In business memos I get straight to the point first, and support the claims afterwards.How do you go about using it and what specific ways has it improved you?Barbaro Minto's classic "The Pyramid Principle" on effective writing. It's meant for business communication but applicable elsewhere in life. The instructions are simple, easy, and even "obvious" -- but so convenient when packaged together in 1 book.
I'm not naturally good at it, and the book helps me be much more conscious about improving.
In speech I find myself rambling less when I fire off all the key arguments at the very start.
The book mentally rewired me to abandon narrative story-telling, which is what most people tend to do. It's appropriate for comedy routine but ineffective elsewhere. Example: "I was making a stew yesterday and found my kitchen in a huge mess afterwards. There were pots and pans everywhere. The stew was greasy. And it took a long time to finish cooking. It would've been easier to grill, which I'll do more of from now on" --> "I will start grilling more often. Grilling is faster, healthier, and tastes better. Alternatives like stews require more time and equipment."
Statistics: Posted by hunoraut — Thu Sep 19, 2024 2:57 am — Replies 194 — Views 31792