Clear, concise, effective business
communication is critical for success.
Effective business communication is
based on a main message, supported by
a logical pyramid of major ideas and
supporting ideas.
The main message answers a question
arising from a problem (complication) to
a situation.
We are not ready to write until we know
the question we are answering.
Bad communications often due to poor
organization of thinking, made by
passive voice, too many words,
repetition and poor agreement.
Good communication starts with the
main message up front, not at the end
(no conclusion), followed by a logical
ordering of major ideas that justify or
explain the main message.
Clarity is promoted by starting with the
main message and this is the best use
of the audience’s time.
Major ideas are logically ordered based
on chronology (including cause and
effect), or parts of a whole, or ranking
(importance) to show “why” and/or
“how.”
Major ideas are usually justified
inductively as this is often more
compelling than deductive logic.
End product is a tight logical pyramid
that is mutually exclusive and
collectively exhaustive and can be
converted from outline to memo or
PowerPoint presentation.
If the question is known but not the
answer, pyramid structure can be used
to organize what is known, identify gaps
in thinking or information, and build
analysis from the bottom up.
If audience is hostile, can move main
message to final major idea, and put a
neutral assertion as the main message.
The Pyramid Principle is a methodology
for structured communication.
Control the sequence of ideas by using
the top to bottom approach.
Ideas at any level in the pyramid must
always be summaries of the ideas
grouped below them.
Lead with your most important
conclusion.
Major ideas are logically ordered based
on chronology (including cause and
effect), or parts of a whole, or ranking
(importance) to show “why” and/or
“how.”
Controlling the sequence of ideas is the
most important act necessary to clear
writing.
The clearest sequence is always to give
the summarizing idea before giving the
individual ideas.