As a product manager, you need to have great communication skills so that you can articulate your product vision, requirements, and results. To help with this, you can use communication tools.
Communication tools remove the guesswork by providing you with an adaptable framework to apply to a range of use cases. One of these, the Minto Pyramid, presents ideas clearly and logically. Barbara Minto developed the Minto Pyramid in her 1985 book, “The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking.”
This article explains the Minto Pyramid in detail, covering the main components, when and why to use it, and challenges you may face.
The Minto Pyramid helps you structure communications. It has you start with the conclusion, before working through more detailed, supporting arguments, and further information.
When visualized, this information appears as a pyramid:
The Minto Pyramid approach structures ideas hierarchically, starting with the main idea at the top and breaking it down into sub-ideas or supporting arguments below.
As you progress, you group information into categories that summarize your data, making it easier to understand overarching themes.
The Minto Pyramid relies on three main components:
The main idea serves as the central message or key point that you cover with your content. It sits at the top of the pyramid and should be clear to an audience without having to dive deeper.
You can think of this as a great headline, title, or a statement. For example:
Supporting content contains the primary arguments or explanations that support the main idea. They expand upon the main idea and form the second layer of the pyramid.
These could be key areas that led to your conclusion. For, “Our expansion into social media sales will double our next year revenue” the supporting content might include:
By understanding these supplementary points you would feel more confident about doubling your social media sales, as the indicators point toward success.
Finally, each element of supporting content should be backed up by specific data and evidence. These make up the lower layers of the pyramid and in the example might demonstrate specific areas of social media that could be targeted. For instance, you might say:
As you go down the pyramid, there should be a logical flow of arguments with detailed information gathered to support previous arguments.
The Minto Pyramid can be used in a variety of situations to help deliver information in a clear, concise, and logical way. Some of the most common use cases include:
As with any principle or framework, challenges can emerge. In the case of the Minto Pyramid, these tend to be:
Because the Minto Pyramid leads with the main idea, the audience can end up rejecting an idea without hearing the rest of the information about it. If the report or presentation were reversed, an audience member may agree with the majority of the supporting information but might differ on the main point raised.
Leading with the main idea helps weed ideas quicker, however you also run the risk of giving up on something prematurely. A lot rests on the effectiveness of how you describe your main idea.
Again, by starting with the main idea, you may have a limited opportunity for the audience to collaborate and help determine a solution.
Any suggestions made by the audience might also be difficult to implement with limited group involvement.
By employing the Minto Pyramid, you can enhance your ability to convey complex information in a clear, concise, and compelling manner. To help you out, remember these basics:
Good luck and comment with any questions you may have!
Featured image source: IconScout
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