Elevate your writing with The Pyramid Principal

I have been in writing for the best part of 20 years.

During that time, I have authored several articles for first-class sports teams, businesses, and even an online casino in South Africa. In addition, I've led numerous workshops and trained hundreds of professionals.

Not to mention the hoards of writing needed in project land - yes, even for us developers.

But do you want to know a secret?

No matter where I write, I use the Pyramid Principle.

And below are the questions I ask myself when applying the Pyramid Principal when writing for projects, sporting outlets, emails, and even casino copy.

Let's get it.

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Image courtesy of Mckinsey

Question #1: What is the key message?

Break it down to its most straightforward takeaway:

1. Identify the main point you want to convey (note I said point, not points)
2. Put this main point at the beginning of your document or presentation - right at the top.
3. Provide necessary context and background information

This simple template allows you to achieve precise and concise communication.

Here's an example where I advised a project manager against using SharePoint to store large datasets:

Dear John,

After reviewing the client's requirements and evaluating their current SharePoint-based system, transitioning to SQL for data management would greatly improve security, efficiency, and scalability.

I'm a direct person, so the key message is usually in the first sentence. If you need to introduce yourself or be more tactile, you can put it in the second or third; make sure it's in the first paragraph.

From there, I structure my argument like this:

Question #2: How do I group and summarise related ideas?

How I think of this is that I'm building a filing cabinet. Defined borders, easily searchable:

1. Identify all the supporting points for your key message
2. Group them into logical categories
3. Summarise each group with a heading or key takeaway

To be succinct, try not to jumble unrelated ideas together. Instead, please keep it clean and keep them separate. This is often referred to as MECE, a topic we will go through later.

Like this:

1. Scalability
2. Performance
3. Security
4. Integration

The above seems obvious, but it's easy to overlook. This step forces you to get organised and gives your reader a TLDR exit while maintaining the point.

Question #3: What data and facts do I have?

The bottom of the pyramid:

Think of this part as the nuts and bolts. What details, evidence, and insights do I have to support each of the above points (see how we're traversing the pyramid)?

Like this:

1. Scalability: SharePoint is great for document and content management, but it is not designed to handle large datasets like Company Name. SQL, on the other hand, is purpose-built for managing data.
2. Performance: SQL provides faster query response times and superior data retrieval capabilities compared to SharePoint. This will enhance the reports that the project is tasked with deploying.
3. Security: SQL offers robust security features, ensuring that the client's sensitive data remains protected from unauthorised access and potential breaches.
4. Integration: SQL integrates seamlessly with other data analysis tools, like Power BI, allowing the client to create comprehensive reports and gain valuable insights from their data. The client already has SQL operational in other areas of the business.

You can expect only some of your readers to get to this stage; that is precisely the point of the Pyramid Principal. So give me the facts immediately, and I'll decide how much detail I need by the amount of your email I read.

Question #4: Could I simplify this even further?

For me, I take it one step further to refine my points:

1. Eliminate jargon, buzzwords, and unnecessary language
2. Use clear, everyday language to express your ideas
3. Edit and revise your work to make it as concise as possible
4. Can I remove a subject?

Employing a "cut to the chase" attitude in life will serve you well.

The world is full of excessive, over-the-top, unnecessary, redundant, excess, extra, spare, and surplus detail.

See how annoying that was?