CANS 406 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Structured Analysis
22 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Structured analysis and communication
Minto Pyramid Principle : Effective approach to analysis
• Minto Pyramid Principle
o Conclusions reinforced by "supporting facts", each one building on each other to form a
"pyramid"
• Development of framework for structuring introductions
o Situation (where are we)
o Complication/catalyst (what occurred to trigger the question)
o Question (key question(s) to be answer)
o Answer (response to the question)
• Using S, C, Q, A
o Write something based on Situation, Complication, Question and Answer approach
o Getting the "Question" right : key step
• Defines problem/issue
o Messages need to be clear and targeted
• No "one way" to present data, but some guidelines
• Top line of powerpoint message should be statement or conclusion
• Be short, to the point
• Easy for reader to understand the key message
• Ideally, executives should be able to read only the top line messages and be able
to follow the analysis
• All top-line messages should be able to be included in executive summary
• Text on page: align with top line message
• Describe an graph or visual info on the page
• Ideal : one key message per page
• Ideally using only one graph/visual per page, but many organizations use two
o Always make sure to think about "what the point is" for the slide
• Know who your audience is (goes for oral and written presentations)
Client and Consultant: shared responsibility for maximizing value
• Some starting points for maximizing value in consultant-client relationship
o Client
• Choose consultants you can trust
• Meet the entire team
• Ensure clear deliverables
• Own the process
o Consultant
• Set clear expectations and deliverables from the outset
• Provide consistent communication
• Address issues early (before they becomes issues)
• Esp regarding pricing/"scope creep"
• Challenge the client (including CEO) and "dig" for information
For our slides
• 2 slides is good
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find more resources at oneclass.com
