Give yourself 30 seconds.

Oral expressions or written expressions without key points and disorganized are usually unconvincing and may even reduce the efficiency of communication.

Structural thinking can help us build a structure that facilitates communication. When we need to express our core ideas, this structure will help us think and express ourselves rationally and coherently.

The core theory of this book comes from Barbara Minto's "Pyramid Principle", which is more in line with the thinking characteristics of the Chinese people.

1. Structural thinking is a core skill that everyone needs to possess.

Structural thinking is the basic way of thinking for professionals. Here’s why:

First, structural thinking is the foundation for all work.

Secondly, many professional positions have higher requirements for structural thinking.

Thirdly, managers with structural thinking ability can think from multiple angles when faced with work tasks or problems, and deeply analyze the causes of problems.

2. Improve the work efficiency of the entire organization through unified standards.

First of all, structural thinking can build a unified standard for thinking and expression.

Secondly, structural thinking can improve the management efficiency of the entire organization.

In addition, Chinese companies especially need structural thinking, a way of thinking and expression that is “summarize first and then divide.” Structural thinking emphasizes the framework first and then the details, the summary first and then the specifics, the conclusion first and then the reasons, and the important first then the minor.

3. It is of extraordinary significance to the improvement of the quality of the whole people.

First of all, traditional education lacks specialized training in thinking.

Secondly, structural thinking can help improve national quality.

1. Emphasize the thinking process of "summarize first and then divide"

Structural thinking refers to a method of comprehensively and clearly analyzing things from multiple aspects from a structural perspective.

Structural thinking is the basic law in the field of human thinking, which is internalized into thinking and externalized into expression.

2. The pyramid structure is an effective training tool

As a rational way of thinking, structural thinking can be cultivated through acquired training with the help of tools. The pyramid structure is an effective tool to improve our structural thinking ability. The picture below shows the thinking model of the pyramid structure.

In the vertical structure of the pyramid, the viewpoints of each group must be a summary of the viewpoints of the next level; in the horizontal structure, the viewpoints of each group do not overlap with each other and have a certain logical sequence. This constitutes a rigorous structure. By training our thinking ability in this way, when we encounter a problem, we can clear the direction and lock in the required information in the shortest possible time from a large amount of complex information.

3. Three-dimensional thinking that combines horizontal and vertical thinking

Structural thinking has two thinking structures, horizontal and vertical, and is a kind of three-dimensional thinking.

Building structural thinking requires three stages and five steps.

The first step is to clarify the core concept of structural thinking.

The core concept of structured thinking includes four basic characteristics and three steps for structuring the reception of information.

The "structured reception of information" here refers to the need for structured thinking when receiving information.

The second step is to add the finishing touch and set the theme based on the goal.

The third step is to draw the ground into a map, and the vertical structure is divided into layers.

The fourth step is to plan and select the order of horizontal structure.

The fifth step is to paint the pillars and carve beams and express the image to demonstrate.

The premise of thinking training is to make people’s implicit thinking process explicit.

The four characteristics of structural thinking are derived from the four basic principles of the pyramid principle.

The four characteristics of structural thinking: "Conclusion first", "Unify the following", "Classification and grouping" and "Logical progression", can also be refined into the four keywords of "Argumentation and Analogy" . Among them, the first two characteristics are the characteristics of the vertical structure, and the latter two characteristics are the characteristics of the horizontal structure.

1. "Discussion": Conclusion first

When you express your opinion or provide a solution, show the conclusion first, then go into the details, and use the other person's thinking and reasoning to enhance your persuasiveness.

2. "Proof": unifying the above

In structural thinking, there must be a topic sentence with a central idea.

3. "Category": classification and grouping

Total score, total score and total score. Among them, the first two structures are an application of structural thinking. Learning to classify expressions can make our thinking and communication more efficient.

4. "Comparison": logical progression

After completing the step of "classification and grouping", we still need to organize the ideas between each group in a logical order .

Step 1: Identify the facts, reasons, and conclusions in the information.

Find out which information is opinion-based and which is fact-based, and distinguish which opinion-type information is conclusion and which is the reason to support the conclusion, and distinguish them.

Step 2: Find the correspondence between facts and opinions, and draw a structure diagram.

Find the correspondence between these facts and opinions, and draw a pyramid structure diagram based on the correspondence between facts, reasons, and conclusions.

Step 3: Summarize everything in one sentence.

The famous "30-second elevator rule" is the origin of the concept of "summarizing the topic in one sentence".

Being able to summarize the main content in one sentence must be based on a clear structure.

Template: Based on __＿, it explains ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿ from ＿＿, ＿＿, __＿.

Structural thinking emphasizes the framework first, then the details, first the summary, then the specifics, and first the conclusion, then the reasons. It is a typical goal-oriented thinking mode, so to build a persuasive pyramid structure, you must first clarify it Objectives, topics, and eliciting topics in an effective way.

So, how to set a theme based on goals?

(1) Determine the goal and make our expression targeted.

(2) Set the theme to make our expression clear.

(3) Design the preface to make our expression more attractive.

Before determining the goal, you need to set the scenario first.

The ABCD goal method requires that each goal must meet the ABCD standards:

A "Actor" represents the audience; B "Behavior" represents behavior, that is, what task or task is expected of the audience to complete What behavior occurs; C『Condition』represents the condition, under what conditions; D『Degree』represents the degree, what standard or level is reached.

For example, as a senior sales manager, if he wants to use structural thinking to explicitly share his rich experience with salespeople, his goal can be: under my guidance (i.e. condition C ), the new salesperson (i.e. Audience A) can accurately (i.e. degree D) summarize the key elements of success for telemarketers (B) from my story.

Think about two issues from the topic:

First, what point of view do you want to persuade the other party to accept;

Second, how to respond to this point of view? Packaging to make the point more attractive.

First of all, we need to determine the conclusion, which is based on the goal and has a point of view;

Secondly, we need to package the theme. What we need is a theme that can touch people's hearts.

You can use your imagination as much as you want, but you must pay attention to the following three basic principles: simplicity, accuracy, and benefit (starting from the other party), all three are indispensable.

Structural thinking tool - topic selection matrix, which can help you rationalize the perceptual factors when choosing a topic: Put the topic in the first column, starting from the three "simple, accurate and beneficial" Dimensions, score each dimension of each topic separately. In this way, each topic will get a total score, and the one with the highest score can be selected as the topic.

Of course, this is not to teach you how to become a clickbait, but to emphasize that: any expression should have a conclusion that serves its goal. If this conclusion is simple, accurate and can benefit the other party, If you successfully attract the other person from your perspective, then your expression is already half successful.

Starting with a preface, we can vividly describe it as telling a story with a preface.

It contains four elements: S is the scene, C is the conflict, Q is the question, and A is the answer. For the convenience of memory, it is referred to as SCQA.

S (situation) is a big background. It needs to make the other party scream. It must make the other party have a reaction of "yes, you are right" after listening to it. Only when Only when the situation is recognized can the story continue to develop;

C (conflict) is the problem after what changes have occurred in this background. It is necessary to break the sense of security given to the other party at the beginning and confirm the problems faced;

How does Q (question) solve this problem in this context? This is also a question that only concerns the other party from the perspective of the other party;

A (answer) is based on the solution to this problem. plan.

SCQA Storytelling Method 1*** has four modes, namely standard mode, straight to the point mode, highlighting worries mode and highlighting confidence mode.

Standard style: Solution to situational conflict

Straight to the point: Solution to conflict situation

Highlighted worry style: Solution to conflict situation

Highlighting the Confidence Style: Conflict Resolution in Doubtful Situations

If you are a representative in charge of the real estate business of a bank, you need to report your work strategies to your leader during the department's weekly meetings. If the SCQA model is adopted, the following preface expressions can be used:

Standard format: S—C—A

In recent years, our bank’s real estate business has developed rapidly, but with As the differentiation trend of the real estate market becomes increasingly obvious, the risk management pressure faced by our bank's real estate business has increased significantly. Therefore, we should determine differentiated credit policies based on the regional differentiation situation.

Let’s get straight to the point: A-S-C

We should determine differentiated credit policies based on regional differentiation. In recent years, our bank's real estate business has developed rapidly. However, as the real estate market becomes increasingly differentiated, the risk management pressure faced by our bank's real estate business has increased significantly.

Highlighted worry pattern: C—S—A

As the differentiation trend of the real estate market becomes increasingly obvious, the risk management pressure faced by our bank’s real estate business has increased significantly. In recent years, our bank's real estate business has developed rapidly. We should determine differentiated credit policies based on regional differentiation.

Highlight the confidence formula: Q-S-C-A

How to promote the rapid development of real estate business while ensuring that substantial risks are controllable? In recent years, our bank's real estate business has developed rapidly, but with the differentiation trend of the real estate market, the trend has increased significantly. Therefore, we should determine differentiated credit policies based on regional differentiation.

In the absence of special needs, it is recommended to use the standard format to design the preface. Because the standard style has an advantage in communication: start by saying something that is easy to be recognized, and communication will be smoother. If you say "conflict" at the beginning, there may be a real conflict between the two people communicating.

Our thinking has two abilities at the same time:

One is the ability to start from the goal and use various methods to decompose the goal and find the answer after knowing the goal;

The other is the ability to aggregate various information and draw a correct conclusion or solution.

Corresponding to the above two abilities is the vertical thinking structure in the pyramid structure.

There are two ways to build a pyramid structure starting from the vertical structure:

One is to build a pyramid structure from top to bottom, which is called "decomposition of question answers";

The second is to build a pyramid structure from bottom to top, which is called "summarizing and aggregating".

If we use the method of structural thinking, we can help us attract the other party's attention and persuade the other party when expressing our opinions. This method is called "question answering decomposition". As mentioned above, after our thinking learns the goal, it starts from the goal and uses various methods to decompose the goal and find the answer.

"Question answer analysis" is a way of imagining yourself having a conversation with others.

Decomposing questions and answers can achieve two purposes:

First, the expression will be very attractive, because the contents are all issues that the other party cares about;

Second, the expression must be very convincing, because the questions that the other party is concerned about have been answered one by one.

Using the method of "decomposing questions and answers", there are the following two steps:

Step one: Imagine the problem and start from the other party's perspective.

Step 2: Answer the question and think about the answer in advance.

The method of "decomposing questions and answers" is to imagine the problem from the perspective of the other party, and the biggest difficulty in this step is whether you can think from the other person's perspective.

5W2H principle. That is:

What: What is it? do what? What's the purpose?

Why: Why? Why do this? What's the reason? What's the reason?

Who: Who will do it? Who will be responsible? Who will bear the responsibility? Who will complete it?

When: When to start? When will it be completed? When is the best time?

Where: Where? Where to do it? Where to start?

How: How to do it? How to do it?

How much: How much to do? What is the completion volume? What is the pass rate? What's the fare?

2W1H (Why, What, How) is often used.

First of all, your answer must be a conclusion, which meets the requirements of the two standards of "conclusion first" and "unification from above";

Secondly, at each level of your The answers need to be conclusions.

Finally, remember that "new medicine comes in old bottles." The so-called old bottles refer to the other person's thinking mode. You have to put the content you want to express according to the classification of the other person's bottle, so that he can recognize your point of view more.

Our thinking also has the ability to aggregate various information to arrive at a correct solution. It requires us to build a pyramid structure from bottom to top, so it is called "summarizing and aggregating".

The process of "summarizing and aggregating" is divided into three steps:

The first step is to collect information.

The second step is classification.

The third step is to summarize.

When our goals are particularly clear, we use "question answering to decompose".

When we have no goals, it is suitable to use the method of "summarizing and aggregating".

Both methods must be used at the same time.

The first step is to determine the theme;

The second step is to diverge based on the theme and think as much as possible;

The third step is to think about what you have thought about Aggregation is condensed into a useful result.

The horizontal structure is called "deductive syllogism", which means that there must be a major premise first, then a minor premise, and finally a conclusion can be drawn.

Clearly listing the main points is called induction, and targeted persuasion is called deduction.

Deduction is a method of argumentation and reasoning that starts from universal theoretical knowledge to understand individual and special phenomena. Its common structure is the "deductive syllogism" we just mentioned: major premise, minor premise and conclusion. There are two forms of deductive argument, one is the standard form and the other is the common form. Deductive syllogism is the standard form, while phenomena, causes and solutions belong to the common form. Let’s mainly talk about the two forms of deduction:

1. Standard form: the foundation of rational thinking, making the expression very convincing

Whether a reasoning can lead to a reasonable conclusion , does not depend on the ideological content of premises and conclusions, but on their ideological form.

The proposal of deduction is to clearly distinguish the "form of thought" and "content of thought" factors in reasoning.

2. Common expression: the most common and practical way of saying

This kind of logic is the deductive structure of common expression, that is, first describe the phenomenon, then analyze the reasons, and finally draw a conclusion.

The focus of horizontal inductive argumentation is how to classify things and how to make implicit thinking explicit.

Induction refers to the method of generalizing general concepts, principles or conclusions from many individual things.

The human brain can automatically classify certain things with similar characteristics.

Therefore, the "classification and grouping" of structural thinking is in line with the way of thinking of the human brain.

Psychologist George A. Miller discovered that the human brain cannot hold more than 7 memory items at one time.

When using the "inductive classification" method, you can classify things in three ways: time, structure and importance.

Chronological order refers to analyzing problems in chronological order. The chronological sequence is characterized by proceeding one by one.

Structural order refers to the division of a whole into different parts.

The order of importance refers to having certain similar characteristics and content, sorted according to the degree of importance. The order of importance is characterized by horizontal comparison.

When using these three methods, be careful to ensure that only one classification method is used in each group of ideas.

The golden rule in structural thinking: MECE (Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhausive). Its Chinese meaning is "mutually independent and completely exhaustive", that is, it can classify a major issue accurately and concisely, grasp the core of the problem, and solve the problem. It is a very important principle proposed by Barbara Minto in The Pyramid Principle.

"Mutual independence" means that the classification of complex problems must be in the same dimension, but also differentiated.

"Completely exhaustive" means comprehensive and thorough.

There is a method called "2×2 matrix method". According to the 20/80 rule, two or more core elements can be found for any issue or problem, and the corresponding main contradiction can be found for each element. The study found that this main contradiction can be summarized into eight types, namely reason and emotion, internal and external, cost and benefit, product and market, change and stability, understanding and ignorance, competitive priorities, content and process. Combining the main contradictions of the two elements with each other, we can draw a 2×2 matrix that allows us to comprehensively analyze the problem. They are fully consistent with the MECE principle.

With this matrix, we can divide the things we do every day into corresponding matrix areas, and take different responses to different matrix areas.

1. When you need to persuade someone, use deduction.

When you need to convince the other party or feel that the other party may be resistant, it is better to use deduction.

The following two situations are ideal for using the deductive method.

The conclusion needs to be justified. For example, the major premise is used to state the situation, and the minor premise is a comment on the situation. Then the conclusion drawn can lead to an inevitable result. But if you use this method, once the other party does not accept your "major premise", the subsequent argument cannot be carried out.

The audience is resistant. For example, if the other party does not agree with my point of view, your proof using deduction will be very convincing.

2. Use induction when the other person is focused on solutions.

When the other party is focused on solutions, it is more appropriate to use an inductive approach.

If your plan is very clear, such as including aspects 1, 2, and 3, then you must use horizontal inductive arguments. If the other party only pays attention to your specific measures, stating clear key points directly can also save each other's time.

Thinking clearly and expressing powerfully are the ultimate goals for us to learn to use structural thinking.

First of all, we must learn to package selling points. The selling point is the theme of the content we want to express. Packaging the key points that need to be remembered through language can make it easier, clearer and more vivid for you to remember.

The first method is the analogy method, which is to compare our topic to something more interesting.

The second method is the quotation method, which is to package it by citing advertisements, songs or famous quotes.

The third method is the integration method, which is packaging through the integration of colors, words, and numbers.

Structured thinking is the basis of visual expression, and visual expression is the perfect presentation of structured thinking. Structural thinking first helps us build a framework to think clearly about the problem, and visual expression is to explain the problem clearly.

First of all, stay away from your computer when ideating.

Secondly, put the complete pyramid structure into PPT.

The most intuitive manifestation of applying structural thinking in PPT is that you can build an overall model. What should be noted here is that each PPT page must also have a pyramid structure and must comply with the four basic characteristics of structural thinking. Moreover, the title of each PPT page must be a topic sentence with a central idea. Here is a detailed introduction to the four basic characteristics of structural thinking and the concepts used in each page of PPT:

1. "Discussion" - conclusion first: Each page of PPT only expresses one point of view, and it must be appear in the title.

As the core concept of structural thinking, "conclusion first" requires that every PPT should present the point of view, otherwise it will be difficult for the other party to understand what you are saying.

Do not put the content in the Word file directly into the PPT.

2. "Certificate" - unified above: the theme of each PPT page is a summary of the following points.

3. "Category" - classification and grouping: The key points in each PPT page must be independent of each other and completely exhaustive, and there must be no omissions or overlaps. This requires a method of building a horizontal structure in structural thinking, classifying the key points in the PPT, and complying with the MECE principle.

4. "Comparison" - logical progression: The key points in each PPT page must be organized in a certain logical order. Expressing it logically can help the other person understand what you want to convey.

For example, if you make a "Product Sales" PPT, the page on the right packages the key points in chronological order, making it easy to understand and remember.

Secondly, you can also use images for visual presentation.

When you encounter content that is difficult to express clearly in words, you can consider making a data chart. By visualizing numbers, you'll find that your information becomes specific, precise, and persuasive.

Finally, remember that practice is the only criterion for testing truth! Go and practice it.

The way you think is more important than the knowledge itself.

（The End）