“I have made this letter longer than usual because I lack the time to make it shorter” said Blaise Pascal. A perfect illustration of the point I want to make. Allowing your thoughts to gush out from your own perspective without taking the time to deconstruct them and represent them in a neutral context, is the fastest way of writing, even if the finished text is twice the length it needs to be.
De-frame your message
Leaving your mental model behind and getting your thoughts on neutral territory demands a big effort, but one that will become easier with practice. And that extra effort will result in people enjoying your work and contemplating your ideas, since you took the time to de-frame the message. And isn’t that what you are after?
The Pyramid Principle
Putting your strategy down on paper can be a disheartening experience. But the better you are able to structure your own thinking, the easier and more quickly you will finish. And this is true for all communication methods. So whether you are preparing a one-to-one strategy communication, a speech for your team or a strategy document, remember to structure it first and write it later. A great help is Barbara Minto’s book The Pyramid Principle.
Free training module
You can download a free training module when you buy a copy of Strategy Execution Heroes.
