Spend 50% less time writing.
(Even better, spend less time reading what other people have written.)
Look around your office right now. What’s everyone doing? Reading or writing, probably. What would happen if you halved the amount of time it takes them to write everything they have to write today?
And what if you could reduce the time it takes you to read other people’s emails, reports, and requests — because their arguments are clearer and easier to follow? I have an idea…
Why We Write. How We Write Better.
We write to tell someone something, or because we want to persuade them of something.
The problem is we usually start with what we’re thinking, and not what we want to tell them. We make silent assumptions which they never hear, and we state facts without making their connections or destination clear.
So how can you write succinctly, but without sacrificing clarity?
It’s as simple as SCQA.
SCQA stands for Situation, Complication, Question and Answer.
A “Situation-Complication-Question-Answer” format takes the reader from what they already know to what you’re proposing.
The situation is a statement that you and I agree on. It might be an outcome that we both want. In this instance: ‘we write to tell someone something’.
The complication is a factor that might prevent the outcome from happening. (e.g. ‘The problem is, we usually start with what we’re thinking…’)
The question is always ‘how do we address the complication, so that we can still achieve the desired outcome?’ (e.g. ‘So how can you write succinctly, but without sacrificing clarity.’)
The answer is, unsurprisingly, the answer to the question. (e.g. ‘It’s as simple as SCQA.’)
Once you’ve clarified your thoughts into this framework, it will save you playing email ping-pong over what you thought was a simple point. It exposes your assumptions, so that you can better define any points of disagreement. And it helps you to share enough information to quickly reach an understanding.
The Pyramid Principle for presentations
SCQA is part of the Pyramid Principle developed by Barbara Minto. She designed it for management consultants, but that doesn’t make it bad. You can use it in your writing, but you can also use it to explain to the baggage handler why he shouldn’t throw your ’57 Les Paul in the hold.
It’s about thinking as much as it is about writing.
Picture yourself making a presentation. You’re stood at the front of the room. There’s a man rocking back in his chair halfway down the table. He has a face that seems to be questioning everything you say.
There’s a way to deal with him, and it has nothing to do with Patrick Bateman.
Firstly, be upfront about your proposal. Next, make your supporting narrative explicit. Then you can present the answers to the questions that people ask (“how?” and “why?”) in the order that people’s brains ask them.
Start with the top of the pyramid, and travel down.
- Your key proposal is the topmost block of the pyramid. What is the one new thing you want to persuade someone to believe or do?
- The row of blocks below supports the argument of the peak. They answer the reader’s instinctive “How?” or “Why?” questions in a clear, rational sequence.
- In the next row, a collection of ideas of equal weight supports each block of the second row. They follow the same logical sequence as the ideas above them.
Try using this to structure your presentations. You’ll find that you stand a couple of inches taller when you deliver them. Your arguments will be more persuasive. Your presentations will be more effective. And the guy rocking back in his chair might even lean forward a little.
Perhaps you’re looking to improve the effectiveness of your internal communications, or perhaps you’re interested in improving your own writing. Whatever your situation, feel free to get in touch. We have the expertise to answer your questions, and enough experience to iron out any complications.
About Verbal Identity
Verbal Identity is a brand strategy consultancy specialising in brand language. Writers work alongside linguistic analysts and strategists, pursuing the magic and mechanics of language. www.verbalidentity.com
