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A The pyramid principle: logic in writing

'-:duction

Why a pyramid structure? 5

Sorting into pyramids 5

The magical number seven 1

The need to state the logic 8

Ordering from the toP down 9

Thinking from the bottom uP 11

The substructures within the pyramid 17

The vertical relationshiP 17

The horizontal relationshiP 21

The introductory flow 22

How to build a PYramid sÚucture 25

lq
The top-down approach
The bottom-uP aPProach 30
ftr
Caveats for beginners

Fine points of introductions 37

lnitial introductions 37

Why a story? 37
How long should it be? 39
Where do you start the situation? 40
What's a complication? 41
Why that order? 42
What about the key line? 44
L, CONTENTS

46
Further examPles
49
ln summarY
50
Some common Patterns
50
Directives
51
Requests for funds
52
'How to' documents
54
Letters of ProPosal
Progress reviews
55 Quctixütg l
56
Transitions between grouPS
56
Referencing backward
59
Summarizing
59
Concluding

..,:\-
63
Deduction and induction: the difference E-
63
Deductive reasoning -- -.t
64
How it works - -: :-l
66
When to use it
69
lnductive reasoning
How it works
l0
72
How it differs

75
How to highlight the structure
15
Headings
19
Underlined Potnts
B1
Decimal numbering
83
lndented disPlaY

tu FART l¡
L, The pyramid principle: logic in thinking 87 10
89
lntroduction

91
Questioning the order of a grouping
93
lrme oroer
93
lncomPlete thinking
94
Confused logic
95
False grouPing
96
Structural order

vill
 CONTENTS

46 Creating a structure 96
49 Describing a structure 98
lmposing a structure 99
50
Ranking order 102
50
)t Creating proper class groupings 102
52 ldentifying improper class groupings 106
54
55
Questioning the problem-solving process 113
56
The problem-solving process 113
56
What is the problem? 115
59 '115
Where does it lie?
59
Why does it exist? 116
What could we do about it? 116
63 What should we do about it? 117

63 Defining the problem 117

64 Period graph books 121

66 Structuring the analysis of the problem 126
69 Five typical logic trees 126
70 Use of the logic tree concept 130
12

Questioning the summary statement 137

75 Stating the effect of actions 139
75 Make the wording specific 140
79 Distinguish the levels of action 146
81
Drawing an inference from conclusions 150
83
Find the structural similarity 't 51

Visualize the relationships 153

¡ng 87 10 Putting it into readable words 159

89 Create the image 161
Copy the image in words 163
91
93
Appendix.
93 Problem solvrng in structureless situations t6/
94
95
References 174
96
 her career on the
Barbara Minto grew up in Cleveland, Ohio She began
the famous Pugwash
staff of Cyrus Eaton, the industrialist who founded
part of the team that organ-
Conferences of nuclear scientists Working as

izedandrantheconferences,shereceivedsoundtrainingintacklingthe
problems of communicating clearly on technical subiects
School'
ln 1961 she left Mr. faton to attend the Harvard Business
returning to Cleveland in 1963 to
join McKinsey & Company' the interna-
tionalmanagementConsUltingfirm,astheirfirstfemaleconsultant.Her
abilitytowritewasnoted,andshewastransferredtoLondoninl966,to
concLntrate on developing the writing skills of
their growing European
staff.AllreportsatthattimewerewritteninEnglish,anditwasthought
would experience spe-
that consultants not writing in their first language
cial difficulties.
quickly that the writing diffi-
However, it became apparent to her very
cultiesinDÜsseldorfandParisweretheSameaSthoseinNewYorkand
Cleveland. The problem was not so much
to get the Ianguage right as to
getthethinkingclear.ThisinsightledhertoConcentrateondiscovering
writing, and eventually
the structures of thinking that must underlie clear
to develop the ideas that make up this book'
1 913 run her own f irm' Minto
She still lives ln London, but has since
The Pyramid Principle to
lnternational, lnc. she specializes in teaching
pro{essions' but whose
people whose major training is in business or the
jobs nevertheless require them to produce complex reports' analyses'
memorandums, or Presentations'
Shehastaughthercor'trsetomostofthemajorconsultingfirmsinthe
United states and Europe, as well as to many of
the country's largest cor
porations.ShehasalsolecturedattheHarvard'stanford'Chicago'and
of New York'
London business schools, and at the state University