Although the Golden Pagoda Principle is listed as a must-read book in the consulting industry, its thinking mode is very classic, which is suitable for all the work of solving problems and conveying ideas. This book has no profound theory, but is more a summary and refinement of practice. This paper refines the core ideas and theories of this book for everyone, and the dry goods are full! I hope everyone can quickly acquire pyramid skills and improve their expression ability by going up a storey still higher!
What is the golden pyramid principle? The writer Feng Tang once explained pyramid thinking in one sentence: everything can be summarized as a central argument, which can be supported by three to seven arguments. These first-level arguments can also be arguments themselves, supported by three to seven second-level arguments, and so on, just like a pyramid. The overall structure of this book is shown in the following figure:
This paper first explains why the golden pyramid principle should be used, then expounds the internal structure of the pyramid and how to build it, and finally explains the writing technique of the preface.
Chapter 1: Why use pyramid structure?
1. The golden pyramid principle embodies the basic laws of human thinking.
Basic law: The brain will automatically classify and group information to form a pyramid-like thinking structure.
It is proposed in Magic Number 7 2 that the short-term memory of the brain cannot accommodate more than seven memory items. Therefore, when the number of items is large, the brain will classify them into different logical categories for memory.
The classification of multiple concepts is based on their logical relationship, rather than simply grouping concepts. For example, if nine concepts are divided into three groups, each group has two, three and four concepts, it is still nine concepts. What we need to do is to raise an abstract level and turn nine concepts that the brain needs to deal with into three. Generally speaking, to find the logical relationship between concepts is to form a pyramid group composed of interrelated pyramids by combining the existing disordered information in the brain.
2. Golden pyramid principles contains three ideological rules.
1) The thought at any level in the article must be a summary of the thought at the next level.
For example, the theme of a paragraph is a summary of each sentence in the paragraph, and the theme of a chapter is also a summary of each paragraph in the chapter, and so on.
2) The ideas in each group must belong to the same logical category.
There is a simple way to check the grouping situation, that is, whether all the ideas of the group can be expressed in a single noun.
3) The ideas in each group must be organized in logical order.
Logical order shows the analysis process when you organize your thoughts. If the way of thinking organization is deductive reasoning, it is deductive order, and if thinking is organized according to causality, it is chronological order.
Chapter two: the internal structure of the pyramid.
The ideas expressed in a well-organized article have a clear logical relationship and a pyramid structure as a whole. There are two main logical relationships in pyramid structure: the vertical relationship between the upper and lower levels and the horizontal relationship between the same level.
1.？ Vertical relation
The vertical relationship is essentially a question-and-answer dialogue, and the questions of the superiors are answered by the subordinates. This vertical connection can make you clear your mind and attract readers' attention better.
Example: The theme of this case is to propose to buy the franchise of British Leyland Company. There are three reasons for establishing a purchase. At the next level of each reason, all the questions that readers may ask are answered:
2.？ Transverse relation
Every level of thinking must be logical, and at the same time ensure that you can answer the next level of questions. In other words, expressions must have a clear deductive or inductive relationship, that is, deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning.
1) Examples of two inference relations
Examples of deductive relations: (deductive reasoning)
Everyone will die;
Socrates is a person;
So Socrates will die;
Example of inductive relationship: (inductive * * * similarity)
French tanks have arrived at the Polish border;
German tanks have arrived at the Polish border;
Russian tanks have arrived at the Polish border;
Inference: Poland will be invaded by tanks.
2) The characteristics of two kinds of reasoning relations
Chapter 3: How to build pyramids.
1. Top-down method
It is usually easier to build a pyramid from top to bottom, because what you think at first is the easiest to determine, that is, the theme of the article and the reader's understanding of the theme. In order to sort out the thoughts, arguments and ideas in our minds one by one, we can think according to the following process.
2. Bottom-up approach
Sometimes you will find that you haven't thought clearly about building the top of the pyramid (for example, you are not sure about the theme, main problems, etc.) ), then you can organize your thoughts from bottom to top through the "trilogy".
Step 1: List all the key points.
Step 2: Find out the logical relationship (causality).
Step 3: Draw a conclusion.
Chapter four: The concrete writing of the preface.
A good article begins with a wonderful preface. Foreword usually takes the form of telling stories, that is to say, the foreword should first introduce some familiar "backgrounds" and explain the "conflicts" that have occurred, thus triggering readers' "questions" and then "answering" them. This form of storytelling is very useful for organizing the information known to readers. As long as you master this method, you can quickly conceive the overall structure of the essay. In a word, the classical preface is generally carried out in the structure of "background-conflict-question-answer".
1.？ Why use the form of telling stories?
Readers already have a lot of messy ideas in their minds, and most of them have nothing to do with the theme of your article. Therefore, you must find ways to get readers to put aside other ideas and focus on your topic. The form of the story can quickly take the reader to a specific time and space and stimulate the reader's interest!
2.？ When is the background introduced?
When introducing the background, we should first explain what is related to the theme of the article and what readers will agree with, that is, what readers already know or will recognize. All sentences that introduce "background" have an important feature, that is, they can lock you in a specific time and space, thus preparing for telling stories.
3.？ What is "conflict"?
"Conflict" is similar to the factors that promote the development of the plot when telling a story, which can prompt readers to ask "questions". The reader's "question" may take many forms, but it usually boils down to one question-"What will happen next", as shown in the following table:
4.？ What principles should a good preface follow?
1) The purpose of the preface is to "prompt" the reader rather than "tell" the reader some information.
Foreword should not contain information that readers can only accept after verification, but a recognized fact.
2) The preface must contain three elements required by the story, namely "background", "conflict" and "answer"
These three elements are not necessarily arranged in the standard narrative order, and can change and shape different article styles, but they must be complete and indispensable.
3) The length of the preface depends on the reader's needs and theme.
The length of the preface should ensure that the reader and you "stand on the same side", and then you can guide the reader to think according to your ideas. Generally speaking, the preface needs 2-3 paragraphs, but it can be extended appropriately.
The second part: the logic of thinking.
Based on the above methods, you can quickly and conveniently build the overall framework of the article. However, how to organize and express the thoughts at the same level of the pyramid and the thoughts at the next level is also a crucial issue. The thinking logic of this paper is elaborated in detail for the thinking logic of two basic rules of the golden pyramid principle.
Rule 1: The same group of ideas must have a certain logical order (Chapter 6); Rule 2: The superior thought is the refinement and generalization of the subordinate thought (Chapter 7).
Chapter 6: Logical Order of Applications
The first rule of Golden pyramid principles is that all ideas listed in the same group must have a certain logical order. The so-called logical order is the analysis method of your brain when you sort out the same set of ideas.
There are three common logical sequences: time sequence (according to the sequence and steps of the problem), structure sequence (according to the composition of the problem) and degree sequence (according to the importance of the problem). This logical order can ensure that the ideas you put in the same group really belong to this group, and it can also prevent omissions.
1.？ chronological order
In a set of thoughts organized in chronological order, the actions that must be taken to achieve a certain result should be stated in order of action (step 1, step 2, step 3 ...).
Cases arranged in chronological order (topic sentence+action order)
When making a strategic plan, we must understand the time period:
1) Understand the requirements;
2) formulate strategies that can provide corresponding products or services;
3) implementation strategy;
4) Evaluate the market reaction;
5) adjust the strategy to adapt to the market reaction;
Time series point summary
In the sequential thinking group, the topic sentence is the result to be achieved, and the order of expressing ideas is consistent with the order of taking actions (step 1, step 2 and step 3).
2 .？ Structural order
The structural order is the order in which you imagine "something" with sketches, maps, pictures or photos. This "thing" must be divided into different parts reasonably.
Cases with structural order
Outline of structural order points
The structural order is often presented in the form of organization chart and schematic diagram of key success factors. Follow the principle that all parts are independent of each other and Vanu is completely exhausted.
3.？ Degree order
The order of degrees is also called the order of importance. Firstly, all the problems with this feature are grouped into a group, and then according to the degree of each problem with this feature, the principles of first strength and then weakness, first importance and then secondary are generally adopted.
Cases ranked by degree
When designing telecom billing system, we should pay attention to make it more applicable:
1) can meet the needs of external customers;
2) Meet the requirements of internal management;
3) Abide by national laws and regulations;
Outline of the key points of degree order
Point out the project (idea, opinion, question, etc.). ) have the same characteristics, and ensure that all items with this characteristic are included in a group. In each group, the problems are ranked according to the degree of this feature-the most distinctive problem of this feature ranks first, that is, first strong and then weak, first important and then secondary.
Chapter 7: Summarize the ideas of each group.
The first rule of Golden pyramid principles is that the ideas at each level in the pyramid structure must be refined and summarized at the next level. The process of summarizing each group of thoughts is actually the process of completing thinking. This idea is by no means easy. People usually don't want to bother about it, but use some "thoughtless" sentences to deal with it.
In fact, each group of thoughts contains a summative thought, which can present the essence of the relationship between each group of thoughts. We should first clearly understand the relationship between various thought groups, and then point out this relationship for readers.
1.？ Avoid "thoughtless" sentences in concluding sentences.
We often hear such general sentences as "three reasons" and "four methods". This generalized method sounds boring and has no substantive ideas. This kind of sentence will also cover up the fact of incomplete thinking and miss the excellent opportunity of logical thinking and creative thinking.
example
A colleague wrote in the report that the company has two organizational problems, and then listed two problems. This general sentence is "thoughtless" and needs to be redesigned. Thinking point: 1) What are the * * * characteristics of these two questions; 2) Why are there two questions, not three or more, and whether this group of thoughts has been exhausted;
After thinking about it, he found that he was not discussing "organizational issues" in general, but discussing "authorization in more fields within the company" in detail. Realizing this, he soon found that there were not only two problem areas, but four.
abstract
Sentences summarizing opinions include two types:
When summing up the idea of action (introducing the actions, behaviors, steps and processes taken), it is necessary to explain the "results" (the effects and goals achieved) after taking action.
When summarizing descriptive thoughts (introducing background and information), we should explain the "meaning of similarity" of these thoughts.
2. The summary sentence should be summarized in clear language.
When summing up a group of actions, we must clearly point out the expected results or goals of this group of actions. Clear wording helps to judge whether the measures taken can really achieve this result.
The above table is a typical example of vague wording, and the right column is a statement that has been appropriately modified according to the author's real intention. Modifiers are easier to understand because they can make the brain produce a certain picture. This method of presenting the results clearly is more important to the author, which can prompt him to think further.
In short, force yourself to seriously think and examine each group of ideas according to the above methods, and then the ideas you express to readers will be very clear, definite and concrete!
The third part: the logic of solving problems.
After a period of training, when you sit down to write a short essay, you will unconsciously apply the preface writing mode of "background-conflict-problem". However, for longer articles, such as project plans and research reports, the writing process may not be so smooth, and it may take a long time to collect information and involve many problems.
In view of this situation, you need to define and analyze the problem first, and then write an article about the solution to others. Defining problems is a complicated process, and many problems are often vague, confusing and even misstated. Fortunately, many existing analytical frameworks can minimize your troubles and improve your work efficiency.
Chapter 8 will recommend a framework to define the problem and prepare for analyzing it. Chapter 9 will introduce a practical analytical framework to help you think comprehensively and analyze problems practically.
Chapter 8: Definition.
1. Define the framework of the problem
The problem refers to the gap between the existing (status quo) and the desired (goal). This gap is not created out of thin air, but is determined by a specific background and a series of specific conditions. Defining the framework of the question first needs to answer the following three questions:
1)? What happened? (background: starting point/prologue+confusion/confusion)
2) What don't we want to see? (unexpected result, current situation, R 1)
3)? What do we want? (Expected results, objectives, R2)
Answering the above questions defines the problems that need to be solved. In order to answer the above three questions accurately, we need to clearly define the four elements of the problem, which describe how the problem develops.
2. Define the four elements of the problem
1) entry point/preface
2) Confused/confused
3) Status quo (R 1, unexpected result)
4) Target (R2, expected result)
For the understanding and use of the above four elements, we will explain them separately below:
Breakthrough/prologue: Imagine that you are sitting quietly in a dark theater, the curtain is slowly opened, and the stage set presents a specific moment and a specific place. This is the starting point or prologue of the problem. In other words, after the curtain is opened, at a certain time and space, what you see is that the enterprise or industry where you or your customers are located has encountered problems. The preface consists of a structure or process that you can easily think of, as shown in the following table:
Puzzle/Puzzle: Puzzle refers to an event that affects the normal operation of a structure or process and threatens the relatively stable background introduced in the preface, thus leading to unexpected results (current situation, R 1). The reasons for confusion can be divided into external reasons (new competitors, policy changes, new technologies) and internal reasons (internal processes, adjusting product lines, and entering new markets).
Status quo, unexpected result (R 1): Status quo is a problem that needs to be solved or an opportunity that may be seized. This is usually caused by trouble/confusion.
Target, Expected Result (R2): The target is the expected result that can be produced by the existing structure or process. Only by describing R2 as concretely as possible can you judge whether you can achieve the expected results. R2 can be accurately described by specific figures or results (shortening the time to market 1/3, adjusting the system to ensure normal operation, etc.). ).
The above four elements are clear, and the problem can be defined. If you need to write the whole solution in words, you need to write a preface to the defined questions so that readers can clearly understand the background of the story.
3. Write "the problem of definition" as a preface.
Foreword is generally written in the form of background (existing processes and methods)+conflict (failing to achieve the expected goal)+question (what should we do). The following example illustrates:
A company sold industrial real estate with huge demand for 30 years in the same way, and the effect was very good. The salesperson will make a list of potential customers, write a sales letter to the potential customers, and then mail it to them according to the list, and then receive the order smoothly.
The company has been doing very well, with annual sales increasing at a rate of about 10%, but in the fourth quarter of this year, there are indications that sales will decrease by 10% instead of increasing by 10%. Faced with this sudden problem, the company hopes to take effective measures as soon as possible to restore normal sales.
The above is a highly simplified example. The problem is how to transform the present situation (R 1) into the goal (R2). Most practical problems are much more complicated, but as long as they are analyzed one by one, they can be easily described in a few sentences in the preface.
Chapter 9: Structural Analysis
1. Start with information materials.
The method of starting with information has a long history, which can be traced back to the early development of consulting industry. At that time, the consulting company had not accumulated the knowledge of various enterprises and industries. No matter what problems customers had, they started with the analysis of the whole company or the whole industry. The result is a mountain of data, but it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions. Consulting companies began to pay attention to this problem, and found an effective method, that is, structural analysis of the problem before collecting information:
1) put forward various assumptions;
2) design one or several important experiments and exclude one or several hypotheses according to the results;
3) Get a clear conclusion through the experiment;
4) Take corresponding remedial measures;
In other words, you need to force yourself to think about all the possible causes of the problem. How to find the reason? In order to deeply understand the nature of the problem, you need to adopt an appropriate diagnostic framework;
2. Design a diagnostic framework
With the help of the diagnostic framework, imagine the problems generated by customers, and you will find the elements or activities that should be paid attention to in the analysis process. On the whole, the classification method of "independence and thorough exhaustion" is adopted. The following three structural methods can be adopted: presenting tangible structure, finding causality, and classifying and grouping.
1) presents a tangible structure.
Any specific field of an enterprise or an industry has a clear structure. Draw a schematic diagram of the structure/system according to the business process and main trends of the industry, and determine the areas prone to problems on this basis.
Carry out industry segmentation to determine the capacity and competitors of each market segment;
Find a balance point and determine which data and services are fragile according to the collected data;
2) looking for causality
Look for the cause, behavior or task, and get the final diagnosis result through analysis. Generally speaking, we can start with three corporate structures:
Financial structure: draw a schematic diagram of the company's financial structure and analyze the return on investment;
Task structure: set important elements as independent management tasks, and quickly judge what action to take after problems occur;
Action structure: analyze which actions will lead to unexpected results and link these reasons at a reasonable level;
3) Classification and grouping
Classify all causes according to similarity, and each classification should follow the principle of "mutual independence and complete exhaustion";
Propose solution
A good solution requires you to have rich domain knowledge and strict logical ability:
Domain knowledge: The above-mentioned diagnostic framework provides the thinking of problem analysis, but a good solution is not abstracted out of thin air, it requires you to have a comprehensive understanding of your own domain (manufacturing, marketing, information system, etc.). ). A lot of in-depth understanding of the target area is essential.
Logical ability: Generally speaking, using the logical tree can systematically find out the possible solutions to problems, and remember to follow the principle of "complete exhaustion".
The logic of the fourth argument
Sort out the logical relationship in the pyramid structure. When you are ready to communicate with others, no matter what presentation method you choose, you want the audience to see the ideas at different levels of the pyramid at a glance. This article will introduce some important rules to ensure that your ideas can be clearly conveyed to the audience when demonstrating communication.
Chapter 10 shows the pyramids in writing.
In practical work, organized ideas are presented to readers in written form. An ideal article should make readers understand the author's overall thinking framework and core ideas within 30 seconds. An ideal article needs to grasp two core points: clear structure and smooth transition in content.
1.？ Highlight the structure of the article
When writing a long article, there are many ways to present the pyramid level on the page, as shown in the following table. Generally speaking, these methods can be combined according to the length of the article and the form of demonstration.
2.？ There should be a transition between contexts.
In some long articles, we should pave the way at the beginning or end of each group of main ideas, so that readers can know what was discussed and planned in the first step.
Continue the previous content and introduce the following.
The key to writing a connecting paragraph is to select keywords or phrases from the previous section and use them in the opening sentence of the next section to make the transition between the two sections clear and natural.
Write a conclusion sentence
The conclusion part should use persuasive language, not only to summarize the content of the article for readers, but also to give readers some hints. After reading the article to gain new knowledge, he still has to think or do something.
Chapter 1 1 shows the pyramid in PPT presentation.
1.？ Design text slides
Each slide only demonstrates and explains one argument;
The argument uses complete sentences, not the language of similar topics;
The text should be as short as possible, and each slide should be no more than 6 lines;
The font size should be large enough (the distance from the farthest viewer to the screen divided by 32 is the minimum font size, in inches);
2.？ Design chart slides
Determine the questions you want the chart to answer and use the answers as the title of the chart;
The information conveyed by the chart should be as simple as possible;
3.？ Steps of transforming pyramid structure into PPT manuscript
1) Try to write the preface in detail and write down every word you want to say in the order you want;
2) present the outline of the story. The order of slides should be the elements of preface, the focus of key sentences and the argument at the next level of key sentences.
3) Initially determine the presentation mode you want to adopt;
4) Prepare the lecture notes of each slide to ensure that the whole presentation is as smooth as telling a story;
5) Complete the design and drawing of slides;
6) Rehearse, Rehearse and Rehearse;
The above is the whole content of the book "Golden Pagoda Principle"! This book is rich in content and practical, and it is worth reading and thinking over and over again. I hope everyone can apply the golden pyramid principle to the actual scene of work and study and become an excellent expresser with clear logic!