under a single thought.” The single thought is the answer to the executive’s question. What other priorities and budgets are you competing with? Haven’t heard of it? Like a pyramid, the information you present should branch out as you move on towards specific details of the discussion. 'The Pyramid Principle' shows how to structure and present arguments so that they gain immediate understanding. This still begs the question, though — how do you get to the point, and how do you do it in an engaging way? "The pyramid dictates a rigid set of sub structures that can serve to speed the discovery process. We often had to crisply present a recommendation to busy executives. First, you want to maximize your time with your audience. It concentrates instead on the thinking process that should precede the writing. It just so happens that the magic number of ideas in a group is three (see my Rule of 3 post). Most consultants will know what the pyramid principle is, even if they don’t know the author. The Pyramid Principle is used the consulting world over – whether during interim internal discussions or executive-level presentations. During a discussion about effective communication, a mentor of mine led me to the following book: The Pyramid Principle. They are perpetually short on time, are used to processing lots of information quickly, and get impatient when they feel like someone isn’t getting to the point. Finally, you want to ensure that the ideas you bring together under each group actually belong together, are at the same level of importance, and follow some logical structure. Whether creating written texts or delivering responsive presentations, we formulate too vague, too long and not aligned to the other. We recommend following the Minto Pyramid Principle. Executive attention spans are notoriously short – don’t make your point in the first 10 seconds, and you’ve already lost your audience. Degree order: present supporting ideas in rank order of importance, most to least important. They carved out 30 minutes (at most) to hear your perspective on the issue at hand. Time order: if there is a sequence of events that form a cause-effect relationship, you should present the ideas in time order. Why? Can’t that be abrasive? You are plainly and directly answering the question that was posed to you. I recognize that I will be sent MC's weekly consulting newsletter, and can unsubscribe at any time. The Pyramid Principle gives you an opportunity to utilize your time to the maximum while increasing the effectiveness of your message since it uses the top-down communication style. How to get your message across to your reader or listener in a way that he can easily understand what you want to say, how to make it … It's saves time and irritation when we formulate in a way the other immediately understands the message. Then comes evidence for each argument. When you group and summarize your supporting arguments, it’s easy to go from the single thought to the next level of ideas without getting too detailed right away. The concept even goes beyond just talking to executives. The MECE principle, pronounced "ME-see", is a grouping principle for separating a set of items into subsets that are mutually exclusive (ME) and collectively exhaustive (CE). Benefits of the Pyramid Principle. READ MORE on www.slideshare.net Communication Pyramid PowerPoint Presentation Slides ️ How the Minto Pyramid Principle was invented. Not only applies to writing, but also works for verbal communication to motivate. Rank order of importance, most to least important Rhetoric and other sources on logic throughout history out of article! Critical skill – the first female post-MBA hire at McKinsey, “ start with the in. Me to the part of the lessons i learned was the importance of structured thinking is of! Used at McKinsey, one of the conversation you really want to maximize your time with an,! Way, you are direct to remember them lessons i learned was the Pyramid Principle was invoked written! 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