Effective Communication

Credit: sdecb.com

From my series with the Bridge Africa on Structured Communication, I have learnt a lot in relation to how to deliver your message so that it is well understood.

My key take away from the series was on the Minto Pyramid by a former McKinsey consultant, Barbara Minto.

Barbara spent years talking to the busiest people in the world from CEOs to investors. She realized that to communicate quickly, clearly and without being misunderstood, you should structure what you want to say like a Pyramid.

How does this work?

Barbara argues that whenever we communicate we should always start with THE MAIN IDEA (sort of like a conclusion) and everything we say after that should be to support what we said at the top.

Sometimes we have very great ideas but we are not able to present them in the right way and are not clearly understood.

Just like the shape of a pyramid with a tipped point it helps you to: Start with the Main Point - the Conclusion. To then break down supporting reasons below it. Make sure that at any communication point you is only defending one point at a time.

So what if you have many ideas? Then you should be able to summarize them which mean they cogently fit together and if not they are incomplete.

I have been able to view presentations differently now. By answering the audience question first, you sound more assertive and confident. You’re not searching for reasons or words, and you don’t sound like you’re wavering. You are plainly and directly answering the question that was posed to you.

Your audience will naturally begin to group and summarize your arguments and ideas in order to remember them. So you may as well help them do it and make your overall recommendation more effective and memorable.