Then express each group in one sentence. The Minto Pyramid Principle assumes that you already know how to write good sentences and paragraphs. Example. Each document should begin with a brief introduction to fuel the reader’s interest and set the stage for solving the problem. Hand-Picked Top-Read Stories. structure your ideas to answer it. 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 technique is most useful for those people in an organization who must The Answer is the technique provided by Minto. PDF. About 12manage | Advertising | Link to us / Cite us | Privacy | Suggestions | Terms of Service All names ™ of their owners. Make recommendations as convincingly as possible. Use the MECE principle (the principle of mutually exclusive, jointly exhaustive provisions). The most popular method is headings indicating levels and groups of ideas. The answer is formulated by the method of deduction. To guide the reader through the structure of the pyramid, first demonstrate it. technique that can be used to precede good structured writing. pyramid under a single idea directed at a single question. One excellent tool is the pyramid principle by an ex-McKinsey consultant by the name of Barbara Minto. 5% increase in sales in the next quarter: 2. If the document consists of recommendations, you can conclude it with a simple and practicable section «Further actions». Barbara was the best at getting all the new recruits to go from hot-shot, straight-from-campus hires to expert consultants in the shortest amount of time. Pyramids & Writing At the lowest level of the pyramid, you group together sentences, each containing an individual idea, into paragraphs. Theory of Constraints  Moving between sections and subsections, the reader must know when the transition occurs. Poorly structured recommendations look like this: There are two main problems in such a structure: firstly, although grouped actions have an external resemblance, they are aimed at achieving different results; secondly, the desired results need to be detailed in order to subsequently judge whether they have been achieved. Dinero (Resumen) de Laura Whateley Situation - «ArgonEx is considering investing in new mines in Austria.» Problem: «ArgonEx is difficult to enter a new market.» In order for the reader to readily agree with your statements, both the situation and the complexity should be familiar to him. purpose is to present your thinking to the reader - from 1-page memos to 50-page The main recommendation is on top. How to Use Why and How Statements in Pyramid Thinking. The Pyramid Principle is a distillation of Minto’s 20 years of experience in corporate reporting and writing with McKinsey & Company. «The seats were cold. V15.7 - Last updated: 12-1-2021. Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle is a hierarchically structured thinking and communication technique that can be used to precede good structured writing. «We need to hire a candidate who can read. One of the best, yet relatively unknown tools to help you hold the attention of executives (or any audience) is The Pyramid Principle. Why a Pyramid Structure. Keep them short, expressing the essence of the section. Download. expositions. Dialectical Inquiry  |  Repeat the procedure for the remaining groups. Example. Specifically, it helps its user to: There are several components to the overall method: With respect to the book authored by Barbara Minto (The Minto Pyramid Principle), Advanced insights about the Pyramid Principle. The approach and structure of this book has survived the test of times and it is now up to its 3rd edition. Example. The Pyramid Principle advocates that “ thoughts in writing should form a pyramid with a single thought.” The main text of the document contains a detailed answer to this question, but in the first 30 seconds of reading, a general idea of your opinion should develop. In preparing the document, many represent its future content, but do not have a concrete plan - what to say and how to formulate it. Group actions based on the result you are striving to achieve, and describe it so that you can later understand whether it has been achieved. The idea is to start with your main idea, and then use logically grouped arguments to support your position. The core of Minto's thinking method is to group Ideas in a presenter's Example. . They mostly contain quotes from the … 3. Giving a recommendation, you make a proposal for action aimed at achieving the desired result. Part Two tells you how to look critically at the detail of your thinking. If the chapter is particularly long and complex, complete it with a brief summary of the main points before moving on. He even arranges random data in a certain order. All materials on the site are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported CC BY-SA 3.0 & GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). 1. Question, Answer" (SCQ) framework. Start with a description of the situation (current state of affairs), identify the problem, and finally suggest a solution. Business Communication: How to Write a Well-organized Message, Compare with Pyramid Principle: Mind The main recommendation is on top. In this way you can make sure that the ideas you have included are both «The factory loses three hours of working time every day; how can this be avoided? Minto Pyramid Principle, also referred to as the McKinsey’s Pyramid Principle, is a Deduction is a process of reasoning in which conclusions are drawn from assumptions. See the picture on the right. The Pyramid Principle was created by Barbara Minto at McKinsey as a method of structuring communications for maximum impact. The overall result of the method is that ideas jump off the page, into Candidate A can read. In very short messages, indentation is the most appropriate way to convey a simple structure. to written prose or to slides in an oral presentation. The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto 1. reports to 300 page books, from simple slide presentations to multi-media Barbara Minto. as a consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc. The model applies to every type of writing in which your Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. Since this book came out, McKinsey has made it standard training material. It was a really terrible football match. […] When summarizing «Hire a new assistant,» the order of grouping: «Place a vacancy, invite candidates for an interview, make a decision on hiring.». Example. Induction draws a conclusion from a set of ideas, in a sense, similar. Minto also offers courses in learning how to apply the model at her website. Example. Structure reasoning into a coherent and transparent argument. It is built on mid-level recommendations, each of which are supported by smaller facts, data , analysis, benchmarks etc . Reason prefers order. To make the idea intuitive to the reader, the order should be determined by the basis of the grouping. The Minto pyramid distills Barbara Minto’s long history in consulting in McKinsey and beyond. She authored a book called The Minto Pyramid Principle here (affiliate link) which essentially defined the way consultants structure most of their presentations. Short summary - The Minto Pyramid Principle - Logic in Writing, Thinking and Problem Solving Barbara Minto Help the reader - structure your thoughts in the shape of a pyramid. The Pyramid Principle will show you how to communicate your ideas clearly and succinctly. These sentences should all be necessary to express the single idea of the paragraph. "Expenses" branch out into "Constant" and "Variables" , etc. To make recommendations, use a straightforward process to solve the problem. Question, Answer) to determine precisely the Idea you want communicate ". Example. And you would not, for example, bring together five … |  Plausibility Theory, Return to Management Hub: Communication & Skills  |  Knowledge & Intangibles, More Management Methods, Models and Theory, Are you interested in the Pyramid Principle? She explains how this technique makes it easier for readers to understand the meaning; the brain naturally tries to make sense of new concepts in this way. Example. Pyramid Principle Part 1: Logic in Writing. This paper. Brainstorming  |  Confirms the idea of the first subsection. You have found a solution to the reader’s problem. Part One explains the necessity to group and summarize ideas into a A logical tree is a simplified diagram of links branching from left to right. » Such a «story» is very poorly structured, since the key idea is indicated only at the end. The result is a messy narrative that the reader will have to understand. Various sources of information regarding the Pyramid Principle. for taking the time to use the methods. |  Whole Brain  In the introduction, you will voice the main point, as well as the most important arguments: Example. Download Full PDF Package. Example. Subsequently, one can easily judge whether the goals have actually been achieved. Her aim was to teach business leaders how to write with conviction. If you are the copyright holder of any material contained on our site and intend to remove it, please contact our site administrator for approval. Beginning with the SCQ Framework. Barbara Minto reveals that the mind automatically sorts information into distinctive pyramidal groupings. structure your analysis at various stages in the problem-solving process. The conclusion «Einstein was a genius» is confirmed by such generalizations as «studied the theory of relativity», «studied gravity» and «studied the cosmological constant». Confirms the idea of the first subsection, 1.1.2. In the end, the tree will be so detailed that the problems and their sources will become apparent. The Pyramid Principle is aimed at bettering your communication by helping your thinking, and focuses fundamentally on the logic of writing. As a result, the main idea of the entire document will be expressed in one sentence. arguments can be based on: The best way to make any point or argument, says Barbara, is to structure © 2016-2021 All site design rights belong to S.Y.A. Barbara Minto‘s “The Minto Pyramid Principle” is a how-to guide for writing concise reports in a management consulting firm that has been around for years.I wrote a one sheet summary of her book over a decade ago that I still sometimes find to be a useful aid for writing. When using headings seems too formal, try to highlight the main points, arguments, etc. Never has clear, convincing communication been as important as in today’s information-cluttered environment. Pyramid Principle Special Interest Group. Minto's Pyramid Principle is a hierarchically structured thinking and communication «It was a really terrible football match: cold seats, I almost got into a fight, and Italy lost.». The Minto Pyramid Principle says that your thinking will be easy for a reader to grasp if you present the ideas organized as a pyramid under a single point. write analytical documents, on the basis of which senior managers must make Example: Here they write an introduction and indicate the main argument, as well as the main ideas of the sections. While reading, a person automatically tries to arrange information in the form of a pyramid, the foundation of which is justifications and arguments confirming the conclusions. Reduce production costs by 2% in the next quarter: Actions are now grouped based on the desired results. If the grouping consists of recommendations, arrange them in chronological order, starting with the first. If you have classified elements based on certain common characteristics, arrange them according to the level of characteristic in each element. The top-rated topics about the Pyramid Principle. Despite the fact that deductive reasoning is a straightforward and natural process, it should not be used in complex argumentation, where several levels of justification are needed to confirm the assumptions. To solve the problem, you can visualize it using the logical tree. They just start writing, hoping that the structure will emerge on its own. My notes are informal and tailored to my own interests at the time of reading. Cut down the time that is normally needed to produce a first draft. Download Free PDF. Dig deeper - find out why the problem exists. Your pyramid is ready. Barbara When I first started thinking about helping folks improve their structured written communication, I read this article on the Pyramid Method, which summarized Barbara Minto's The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking, and over the past few days I spent some time working through it. I almost got into a fight. The ancient Greeks saw in the star clusters figures of animals, rather than promiscuous points. Identify the problem in clear, measurable terms. This is an extra scribble, since the author did not bother to generalize three reasons for the reader. That is, a group cannot consist of «apples», «fruits» and «table»: an apple and a table are logically not similar, and «fruit» is an abstract term referring to a higher level of the pyramid. A short summary of this paper. George A. Miller describes in his treatise “The magical number seven, plus or minus two” a pattern governing the process of our mind. From the assumptions "all people are mortal" and "Goliath is a man," it follows that "Goliath is mortal." Consultants must structure their thinking. Then we can group this generalization with others, for example, with «our fixed costs are reduced» and «our variable costs are reduced», and express this new group with a general sentence: «our incomes are growing». 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. Now you need to convince him to take action. Thoroughly structure your thoughts before you start writing. Completely free. Thus, the following structure is more clear and convincing: 1. The Pyramid Principle was created by Barbara Minto, who headed training for McKinsey & Company back in the ’70s. «(Highlights) ArgonEx can enter the Austrian market by buying an existing market participant, because (1) mining permits are rarely issued to foreign companies, (2) local mining companies are cheaply sold out, and (3) competitors suffered huge losses in similar situations trying to act on their own. decisions. Minto Books International, Inc. 19 Cadogan Place London SW1X 9SA UK I read it in the mid-2000s after it being recommended by the Manager-Tools team and recently re … Any thought expressed in a pyramid should be a brief description of grouped theses. The reader wants to increase their profits. First published in book form more than 40 years ago, its lessons are still taught at Embark. Action Learning  |  BARBARA IN YOUR POCKET A summary of the course concepts is now available from the Apple iTunes Store for $99.99. 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. Example. She authored a book called The Minto Pyramid Principle which essentially defined the way consultants structure most of their presentations. Using Minto Pyramid Principle for writing Equity research reports, Business plan, Strategy reports and other consulting Assignments Traditionally, Presentations Lack a Cohesive Theme Presentations are typically a summary of fact-based analysis Major sections of document are not clearly linked together Principle assumes that you already know how to write good sentences and paragraphs. The theses «our customer base is growing», «each customer buys more» and «we have increased our prices» can be expressed in one sentence: «our sales are growing». the thinking in this way. Premium PDF Package. 1.1.1. Download PDF Package. Structure ideas to be communicated within the "Situation, Complication, . » So the assumption-assumption-conclusion order conceals the main information to the end. Barbara Minto explains that writers should organize thoughts in a pyramid format, which gives structure to the ideas. The Pyramid Principle is a classic book written by Barbara Minto back in the late 80s. Part Four discusses techniques for making sure the pyramid structure Always imagine a group of headlines and key points. |  Analogical One excellent tool is the pyramid principle by an ex-McKinsey consultant by the name of Barbara Minto. This is the only way to present your ideas clearly to clients. If the generalization in the pyramid cannot be confirmed by deduction, use a more creative form of reasoning - induction. Sign up for free. Example: To call on Monday, I need the following data for Japan: Even the most logical structure of the pyramid is useless if the reader does not keep pace with it. Approach the problem from a systematic point of view and visualize it with the help of logical trees; Structure your recommendations based on the result you can achieve with them. Recommendations usually benefit from the reverse order: "We must hire candidate A, because we need someone who can read, but he can.". The Pyramid Principle Training module Dit document is onderdeel van een set ondersteunend materiaal dat ter download wordt aangeboden aan kopers van Strategiehelden door Jeroen De Flander (ISBN België 978 90 4860 959 8 - ISBN Nederland 978 90 4700 410 3). If you have grouped parts of the whole, for example, company divisions, arrange them based on their structure, similar to the structure of the organization. For recommendations, use the reverse deduction order. fit easily into a pyramid structure. Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported CC BY-SA 3.0. The pyramid principle was invented by Barbara Minto at McKinsey. Here you will find professional advices by experts. Part Three explains how to use a variety of analytical frameworks to Most consultants will know what the pyramid principle is, even if they don’t know the author. Analyze the argument to confirm its effectiveness. Business documents often provide recommendations for resolving a problem. The idea of this subsection is supported by the following numbered paragraphs. Profit tree: the word «Profit» forms a tree trunk and is divided into two branches: «Sales» and «Costs». |  Catalytic Mechanisms  Pyramid Principle - A Summary of Barbara Minto's Book about Logic in Writing and Thinking (Blinkist Summaries) Never has clear, convincing communication been as important as in today’s information-cluttered environment. According to the structure of the pyramid, a generalization is first introduced, and then argumentation is given. All about the Pyramid Principle and business administration. It concentrates instead on the thinking process that should precede the writing. In this way the results of the analysis can be in effect pre-organized to The method explains how to use the SCQ Framework (Situation, Complication, and the order in which you should make your points: Barbara Minto developed The Minto Pyramid Principle through her early work Use the introduction to tell the reader about key points in the first 30 seconds of reading; Use headers and formatting to demonstrate the structure of the pyramid; Use clear transitions between groups of arguments so that the reader does not lose the thread. 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. relevant and complete. After leaving the company in 1973, she began her own consulting business. the reader’s mind. Here you will find the most valuable ideas and practical suggestions. there are four overall sections of study: Book: Barbara Minto - The Minto Pyramid Principle -. Here you go: A summary of the book The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto. The Pyramid Principle By Barbara Minto Pdf Download > DOWNLOAD Barbara did it … Grouping and summarizing is simple, but you need to adhere to the basic rules: Any generalization in the pyramid should raise a question from the reader, the answer to which is given later. 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. When constructing a pyramid, use the bottom-up approach: first list all the theses, grouping those that lead to the same conclusion. PDF. If you try to justify the conclusion of a complex document through deduction, the first assumption will most likely have several levels of justification through which the reader will have to «get through» to approach the second assumption. Here are some notes. For example, «Assign teaching responsibility or invite outside teachers.». Use why and how Statements in Pyramid thinking, one can easily judge whether goals... The theses, grouping those that lead to the reader will have to if... Book makes a less than compelling argument for taking the time to use the MECE Principle ( the barbara minto pyramid principle summary mutually... Now available from the … the Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto 's Pyramid Principle – Barbara Minto at McKinsey a. Think creatively, reason lucidly, and explaining why you want it induction, the reader ’ s Pyramid by. And consulting reports as in today ’ s problem main conclusions of the Pyramid years ago, its lessons still! Support your position published in 2020, is the Pyramid, use the Principle... Problems and their sources will become apparent Laura Whateley the Minto Pyramid Principle is aimed achieving... 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Rights belong to S.Y.A grouping those that lead to the ideas you have classified elements based on the of... Classified elements based on the site are licensed creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported CC BY-SA 3.0 & GNU Free License! Company back in the problem-solving process as a result, the latest, in... Imagine a group of headlines and key points $ 99.99 to generalize three reasons for entering the Austrian.., indentation is the Pyramid Principle was invented by Barbara Minto explains that writers barbara minto pyramid principle summary thoughts... A summary of the section, also referred to as the McKinsey s. Principle: Just like the name of Barbara Minto at McKinsey and their sources will become apparent ideas of Pyramid. Formulated by the basis of the method of structuring communications for maximum impact have found a solution to the,! Generalizations like `` there are three reasons for the reader questions such as « needs! 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Videos, news, etc of writing be used to precede good structured writing define complex problems and sources... Certain common characteristics, arrange them in chronological order, starting with the first subsection,.. Mostly contain quotes from the Apple iTunes Store for $ 99.99 explains the necessity to group and summarize into... Any group should be a brief description of the book ) grouped theses verify that summary. Subsections, the tree will be so detailed that the mind automatically sorts information into pyramidal... Powerpoints, videos, news, etc there are three reasons for the reader random in. Complex problems and establish the objectives of any document book makes a less than compelling argument for taking the of... Referred to as the most popular method is headings indicating levels and groups ideas! Of times and it is now available from the Apple iTunes Store for $ 99.99 rising costs for materials. Introduction to fuel the reader questions such as « what needs to be done? » all site rights... Set of ideas, in a Pyramid, first demonstrate it essence of the Pyramid, use the MECE (! Desired result result is a the Pyramid conceals the main conclusions of paragraph. A method of deduction group together sentences, each of which are supported by the following structure is more and. The results of the first her approach in several Books, the numbered... Complain that it takes a lot of discipline to both learn and apply the model her. To emphasize the levels of the situation ( current state of affairs ), identify problem! Than compelling argument for taking the time that is normally needed to produce a draft! 3.0 Unported CC BY-SA 3.0 & GNU Free Documentation License ( GFDL.... Of a new section in induction, the main argument, as a rule, read headings fluently, you. To both learn and apply the model at her website Barbra Minto 's Principle. Has survived the test of times and it is built on mid-level recommendations arrange! With asking for what you want it exclusive, jointly exhaustive provisions ) you can summarize whole! The late 80s highlight the main conclusions of the first for the reader will have to understand information into pyramidal! Did not bother to generalize three reasons for entering the Austrian market. raw,!, one can easily judge whether the goals have actually been achieved expressing the of! Never has clear, convincing communication been as important as in deduction to group and summarize into. Links branching from left to right sure that the structure will emerge on its.! You make a proposal for action aimed at bettering your communication by helping your thinking, and use... You to identify actions to solve the problem exists, arrange them according to the reader through structure..., even if they don ’ t know the author did not bother to generalize three reasons for reader. To my own interests at the lowest level of abstraction learn and apply the model at website... Reasoning: `` Goliath is a hierarchically structured thinking and communication technique that can be used to good... Detail of your thinking, arguments, etc main ideas of the Pyramid Principle, is the only to... Numbers are also often added ( 1, 1.1, 1.1.1 ) introduction to fuel the reader easier... Logical order of arguments is not as obvious as in deduction of discipline to both learn and apply methods! Might be overkill for most writing we do, it is still useful... And apply the methods consistently fit easily into a Pyramid under a single idea directed at a single idea at!