INTRODUCTION TO PYRAMID PRINCIPLE

Why this course

Improve the effectiveness of communication: Communication means solve the problem, there must be clear and valuable ideas How to efficiently communicate

Improve the efficiency of communication: Communication to let each other quickly and accurately understand what you mean to grasp the key points

AGENDA
Writing Backwards -- The Pyramid The Governing Thought (TOPS) Logical Arguments Logical Groupings

No Gaps, No Overlaps (MECE)

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EVOLUTION OF STRATEGIC WRITING

III Writing backwards

I Writing sentences

II Writing stories

WRITING BACKWARDS (PYRAMID PRINCIPLE)

Dear Shirley . . . I hate you

Reason #1

Reason #2

Reason #3

SOLVING THE PROBLEM

Recommendations

Facts

Analyses

Conclusions

COMMUNICATING THE SOLUTION

Recommendations Actions/steps/reasons Facts/ analyses

What should be done?

How or why should it be done?

How do you know the recommendations are sound?

DEVELOPING A STRUCTURE FOR "WRITING BACKWARDS"

Governing thought

Key line support

Support

Support

AGENDA
Writing Backwards --The Pyramid The Governing Thought (TOPS)

Logical Arguments
Logical Groupings

No Gaps, No Overlaps (MECE)

"IF YOU WERE TO BOIL YOUR BOOK DOWN TO A FEW WORDS, WHAT WOULD BE ITS MESSAGE?"

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GOVERNING THOUGHT

Targeted to our audience

TOPS
Overarching Powerful

Supportable

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GOVERNING THOUGHT -- IS IT TOPS?

The company has potential in the A, B, and C market segments

The company should enter emerging market segments aggressively to preempt competition

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AGENDA
Writing Backwards -- The Pyramid The Governing Thought (TOPS)

Logical Arguments
Logical Groupings No Gaps, No Overlaps (MECE)
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ARGUMENT

GROUPING

Governing thought

Governing thought

Key line support

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ARGUMENT STRUCTURE (DEDUCTIVE REASONING)

Governing thought

Key line support

Noncontroversial statement about situation

Comment on situation

Implication of situation and comment ("therefore" point)

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LOGICAL ARGUMENT - EXAMPLE

To improve sales, Dynamo should take immediate steps to develop and execute a more targeted marketing plan for the LX 20

As you suspected, some manufacturing flaws have hurt sales of Dynamos new system LX 20

However, major cause of disappointing sales is Dynamos unfocused marketing effort

Therefore, Dynamo should take immediate steps to develop and execute a more targeted marketing plan

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SOME ARGUMENT PATTERNS

Success requires X

You are not equipped to do X

Therefore, develop capability for X

Success requires X

You are not focusing on X

Therefore, shift focus to X

You are pursuing X

Y would be better

Therefore, change direction to Y

You thought X was a problem

Further investigation shows it

Therefore, shift focus to Y

Performance is not as expected

Underlying cause is X

Therefore, take steps to fix X

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PROS AND CONS OF ARGUMENTS

Governing thought

Key line

Noncontroversial statement about situation

Comment on situation

Implication of situation and comment ("therefore" point)

Pros

Demonstrates that no other avenue will work Can be particularly effective with resistant audiences

Cons

If audience disagrees with "situation" or "comment," argument will fail to persuade

Requires audience to remember much information before getting to "so what"

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AGENDA
Writing Backwards -- The Pyramid The Governing Thought (TOPS) Logical Arguments Logical Groupings

No Gaps, No Overlaps (MECE)

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GROUPING STRUCTURE (INDUCTIVE REASONING)

Governing thought

Key line

Same kind of idea:

Reasons Examples Actions

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LOGICAL GROUPING -- EXAMPLE

To improve sales, Dynamo should take immediate steps to develop and execute a more targeted marketing plan for the LX 20

Explicitly identify high-priority segments and their needs

Develop tailored promotions and sales aids

Establish appropriate customer contact and follow-up guidelines

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IS THIS A GOOD GROUPING? -- 1

The division should take several steps to improve profitability

Shift strategic focus

Reexamine salesforce incentives

The improvement program has important implications for the organization

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IS THIS A GOOD GROUPING? -- 2

Planning for the future

Implementing the proposed planning system will be costly and timeconsuming

It is not clear that the new system will correct the major weaknesses of the existing system

Importance of good planning

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IS THIS A GOOD GROUPING? -- 3

Accounting system needs to be modified

Retail stores have not suffered major profit decline

Variations in product line profitability by region not well understood

Southern Region only moderately more profitable

Present store P&L leads to wrong decisions at store level

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PROS AND CONS OF GROUPINGS

Governing thought

Key line

Pros

Major points easy to remember Very effective for action-oriented audiences If one point rejected, remaining points may still persuade

Cons

Could be too forceful for some audiences

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ARGUMENT
Dynamo should take immediate steps to develop and execute a more targeted marketing plan for the LX 20

GROUPING
Dynamo should take immediate steps to develop and execute a more targeted marketing plan for the LX 20

As you suspected, some manufacturing flaws have hurt sales of Dynamos new system LX 20

However, major cause of disappointing sales is Dynamos unfocused marketing effort

Therefore, Dynamo should take immediate steps to develop and execute a more targeted marketing plan

Explicitly identify high-priority segments and their needs

Develop tailored promotions and sales aids

Establish appropriate customer contact and follow-up guidelines

Need for action

vs.

Actions 26

AGENDA
Writing Backwards ?The Pyramid The Governing Thought (TOPS)

Logical Arguments
Logical Groupings No Gaps, No Overlaps (MECE)
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MECE
Mutually Exclusive/Collectively Exhaustive (No overlaps) (No gaps)
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IS IT MECE? -- 1
We should sell our house
We need more room The house is old, and needs expensive basic repairs The kitchen is too small

The furnace is broken

There is too much traffic on our street
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IS IT MECE? -- 2
Entry barriers are low
Minimal start-up costs

No regulatory restrictions
Little need for proprietary technology or expertise Qualified personnel readily available

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IS IT MECE? -- 3
The company should adopt an invest/grow strategy in this business
The market is favorable The business is strong Financial and market performance has been excellent The sales and financial outlook appears good Innovative marketing strategies have proved successful
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BUILDING OUR PYRAMID

What is our main message (governing thought)? Is it TOPS? Should we use an argument or a grouping? Does our final structure pass the relevant logic test? For groupings, are the points logically the same (e.g., all steps, all problems, all benefits) and in the logical order?

For arguments, does the second point comment on the first point in a way that leads to the third point and only the third point?
Do both arguments and groupings support their summary in a MECE way? Mutually exclusive (ME): Is each point used only once and in the best place? Collectively exhaustive (CE): Do we have all the points we need to support or defend the summary idea?

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GROUPING AND SUMMARIZING

What do I need to do to sell my old car?
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Fix hole in roof Get new floormats Write newspaper ad Get new overhead light Fix the dents Get rust spots painted over Make sign for rear window

8.
9.

Write announcement for bulletin board

Vacuum interior
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UNSCRAMBLE THE FOLLOWING

1.
2. 3.

Kewpie has introduced a better-tasting sauce at a cheaper price

Ragu changed its sauce recipe and customers dont like it The US "pasta boom" is over

4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Competitors products are gaining favor

Trendsetters now prefer wild rice to spaghetti Heinz has successfully launched an innovative new "Italian Prima" sauce Ragu added more spices to the sauce Spaghetti is once again perceived as a low-budget, starchy, and unexciting food Hunt has increased its market share with its premium-quality "Donello" line

10. Ragu reduced the amount of meat in the sauce 11. US sales of Ragu spaghetti are declining as a result of adverse product development and environmental trends 34

SOLUTION

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GROUPING AND SUMMARIZING --SOLUTION

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Fix hole in roof Get new floormats Write newspaper ad Get new overhead light Fix the dents Get rust spots painted over Make sign for rear window Write announcement for bulletin board Vacuum interior

Get bodywork done (at bodyshop)

Spruce up interior (at gas station)

Prepare advertisements (at home)

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GROUPING AND SUMMARIZING - PYRAMID

Prepare to sell the car

Get bodywork done

Spruce up interior

Prepare advertisements

Fix hole in Fix dents Repaint Get roof rust spots floormats

Get light

Vacuum

Write newspaper ad

Make sign

Write announcement

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RAGU SOLUTION
US sales of Ragu spaghetti sauce are declining as a result of adverse product development and environmental trends

Ragu changed its sauce recipe and customers dont like it

Competitors products are gaining favor

US "pasta boom" is over

Ragu added more spices to the sauce

Ragu reduced the amount of meat in the sauce

Kewpie has introduced a better-tasting sauce at a cheaper price

Heinz has successfully launched an innovative new "Italian Prima" sauce (6)

Hunt has increased its market share with premium-quality "Donello" sauce

Trendsetters now prefer wild rice to spaghetti

Spaghetti is once again perceived as a low-budget, starchy, and unexciting food

(3)

(10)

(1)

(9)

(5)

(8)

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