This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem Solving" by Bigrocks Thinking. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What’s the pyramid principle, and how can it help you present information effectively? What if you structured your presentations as stories?
The authors of Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem Solving explain how to give good presentations and communicate your ideas effectively using critical thinking. They note that many people have excellent ideas but don’t understand how to structure their presentations.
Read more to learn how to structure a presentation by structuring your thinking first.
How to Structure a Presentation
The authors advise you to structure your presentations logically and to use stories to persuade and inform your audience. However, before we get to their recommendations for how to structure a presentation, let’s look at their broad advice for any form of public speaking:
- Know your topic. A thorough understanding of your subject will establish credibility with your audience and help you answer questions they have.
- Know your audience. Be aware of your target audience’s demographics, interests, and beliefs, and appeal to those things to establish a bond with them.
- Make consistent eye contact. This will help you connect with your audience as well as gauge their reactions to what you’re saying.
- Ask questions of your audience. Asking questions keeps your audience engaged and focused on what you’re saying.
| Further Tips on Public Speaking Knowing your topic means not only knowing what information you’re going to give but also what objections or counterpoints might come up. You shouldn’t go into your talk with gaps in your knowledge because you assume the audience will know even less than you do. Knowing your audience can also include knowing the type of speaking you’re doing. Different formats allow for different methods of interacting with the audience and types of language to be used. For example, a teacher in a classroom can speak directly to students one-on-one and use vocabulary terms they’re studying. If you’re a speaker on a panel at a Comic Con, you can address not only your audience but also the other members of the panel, and you can use language from popular franchises the audience will be familiar with. Some experts suggest that eye contact is the most important thing you can practice to improve your speaking skills. It captures people’s attention, makes you look more confident, and keeps you from getting distracted. Questions can help you at every stage of your presentation. Even before you dive into your topic, consider asking questions to break the ice like “What did you do last weekend?” It can also help to use the 5Ws to frame your questions (What, When, Where, Who, Why), or to ask reflective questions that let the audience ponder what they’ve learned so far and apply it to what they’re learning now. |
The Pyramid Principle
According to the authors, structured thinking is key to effective communication. They recommend the pyramid principle for establishing this structure, which consists of the following three steps:
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Here's what you'll find in our full Critical Thinking, Logic & Problem Solving summary:
- A step-by-step guide for improving critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Tips for conducting better research and finding reliable resources
- How to improve your communication and storytelling skills
