what is the pryramid principles?
a top-down (key message at the top) approach to storytelling, alligned with the overall tree structure used in the mckinsey framework analysis. invented by barbara minto in 1963.major ideas before minor supporting ideas, grouped ideas ordered to show their relationship
what does pyramid principle allow from audience perspective? and from author perspective?
look the image
how does our mind cluster items?
- Temporal Clustering: People are more likely to recall items that are in neighboring positions on lists
- Semantic Clustering: People are more likely to recall similar items from the list.
organized top-down storytelling makes use of this
how should the pyramid be structured?
- vertically a point has always to be the summary of the ideas below, ideas relate vertically through a question/answers dialogue
- horizontally ideas in each grouping must be logically the same (confrontabili) and in logical order.
- the internal structure of the pyramid is ideally mece
the statment of the key line points raises logical questions (how, why ecc) and at the next level there should be the answers at those questions
what is it inductive reasoning?
Inductive reasoning reaches a probable (bottom-up) conclusion by generalizing from initial evidence
what is it deductive reasoning? how can u evaluate deductive reasoning?
Deductive reasoning reaches a conclusion by applying general rules
Deductive reasoning is evaluated in terms of validity and soundness.
* The reasoning is valid if it’s impossible for the premises to be true while it’s conclusion is false
* The reasoning is sound if it’s valid and the premises are true
when should u use deductive reasoning?
you should use it especially if the answer would be a
surprise to the reader
how does the ideas relate horizontally in a pyramid?
in the pyramid, ideas relate horizontally either by grouping (often inductive) or argument (often deductive). the first is better when you have to convince the client, the second more when is aligned.
what is the mece principle?
is a grouping principle for separating a set of items
into subsets that are mutually exclusive (ME) and collectively
exhaustive (CE). developed by barbra minto in 1960 (idea comes from aristotele). no one individual can appear in more than one category and all categories combined include all individuals. ex. divide people by range of age. ex of non mece: dividing people by hobbies: people can have more than one hobby as weel as have no hobby
which is the most common example of mece thinking?
the profitability framework
which are the three components that must be in a well-constructed slide deck according to minto?
- executive summary: summary of argument and recommendations for readers that are more
interested in the ‘so what’ than the detailed analysis - body slides: Illustrates the analysis that supports each claim you make in your
slide deck’s argument and thus slide objective. - next steps or reccomendations slide: Clearly outlines the key implications or ‘so what’ of your slide deck,
as well as any next steps required.
what is first principles thinking?
is a method of problem-solving that involves breaking down complex issues into their most basic and fundamental parts. Originating from ancient Greek philosophy and revitalized by modern thinkers like Elon Musk, it asks us to discard inherited assumptions and conventions
which are the techniques to establish first principles?
- socratic questioning:
- the whys
- 3 step framework for problem solving
what is the socratic questioning? which process does it follow?
is a systematic approach to asking and answering questions. The goal is to inspire creativity and separate knowledge from false assumptions. It generally follows this process:
1) Clarify thinking and explain origins of ideas. Why do I think this? Have I always felt this way?
2) Challenge assumptions. How do I know this is true? What if I thought the opposite?
3) Look for evidence. What is one example? What other information do we need?
4) Consider alternative perspectives. How would others respond? How do I know I’m correct?
5) Examine consequences and implications. What if I’m wrong? What are consequences if I am?
6) Question the original questions. Why did I think that? Was I correct? What conclusions can I draw from this process.
what does the whys method is?
Many adults might find children’s incessant “why”
questions irritating, but their constant questioning is
actually a natural example of thinking in first
principles. Organizations can break down problems and
processes using this same method. Eventually,
you’ll arrive at a question you can’t answer—this is
where you develop a new solution
what is the 3 step framework for problem-solving?
1) identify and define your current assumptions
2) break down the problem into its fundamental principles
3) create new solutions from scratch
what is hypothesis driven problem solving? how is it also knows as? why is it useful? which is the difference between a bottom-up problem-solving and a hypothesis driven problem solving?
Hypothesis driven problem solving also known as “top-down problem solving” or “hypothesis driven thinking” is a form of problem-solving that
starts with the answer and works backward to prove or disprove that answer. Practiced by the biggest consulting firms around the globe for its
effectiveness in getting to the heart of the matter, hypothesis-driven thinking is rooted in the scientific method.
bottom-up problem solving: (a non-hypothesis
driven approach) analyzes the data/information to
arrive at your answer
hypothesis driven problem solving: Top-down problem solving identifies an answer
and looks to data/information to validate an answer
In business leadership, the typical problem-solving approach practiced tends to be bottoms-up problem solving, however if you take the time to
learn and apply it, top-down is often much more effective, particularly when you’re dealing with a problem that’s defined and a tight timeline.
how should you apply hypothesis driven thinking?
1 define the problem: this is very important and ensure that you are focusing on the right issue and preven you from wasting time and energy. (think about the famous sentence of einstan on the matter)
2 develop your initial hypothesis: a good hypothesis doesn’t need to be correct but just plausible. brainstorm multiple hypothesis and then narrow down. Next, you’ll structure your logic using a
decision tree. The first level is your hypothesis, the second includes key assumptions, and the third outlines the fact
points you need to validate. This tree shapes your work plan. There are different
types of logic trees, such as issue and solution trees
3 gather and analyze information to validate or refute your hypothesis: surveys, interviews, focus group, data analysis..
you should constantly be gathering new info throughout the process. The term “acceptable
evidence thresholds” is often used to describe the certainty you’re looking to arrive at. Apply the 80/20 rule here -that’s enough evidence to get to 80% certainty. Once you’ve gathered all of your
information, it’s time to analyze it and see if
your hypothesis was correct
4 pivot your hypothesis and arrive at your solution: If the information you’ve gathered points to your hypothesis being correct, great! You
can move on to step four. If not, don’t worry – you can adjust your hypothesis and try
again. Pivot to alternative hypotheses as
many times as needed. Hypothesis-driven
thinking is an iterative process.
what is a root cause?
A root cause is defined as a factor that caused a nonconformance and should be permanently eliminated through process
improvement. The root cause is the core issue—the highest-level cause—that sets in
motion the entire cause-and-effect reaction that ultimately leads to the problem(s)
What is root cause analysis?
A range of approaches,tool and techniques to uncover problem causes. Some methods focus on identifying true root causes, while others are general problem-solving techniques.
which are the core principles in root cause analysis?
which are the main goals of root cause analysis?
which are the 5 approaches to root cause analysis?
what is problem laddering? which are the 2 directions?
