The Pyramid Principle

The Pyramid Principle recommends that you start communicating with your answer/hypothesis first and then support it with arguments and data.

This concept is explored in the book “The Pyramid Principle” by Barbara Minto.

Here is how it works:

1. Start with the answer

2. Summarise and group your supporting arguments

3. Present the arguments and data in order

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Making Communications More Efficient

Implementing TPP is difficult for a lot of us because we are used to giving extensive context before we answer someone’s question.

The problem is that most people in positions of power can’t afford the time.

So it is important that you give them the answer first and if they like it they can explore the arguments for it.

Also, it helps immensely to disagree at the very beginning in order to save time. This approach is much better than reading through half a page before coming to that very same conclusion.

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Bad Email Pitches

The Pyramid Principle is a tool that was developed at McKinsey & Company for their client base who are mostly top-level executives. While executives need to process a lot of information without getting bogged down by redundant details, the job of Mckinsey consultants was to get across their ideas effectively within this small window.

So they came up with a system where they hook the executive’s attention by giving him the answer first and then get them to further explore the idea only if they are interested.

For example, imagine you are a consultant who wants to recommend a remote-only hiring approach to a CEO of a well-funded startup. A simple TPP based (hyper-simplified) email would go something like this:

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Implementation Best Practices

1. Highlight the benefits in your answer to hook the reader.

2. Keep the number of ideas under a group to less than 3.

3. Address important issues first & start with your strongest points.

4. Order your arguments logically based on chronology & structure. For example, if A needs to happen for B to happen, start by stating why A should happen before moving to benefits of B.

5. Give possible timeline in the answer to increase sense of urgency/clarity.

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So that is it, an effective communication strategy used by some of the best in the business. If you’d like to know more, I would highly recommend the book “The Pyramid Principle” by Barbara Minto.

So what are your thoughts on this? Let me know by replying to this email.

Finally, thanks for reading and keep it rational.

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