The Pyramid Principle By Barbara Minto

What is the Pyramid Principle? DescriptionBarbaraMinto's Pyramid Principle is a hierarchically structured thinking and communicationtechnique that can be used to precede good structured writing. The Minto PyramidPrinciple assumes that you already know how to write good sentences and paragraphs.It concentrates instead on the thinking process that should precede the writing.The core of Minto's thinking method is to group Ideas in a presenter'sthought process into small clusters that support the main Thesis inincreasing detail (granularity). See the picture on the right. Supportingarguments can be based on:.

1. The Pyramid Principle Kindle
2. The Minto Pyramid Principle Download

Inductive reasoning: thinking process in which the premises ofan argument support the conclusion but do not ensure it. Each of the elementsin row two of the pyramid answers a question (e.g. Why, how, how do youknow) about the thesis above it. Deductive reasoning: thinking process in which the conclusionis necessitated by previously known facts. One element logicallyleads to the next.The best way to make any point or argument, says Barbara, is to structurethe thinking in this way.The method explains how to use the SCQ Framework (Situation, Complication,Question, Answer) to determine precisely the Idea you want communicateand the order in which you should make your points:. A common Situation is that knowledge workers must quickly producea text about a complex issue. An example of a Complication of the above Situation is that thecreators of these texts have a tendency to get side tracked.

Also they havelimited time available. And the readers hate thick reports.

The Question thus becomes: how can short, concise, and clearreports be created in a short timeframe?. The Answer is the technique provided by Minto.Origin of the Pyramid Principle. HistoryBarbara Minto developed The Minto Pyramid Principle through her early workas a consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc.Usage of the Pyramid Principle.

ApplicationsThe technique is most useful for those people in an organization who mustwrite analytical documents, on the basis of which senior managers must makedecisions. Probably those senior managers complain that it takes too longto get to the point. The model applies to every type of writing in which yourpurpose is to present your thinking to the reader - from 1-page memos to 50-pagereports to 300 page books, from simple slide presentations to multi-mediaexpositions. Specifically, it helps its user to:.

Think creatively, reason lucidly, and express ideas with clarity. Define complex problems and establish the objectives of any document. Assess ideas and recognize their relative importance. Structure reasoning into a coherent and transparent argument. Analyze the argument to confirm its effectiveness.Steps in the Pyramid Principle. ProcessThere are several components to the overall method:. Build the Minto Pyramid.

Structure ideas to be communicated within the 'Situation, Complication,Question, Answer' (SCQ) framework. Create compelling summaries and lists of items.With respect to the book authored by Barbara Minto (The Minto Pyramid Principle),there are four overall sections of study:. Part One explains the necessity to group and summarize ideas into apyramid under a single idea directed at a single question.

Also it showsyou how to use that understanding to find your reader’s question and tostructure your ideas to answer it. Beginning with the SCQ Framework. Part Two tells you how to look critically at the detail of your thinking.In this way you can make sure that the ideas you have included are bothrelevant and complete.

Barbara Minto developed The Pyramid Principle through her early work as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc. She now runs her own consultancy, Minto International, Inc., specializing in teaching the Pyramid Principle to people whose major training is in business or the professions, but whose jobs nevertheless require them to produce complex reports, analyses, memorandums, or presentations.She has taught her course to most of the major consulting firms in the United States and Europe, as well as to many of the world's largest corporations and government organizations.

The Pyramid Principle Kindle

Voor dat je gedachten goed op papier kunt zetten is het belangrijk om deze eerst goed op een rijtje te hebben. Dit boek geeft inzicht in hoe een geschreven tekst het beste te begrijpen is voor de lezer en welke andere voordeling dit met zich mee brengt. (trek de lezer in je verhaal/betoog ect.) Het heeft je regels en een aanpak om je hierbij op weg te helpen. Nu je begrijpt hoe de lezer een tekst opneemt is het belangrijk om je gedachte te kunnen structureren.

The Minto Pyramid Principle Download

Hier zal het tweede deel zich op focussen. Hoe structureer je vraagstukken ect.Goed boek voor het verbeteren van je analytische vaardigheden, problem solving skills, writing skills, presentatie skills en verduidelijken van je communicatie.Ik zou het mijn vrienden aanraden.