How to Frame Multiple Topics in a Conversation

Written by iRosas on August 12, 2023 in Communication Framework with No comments

How to Frame the Conversation with Multiple Topics?

Conversations with multiple topics can be framed with a Summary Framing.

Preparation. Create your Summary Framing:

Create the Basic Framing for each topic you want to talk about.

Separate topics require separate framings.

Create a single Summary Framing for the entire conversation.

Summary Context: "I'd like to talk to you about X things"
Multiple Intents: "Intent A, ..., and Intent Z"
Multiple Key Messages: "Key Message A, ..., and Key Message Z"

Step by Step. The overall conversation then moves on to the framing for a second topic and so forth until all the topics have been discussed.

Summary Framing Example

Suppose you have three topics to talk to your team leader about.

Advice about how to handle a problem with a recent delivery
A decision about nominating a colleague for an award
A decision about taking time off work

Here's how you could combine them into a Summary Framing:

Summary Context: "I'd like to talk to you about three things"
Multiple Intents: "I need some advice, and I have a couple of decisions"
Multiple Key Messages: "We have an issue with the office supplies delivery. I’d like to nominate Dave for an award, and I have a request for some time off".

Framing Multiple Topics with One Context

Preparation:

First, create a Basic Framing for each topic:

Topic #1

Context: "New region roll-out."
Intent: "Heads-up/FYI."
Key Message: "The full-time team is exceeding all their key performance indicators (KPIs)."

Topic #2

Context: "New region roll-out."
Intent: "Need a decision."
Key Message: "Should we cancel the contract for additional."

Second, create a Summary Framing for the Conversation:

Context: "I have an update about the regional roll-out with two topics."
Intent and Key Message 1: "One is an FYI about the team’s performance."
Intent and Key Message 2: "The other needs a decision about the extra staffing."

Step by Step:

Start the Conversation with the Summary Framing
Deliver Framing 1 or Framing 2

In either order depending on the topic you or your audience would like to discuss first.

If you want to be certain your audience knows about the switch between the two topics:

Refer back to the Summary Framing where you said you had two (or more) topics to discuss.

References

How to Frame a Single Topic in a Conversation

Written by iRosas on August 05, 2023 in Communication Framework, Conversations with No comments

What is Framing?

Framing is the way to prepare an audience to receive your message before you go into detail. The framing should be no more than 3 sentences and delivered in less than 15 seconds.

Context. Orientate your audience with a simple statement.

Without context, the audience is not on the same page as you.

Never assume the other person knows what you are talking about.

Give context quickly, so your audience knows the topic you are going to talk about.

Name of the customer, project, issues, process, system, tool, task, or objective.

Examples:

"I'm working on the project ABC..."
"I was reviewing the new Information Security Policy..."
"We are closing the sale on the Jefferson account..."
"I want to reward m team..."

Intent. Let them know what you need them to do with the information you are about to share.

The longer it takes for your audience to understand the purpose of your message, the more likely they are to guess.
The audience is not processing the information in the way you want or need to.
The Six Work-related Intentions:

Needing Help/Advice/Input.

"Can you help me?"
"We need your input"
"Can you explain something?"

Requesting Action.

"Can you provide an update on...?"
"Can you send the contract to..."

Wanting a Decision.

"We need a decision on..."

Letting to Know Something is About to Happen.

"Heads up, something is about to happen on ..."
"You need to know this before you..."

Provide Information/Input.

"Here is the report you asked for"
"Here is the information you requested"

Just to Talk.

"I have a funny story to share..." or "Do you have time for a funny story?"
"You might find this interesting..." or "Would you like to know...."
"Can I vent for a minute?"

If you are the listener and you do not know the intent then ask.

"Is there something specific I can help with?"

Key Message. The line contains the most important piece of information your audience needs to know.

The Key Message doesn't have to summarize every detail but has the most important message you must communicate.

When you explain the lows and highs we lead the audience through them with us.
When the audience doesn't know how the story ends, they feel every high and low as if it was the potential outcome.
When you start with the Key Message you are telling them how the story ends.

You can use the following questions to find out your key message:

"Why am I telling this?"
"Is there something I need them to do?"

Answer the "So what?" question.
Here are some examples of concise key messages common in workplace situations:

"We just closed a new client"
"The team beat the service level target"
"The system is down and will take a week to fix it."
"I missed a deadline, and the customer is upset."

Not only the message delivered is faster, but the important information is clearer.
Find the most important sentence in your message and deliver it first.

After that, you can go with more details as you want.

Framing Examples

Example 1.

Context: "I am working on the ABC account."
Intent (only 1 of the 6): "I have good news."
Key message: "We just got them as a new client."

Example 2.

Context: "I read the report you sent me."
Intent (only 1 of the 6): "Can you explain something?"
Key message: "I want to understand the change in timeline."

Example 3.

Context: "I review the new IT policy."
Intent (only 1 of the 6): "You should know..."
Key message: "We just got them as a new client."

How to Know If You Need More than One Frame?

More than one Context.

If you want to talk about two different projects, clients, or situations, then you have two topics or frames.

More than one Intent.

If you need two different actions from your audience, you have two topics or frames.

With more than one Key Message.

You have more than one topic or frame.

If you fail to separate topics in your conversation, it can lead to an "ambush."

References

How to Pitch the Big Idea (part 1)

Written by iRosas on July 22, 2023 in Presentation Framework with No comments

Phase 0. Initial Contact

Introductory chitchat - Establish Status and use Frame Control.

Phase 1. Introduce Yourself and the Big Idea

Ease the audience.

"This pitch is going to be short, just about 20 minutes, and you won't be hanging around too long afterward"

Pass some material:

Marketing, visuals, samples.

Start with your track record of success.

Not all your projects, life history, or places where you worked for.
Things you built, and projects actually worked out.
Example:

"My degree is from..."
"After I was at... for X years, my home run(s) were: a)..."
"I left Y to work in the Big Idea"

Tell people one great thing about yourself and stop.

Set up the Why Now Frame.

Start by thinking in the broadest terms possible, going back as far as you need to go, to understand and explain how it comes from the past into the present and why it is important.

"In recent years, there hasn't been much going on in the business of... In fact, it would be fair to say that the market has been dead."

Explain your idea in terms of an emerging market opportunity (use the Three Market Forces Pattern).

"But now things are heating up, first Financial..., second the Social/Institution(s)..., third Technology/Competitor...."

Picture the idea of moving out of the old market into a new one.

Introducing the Big Idea:

Use the Big Introduction Pattern.

"For companies with large buildings in California and Arizona"
"Who is dissatisfied with their aging solar panels."
"My product is a plug-and-play solar accelerator"
"That provides 35 percent more energy from old panels."
"And unlike the cost of replacing panels, My product is inexpensive and has no moving parts."

Phase 2. Explain the Budget and Secret Sauce

Explain what Problems the Big Idea really solves and How it actually works.
Pitching numbers and projections.

Unrealistic budgets and miscalculating costs are the greatest risks to a growing company, especially a startup.
Focus on demonstrating your skill at budgeting, which is a complex and highly regarded executive talent.
Spend almost no time on your skills at projecting revenue, a task any simpleton can perform.

Explain the Competition

How easy it is for new competitors to jump into the game?
How easy it is for customers to switch out your product with another?

Explain the Secret Sauce.

Show what your competitive advantage is based on.

This one thing will give you staying power against the competition.
Briefly describe it as your "secret sauce", the unfair advantage you have over others.

Ideally 3 minutes and no more than 10 minutes.

Hold the audience's attention.

Use any of the Three Tension Patterns.

YOU: "Look there isn't too much else to do here. Let's call it the day, gentlemen thank you for your time.", pause, Person: "Is that all?".
YOU: "You are a nonbeliever, why should we waste time in Kabuki [theater]"
YOU: "Guys, since you can't think of any questions to throw at me, let me get those materials (those which you gave at the beginning of the presentation) back from you." Start walking around taking them gently out of their hands. In some cases pull more aggressively. Now they had something to lose and questions should start flowing.

Withdraw any material if you are not stopped when leaving.

Phase 3. Offer the Deal

Describe to your audience what they are going to receive when they decide to do business with you.

You'll want to push through this quickly for the sake of time
In clear and concise terms

Tell the audience exactly what you will be delivering to them.
When it will be delivered, and how.
If they play a part in this process, explain what their roles and responsibilities will be.
Don’t drill down into a lot of detail
Just provide summarized facts that they need to know so that their mental picture of your offering is complete.

It does not matter if you are offering a product, a service, an investment, or an intangible—there will be a fulfillment process involved, and that is what you must explain.

Keep it brief but rich in high-level details so there is no question as to what the audience is going to get. And remember, the most important deliverable in your deal is you.

The Three Market Forces Pattern: Trendcasting

Economic Forces.

Explain what has changed financially in the market for your Big Idea.
Forces that have a significant impact on business opportunities.
Forecast trends, an important development in your market and beyond.

Social Forces.

Emerging changes in people's behavior patterns exist for your big idea.

Technology Forces.

Technological change that favors the Business Model or Industry of your Big Idea.

The Big Introduction Pattern

"For [target customers]"
"Who are dissatisfied with [the current offerings in the market]"
"My idea/product is a [new idea or product category]"
"That provides [key problem/solution features]"
"Unlike [the competing product]. My idea/product is [describe key features]"

The Three Tension Patterns

Low-Key, Low-Intensity Push/Pull Pattern.

PUSH: "There's a real possibility that we might not be right for each other."
Pause. Allow the push to sink in. It must be authentic.
PULL: "But then again, if this did work out, our forces could combine to become something great."

Medium-Intensity Push/Pull Pattern.

PUSH: "There's so much more to a deal than just the idea. I mean, there's a venture-capital group in San Francisco that doesn’t even care what the idea is—they don’t even look at it when a deal comes in. The only thing they care about is who the people are behind the deal. That makes sense. I’ve learned that ideas are common, a dime a dozen. What really counts is having someone in charge who has passion and experience and integrity. So if you and I don’t have that view in common, it would never work between us."
Pause.
PULL: "But that's crazy to think. Obviously, you value people over smart ideas. I've met corporate robots before that only care about numbers—and you are definitely not a robot."

High-Intensity Push/Pull Pattern.

PUSH: "Based on the couple of reactions I’m getting from you—it seems like this isn’t a good fit. I think that you should only do deals where there is trust and deals you strongly
believe in. So let's just wrap this up for now and agree to get together on the next one."
Pause.

Wait for a response.
Start packing up your stuff.
Be willing to leave if the target doesn’t stop you.

References

How to Elevate your Social Status

Written by iRosas on July 15, 2023 in Presentation Framework, Social Interactions with No comments

Beta Traps

A beta trap is a subtle but effective social ritual that puts you in a low-status position and works to keep you there.

The lobby - tells you to be a well-behaved person.
The conference room - tells you you're a jester and you'll be valued based on the quality of your entertainment.
The public spaces - these are the most deadly beta traps and should be avoided.

These places tell the others "I'm needy", like a puppy in a cage.

Your social value is fluid and changes with the environment you are in or the environment you create.

While the global status of our social standing may remain whatever it is, our situation status can be mobilized in order to temporarily create a high-status position whenever that is needed.

The person is going to assign you an automatic calculation of the social value based on:

Your wealth.
Your power.
Your popularity.

From the calculation, a frame will be fixed.
The calculation is often unconscious.

If you wish to elevate your social value in any given situation you can do it by redirecting people into a domain where you are in charge - it's called local star power.

Elevating Social Status

The first thing to do when you meet a person is to establish local star power.

If the meeting happens on your turf:

Use your domain expertise and locational knowledge to take a high-status position.

If the meeting happens in the other person's domain (office or off-site location)

Arrive on time.
Choose a frame and force a collision at the most opportune moment.
Politely avoid social rituals that reinforce the status of others.

Look for opportunities to perpetrate small acts of denial

Use your local star power and redistribute some of this status to others in the room who will support your frame.
Don't force an error, wait for it.

Once the opportunity appears to say, "I need a glass of water" then disrupt the other person's frame.

Quickly move the discussion where you are the expert.

Ignore parts of the conversation that do not support your pitch.

Magnify the ones that do.

Use Information dominance to quickly shrinks the frame around your area of specialization, making you unassailable.

You are the expert.

Move the discussion to a level where you can't be challenged by using the primary core values.

Hard work, dominance expertise, and moral authority.

Apply Prize Frame

Positioning yourself as the reward by making the decision to do business with you.

"Remind me again why in the world I want to do business with you?, (let the person responds), Yeah, that's good. I'll keep it in mind"

Keep the person qualifying back to you as often as needed.

e.g.: "Have you ever done a deal this large?"

Before the other person reacts, quickly begin to pull away:

"Whoa, look at the time, I've got to run. Listen, guys, thanks for your attention today. If this works for you let me know it."

References

How to use Frames for Social Interactions

Written by iRosas on July 08, 2023 in Presentation Framework, Social Interactions with No comments

What is a Frame?

Frames are mental structures that shape how we see the world (a.k.a: point of view or perspective). In business, frames pack your power, authority, strength, information, and status.

Everyone uses frames.
Social interactions bring different frames together.
Frames do not coexist.
The stronger frames absorb weaker frames.
The winning frame governs social interaction.
Frames involve social desire.

Choosing a Frame

When entering a social situation, ask: "What kind of frame am I against?".

Be ready to change the frame as the social interaction evolves.

When you are in the middle of an interaction:

If you're reacting to the other person, that person owns the frame.
If the other person reacts to what you do and says, you own the frame.

Types of Frames

Power Frame. Derived from the fact others give this person honor and respect.

How to detect it:

Arrogance, lack of interest, rudeness, imperial.
Oblivious to what others think.
Poor judges of the reaction of others.
Willing to take unmeasurable risks.
Telling others what to do.

How to combat it:

Avoiding reacting to the other's frame.
Do nothing to strengthen the other's frame.

How to set it up:

Perpetrate a slight denial or,
Act out some type of defiance.
Play the give-and-take power frame game if needed.

Do not abuse when you have control.

Examples:

Place a folder on the conference table labeled "Confidential"

When the target reaches for the file, you grab it and say: "Uh-uh, not yet. You have to wait for it."

Bring some visuals.

When the target sneaks a peek and then, and then when you see him curiously looking.
Turn it over, take it away, and say: "Not until I say you are ready."

Respond to a comment with a small but forceful act of defiance.

Person: "Thanks for coming, I only have 15 mins..."
You: "That's okay, I only have 12, but you are serious too."

Be defiant and funny at the same time.

Analyst Frame.

Disrupted by Intrigue Frame.

Intrigue Frame.

How to detect it's needed:

When somebody asks for details.
When communication is not flowing back and forth (nonreactive state).

The person shows disinterest or shows mind wandering.
The person thinks they can predict your idea before you explain it.

When extreme and nearly total loss of alertness.

Lost of mutual connection.

How to set it up:

Respond with a "Summary of Data" you prepared for this specific purpose.

Redirect the attention back to your pitch.

Tell an Intrigue Story, a brief but relevant story that involves you:

It's a personal story that you have prepared in advance.
You are in the story's center to redirect the attention back to you.
There has to be some suspense, risk, danger, and uncertainty.
There should be time pressure.

Clock ticking
There are ominous consequences if action is taken slowly.

You are trying to do something but are being blocked by some force.
There should be serious consequences, failure won't be pretty.

Disrupts the Analyst Frame.
Examples:

In financial deals: "The revenue is X, the expense is Y, this and other factors you can verify later but right now what we have to focus is on this: are we a good fit? Should we be doing business together?"
When the audience's attention begins to shift to analytical questions:

Tell your Intrigue Story.

"This reminds me..."

Time Frame. This often happens when attention is beyond the human span.

How to detect it:

You see attention being to wane.
People become fatigued.
You have been pitched for a few minutes.

How to combat it:

When attention is bottom out and expires, that's it.

Hot to set it up:

Stay in control of the time and wrapping up.

Do not try to speed up to go through the rest of the pitch.

Examples:

During a meeting:

"Hey, it looks like time us up. I've got to wrap this up and get to my next meeting."
If they are interested, they will agree to a follow-up.

Rush to meet with you:

Person: "Hi, I only have about 10 minutes to meet with you..."
You: "No, I don't work like that, there isn't sense in rescheduling unless we like each other and trust each other. I need to know, if are you good to work with?, can you keep appointments? and stick to a schedule."

Prize Frame. Tells people "You are trying to win my attention, I am the prize, not you. I can find some others like you but there is only one me."

How to detect it:

Missing appointments, the person arriving late, delaying to start.

How to combat it:

Ask the others to get organized.

"So you guys are asking me to delay the start? Okay, I can give you 15 mins to get organized, but if we can't start by, let us just call it a day."

If the person doesn't show up:

Do not deliver your presentation or any other material.
Do not apologize.

Make the person qualify himself to you.

"Can you tell me about yourself? I am picky about who I'm working with."

Make the person perform a legitimate task to earn a deal.
Take the time to step back and withdraw.

Don't be needy.

Embrace the idea that money is a commodity.

How to set it up:

Place the frame by telling them at the beginning of the meeting.

"I'm glad I could find the time to meet you today. I do have a meeting right after this. Let's get started."

Moral Authority Frame. Tells people: "We are right, you are wrong."

How to detect it:

The others do not have the moral or rightness to act as they do.

How to set it up:

Be prepared with an agenda to make things, with an actionable step-by-step involving acknowledgment by you of each of the actions that you ask them to do.
Tell them why you are right and they are wrong.

"You have done/not done X, Y, and this is/not is what agree/it isn't right, and you know that...(immediately lay out your agenda)."

Tell them your agenda:

"This is what will happen, 1)... 2)... 3)..."

Tell them as they speak:

"Your lips are moving, but I am not listening to a single word, your words have no meaning. Stop talking start...."

Tell them what you are going to do:

"You know what, I've had enough of this. Get out of here now, I'm going to call the cops..."

Tell them what will happen to them.

"Let me paint a picture for you: (describe personal consequences to them, their assets, or relatives). Is that how you want to end today?. The other option is to start..."

Tell them how you will check progress,

"(call their name), every 15 minutes you are going to give me a deliverable that means - just so you understand me perfectly- something happens that benefits me. Cancel your schedule, do not leave this room, pick up the phone and start..."

Commit to your frame and keep it strong (plowing).

References

Smart Brevity

Written by iRosas on July 01, 2023 in Communication Framework, Presentation Framework with No comments

Smart Brevity is a way to create, share, and consume information and a formula for communication effectiveness.

The Formula

The Headline.

Write the reason why you're even bothering to write.

Express your main idea in a provocative yet accurate way.
Use short, strong words that zing, and sprinkle with active verbs.
In 6 words, tops, get right to the point.

Read your headline out loud.

Confirming it sounds like something you want or needs to know more about.
If it doesn't reach this standard, try again

State One Big Thing.

State your most important point in ONE sentence.

Imagine you're speaking with someone you really like.
Tell them what happened or the idea that has just come to you.

Try:

Boil down your most important point into one statement.
Skip the anecdotes, adverbs, weak words, or extraneous words.
Be direct, succinct, and transparent.

Ask:

If this is the ONLY thing they remember, is it exactly what you want to stick to?
If you answer NO, rework it and try again.

Explain Why It Matters.

Put your ideas into a digestible context.

WHY IT MATTERS
THE BIG PICTURE
WHAT'S NEXT
WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
BETWEEN THE LINES
THE BACKSTORY
CATCH UP QUICK
ZOOM IN
ZOOM OUT

Always bold WHY IT MATTERS or other axioms.
After you state WHY IT MATTERS.

Explain in one sentence why the information in your first sentence is essential.
Whether something will change, a new trend, or relevance to something else, is building.

Make your sentence direct and declarative, adding to your opening thought.

Options to Go Deeper.

Ending with "Go Deeper/The big picture/Learn more" to deliver depth and detail.

Give the reader the option to GO DEEPER if they want to.

Use lots of bullets to break up clumps of text.

Use bullets to explain three or more ideas or data points.

Bold your axioms.

Make each paragraph no longer than two or three sentences, and add bullets, charts, and axioms to break up the flow.

Know when to stop.

State your facts, and stop blathering on

Tips and Hints

Use the right words.

Use strong words.

Words that are vivid, precise, and easy to visualize.

Purge weak words.

Words that tend to be multi-syllable.
Don't use "vicissitude", use "change".
Replace "ubiquitous" with "everywhere".

Avoid foggy words.

Words that express uncertainty
Don't use could, may, might, etc.
Instead, use what "is" happening. Be definitive.

Embrace short, crisp, and punchy phrases

"Revenue boomed", "Cubs lost" or "I quit".

Use active verbs.

To inject action and movement into your writing.
Replace "The situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate from a security perspective" with active alternatives: "The Taliban have retaken Afghanistan."

Use emojis.

They help instantly signal the tone or topic of an item, saving you and the reader time by getting them in the right headspace.

When and Where Use Smart Brevity.

Newsletters.
Workplace:

Write all your messages, emails, memos, and updates using Smart Brevity.
Encourage everyone who reports to you to do the same.
Internal presentations and PowerPoint

Start with a slide articulating your ONE big idea.

Make one point on each subsequent slide.

Use clean and simple graphics.
Boil everything down to single sentences, 20 words or less.
And limit your entire presentation to 5 or 6 slides max.
End where you began, with ONE big idea.

Always communicate inclusively

Write in plain language, and use bullet points to break up the text.
Keep it simple.

Emails:

Start every email with a short, direct, and urgent subject line.

Tell people why they need to open this email NOW.

Put your ask or your key piece of information in the first sentence – ALWAYS.

Make people feel like they have to read on.

Always add some context – include "Why it matters".

Use a consistent style that becomes a replicable framework.

Add bullets – make it easy for people to skim your email.
Bold keywords and figures – anything you want to stand out to the reader.
Include some clean and intuitive visuals.

To help amplify or give life to important points.

Meetings:

Decide whether you genuinely need to meet.

Or whether everything could be better handled as a one-on-one chat.

Set a time limit whenever you organize a meeting.

20 minutes is usually sufficient.
Test whether 5 - 10 minute micro-meetings will work as well.

Open the meeting with a headline

The one-sentence objective was circulated in advance.

Explain "why it matters".

Let everyone know why they are in the room, and what they contribute.

State clearly and concisely what specific decisions need to be made.

Everyone is focused on making those decisions and ending the meeting.

Have a quick and inclusive discussion.

If someone goes off-topic, point that out with a smile.

When 2 minutes are left, bring the discussion to an end:

Summarizing the meeting takeaways.
Getting specific about the next steps.

End on time.

Send out a follow-up email.
Bullet points detailing who will be responsible for each follow-up action.

Speeches.

Prepare to speak.

Forget about PowerPoint, notes, and teleprompters.
Get people to focus on you.

Aim to get the audience to remember ONE point or lesson.

In 15 words or less.
If you don't know what this is, your audience certainly won't.

Hit your audience with your point.

Directly stating, "The one thing I want you to remember from my speech is ..."
State it cleanly and directly.

Always explain "Why it matters" to your audience

Provide context on why they should pay attention to what you're saying.

Bring your big thought to life.

Using interesting stats, great stories, and memorable quotes.
It pays to number your points so you have verbal bullet points in your speech.

Reinforce your big thought at the end.

Directly stating, "Remember, if there is one thing you take away ..."
Then say thank you, and end graciously.

Social Media.
Visuals / Infographics.

Start with a strong concept

This will usually be something uncluttered.

Edit out superfluous elements.

You're left with something worth seeing and noticing.

Be direct.

Always look at it from the perspective of the person you're trying to reach.
Judge your work solely from their perspective.

Create a visual hierarchy.

Make your most important visual clue something which will catch the eye of the reader.
You then offer visual context in color, depth, or visual setting.

Always respect your audience.
Avoid abstraction, clutter, and confusion.

References

Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less (Amazon.com)
Smart Brevity® | Axios HQ.
For examples of what Smar Brevity looks like visit Axios Local.

How to be BRIEF

Written by iRosas on June 10, 2023 in Communication Framework, Presentation Framework with No comments

The Keys to Brevity

Map it. Use Brief Maps to condense and trim.
Tell it. Use Narrative storytelling to explain clearly.
Show it. Have TALC conversations rather than monologues.
Talk it. Use visuals to capture the imagination.

The BRIEF map

The map keeps you on track to present everything succinctly and concisely.

The Headline.

The takeaway message you want them to remember.

(B) Background.

Why you have come here.

"What is the current situation, issue, or problem?"
"Is there a story or anecdote to start?"
Link back to the previous meeting, or offer.

(R) Reason or Relevance.

Give your headline.

"What I am telling you this?"
"What does it really mean to my audience?"
"What do I want them to do with the information?"

Share, agree, comment, and move forward.

(I) Information.

Set out the three key elements or points you will be discussing today

"What key pieces of information or ideas do I need to share to give my audience a clearer understanding of the situation?"

Facts, figures, examples

(E) Ending.

You signal you're finished and outline the next few steps which will happen.

"If you're OK with X, I will Y and delivery information"

(F) Follow up.

You anticipate what questions they might have and finish by covering those key points.

"What questions do I anticipate at the end?"
"What questions should I ask them to get them talking"
If there are no comments or questions, they don't get it.

The Narrative Map

The focal point (or center bubble).

This is the central part of a narrative.
It's a headline, which explains and isolates the point of the story.

Setup or challenge.

"What challenge, conflict, or issue exists in the marketplace your organization is addressing?"
"Why does this problem exist?"
"Who contributes to it?"

Opportunity.

"What is the implication or the opportunity for your organization?"
This is what some people call an unmet need or an aha moment.
This is something you could use to effect change or to address and resolve an issue.

Approach.

"How does your story unfold?"
"What are the three or four characters or key elements?"
"What is the how, where, and when?"

Payoff.

"How do you resolve the setup from the beginning?"
"How is that going to benefit a customer, an employee, the industry, or the community?
"Where does that story conclude?"
"Who sees the benefits?"

The TALC Map

You've got to replace monologues with controlled conversations.

(T) Talk.

Let them say what they want to say, whether it takes 1 or 10 min

(AL) Actively Listen.

Listen with interest the entire time.
Ask open-ended questions and tap into the parts which interest you.

Talk it

Start by Googling your topic and see what's already out there.
Do some live drawings during your presentation.
Videos

Look for short videos that are already available online that tie in with your key point.

Duration Around 3 - 4 minutes.
Quality of your material. Video clips with an amateurish look and feel aren't good.

Make your own short video.
Try and inject both educational and entertainment elements into each video clip.
If you have a complex topic, break it down into episodes or create a series.

Use a whiteboard to illustrate your ideas.
Bring in small items for show-and-tell style presentations.
Replace frequently used words with icons to make our material stand out.

When and Where Should You Be Brief

Meetings
Social media and email
Sales pitches
Presentations
Explaining big ideas
Giving updates
Delivering good news
Delivering bad news

References

Mintzberg's Managerial Roles

Written by iRosas on May 06, 2023 in Leadership, Management with No comments

Instead of theorizing about what managers should do, Mintzberg studied what managers actually do during their working days.

Interpersonal Roles

Interpersonal roles concern your relationships with others as a manager.

Figurehead.

You are responsible for performing ceremonial duties.
Examples:

Taking a customer out to lunch.
Attending an employee’s wedding.
Giving an award to an employee.

Leader.

You are responsible and accountable for your team’s work.
You must lead your team to perform great work.
This role involves both leading and managing your team.
Examples:

Coaching a team member.
Encouraging your team.
Giving feedback.
Defining a team member’s responsibilities.
Delegating tasks.

Liaison.

You have to connect your team to others outside of the vertical chain of command on behalf of your organization.
This can mean working with both internal and external contacts.
Examples:

Working with a customer.
Meeting with a supplier.
Working with a recruitment specialist.

Informational Roles

The roles within this category concern how you collect and share information.

Monitor.

You need the monitor the work of your team.
You need to monitor what’s going on elsewhere in your organization.
You must identify which information is important and which is not.
This information doesn’t just have to be factual; you can also monitor gossip and speculation.
Examples:

A conversation with a member of your network.
Online research.
Reading reports.

Disseminator.

You communicate information, in either written or verbal format.
Examples:

You share your annual plan with your team.
You inform your team of how you will restructure it to implement your organization’s new strategy.

Spokesperson.

You share information outside of your team.
Written or verbal communication.
Examples:

You give a media interview.
You share your organization’s plans with a supplier.
You speak at a conference.

Decisional Roles

The roles within this category concern how you, as a manager, make decisions. These roles as the most important for a manager.

Entrepreneur.

You have to develop new and innovative ideas to improve your organization’s products, services, and processes.
You also have to react to changing circumstances and market conditions quickly.
Examples:

You identify an opportunity to improve a process.
You identify an opportunity to cut costs.
You solve a long-running problem.

Disturbance Handler.

You react to problems, issues, conflicts, disputes, or roadblocks that occur.
These disturbances or crises could be external or internal to your team.
Examples:

You mediate a disagreement between two team members.
You quickly help your team switch to remote working during a pandemic.

Resource Allocator.

You have to decide where to allocate your people and budget.
This will involve planning, scheduling, and budgeting.
Examples:

You decide to allocate 70% of your budget to short-term projects and 30% to longer-term projects.
You manage a startup and decide to commit 90% of your team to research and development (R&D) and just 10% to operations.

Negotiator.

You engage in a negotiation.
This could be with customers, suppliers, or new hires, amongst others.
Examples:

You negotiate the salary of a newly hired team member.
You negotiate a contract with a supplier.

References

Seven story structures

Written by iRosas on April 29, 2023 in Presentation Framework, Storytelling with No comments

1. Freytag’s Pyramid

Introduction. The status quo is established; an inciting incident occurs.
Rise, or rising action. The protagonist actively pursues their goal. The stakes heighten.
Climax. A point of no return, from which the protagonist can no longer go back to the status quo.
Return, or fall. In the aftermath of the climax, tension builds, and the story heads inevitably towards...
Catastrophe. The protagonist is brought to their lowest point. Their greatest fears have come true.

Freytag’s Pyramid: Understand the Shape of Tragic Drama

Plotting a Novel with Freytag's Pyramid - YouTube

2. The Hero’s Journey

The Ordinary World. The hero’s everyday life is established.
The Call of Adventure. Otherwise known as the inciting incident.
Refusal of the Call. For a moment, the hero is reluctant to take on the challenge.
Meeting the Mentor. Our hero meets someone who prepares them for what lies ahead — perhaps a parental figure, a teacher, a wizard, or a wise hermit.
Crossing the First Threshold. The hero steps out of their comfort zone and enters a ‘new world.’
Tests, Allies, Enemies. Our protagonist faces new challenges — and maybe picks up some new friends. Think of Dorothy on the Yellow Brick Road.
Approach to the Inmost Cave. The hero gets close to their goal. Luke Skywalker reaches the Death Star.
The Ordeal. The hero meets (and overcomes) their greatest challenge yet.
Reward (Seizing the Sword). The hero obtains something important they were after, and victory is in sight.
The Road Back. The hero realizes that achieving their goal is not the final hurdle. In fact, ‘seizing the sword’ may have made things worse for them.
Resurrection. The hero faces their final challenge — a climactic test that hinges on everything they’ve learned over their journey.
Return with the Elixir. Having triumphed, our protagonist returns to their old life. Dorothy returns to Kansas; Iron Man holds a press conference to blow his own trumpet.

Hero's Journey: Get a Strong Story Structure in 12 Steps

How to Use The Hero's Journey to Structure a Novel - YouTube

3. Three-Act Structure

Act 1: Setup

Exposition. The status quo or ‘ordinary world’ is established.
Inciting Incident. An event that sets the story in motion.
Plot Point One. The protagonist decides to tackle the challenge head-on. She ‘crosses the threshold,’ and the story is now truly moving.

Act 2: Confrontation

Rising Action. The story's true stakes become clear; our hero grows familiar with her ‘new world’ and has her first encounters with some enemies and allies. (see Tests, Allies, Enemies)
Midpoint. An event that upends the protagonist’s mission. (Similar to the climax in Freytag’s pyramid)
Plot Point Two. In the wake of the disorienting midpoint, the protagonist is tested — and fails. Her ability to succeed is now in doubt.

Act 3: Resolution

Pre Climax. The night is darkest before dawn. The protagonist must pull herself together and choose between decisive action and failure.
Climax. She faces off against her antagonist one last time. Will she prevail?
Denouement. All loose ends are tied up. The reader discovers the consequences of the climax. A new status quo is established.

The Three-Act Structure: The King of Story Structures

The Three-Act Structure: Writing a Strong First Act - YouTube

4. Dan Harmon's Story Circle

A character is in a zone of comfort... This is the establishment of the status quo.
But they want something... This 'want' could be something long-standing and brought to the fore by an inciting incident.
They enter an unfamiliar situation... The protagonist must do something new in their pursuit of the thing they want.
Adapt to it... Faced with some challenges, they struggle and then begin to succeed.
Get what they wanted... Usually a false victory.
Pay a heavy price for it... They realize that what they 'wanted' wasn't what they 'needed'.
Then return to their familiar situation... armed with a new truth.
Having changed... For better or worse.

Dan Harmon Story Circle: The 8-Step Storytelling Shortcut

Dan Harmon Story Circle - YouTube

Fichtean Curve

Rising Action

Inciting incident. The novel begins with the line: “Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.” Within the first three paragraphs, Marilyn realizes that her daughter Lydia is missing. Thus, readers are thrown straight into rising action as Marilyn anxiously searches all the usual places Lydia might be found.
First crisis. Lydia’s family is informed her body was found in a nearby lake. From this first crisis's climax, the narrative flashes back to provide exposition and details of the family’s history.
Second crisis. In flashbacks, we discover that, 11 years prior, Marilyn abandoned her family to resume her undergraduate studies. In her absence, the family begins to fall apart. Marilyn learns she is pregnant and is forced to return home. Having lost her opportunity for further education, she places the pressure of academic success on her children.
Third crisis. Back in the present, Lydia’s father, James, is cheating on Marilyn. The police decide to close the investigation, ruling Lydia’s death a suicide. This results in a massive argument between her parents, and James leaves to stay with the “other woman.”
Fourth crisis. Flashback to the day Lydia died. From her perspective, we see that she’s misunderstood by her parents. She mourns her brother’s impending departure from college, leaving her as the sole focus of her parents’ pressure. Isolated, she tries to seduce a friend — who rejects her advances and explains he’s in love with her brother.

Climax

Lydia takes a boat into the lake in the middle of the night — determined to overcome her fear of water and reclaim control of her life. Lydia jumps off the boat, into the water, and out of this life. As in a classical tragedy, this moment is both devastating and inevitable.

Falling Action

Some level of resolution is achieved, and readers get to at least glimpse the “new norm” for the characters. Lydia’s family lean on one another in their grief. While they may never be able to make their amends with Lydia, they can learn from her death. Not all of the loose ends are tied off, but readers infer the family is on the long road to recovery.

The Fichtean Curve: A Story in Crisis (reedsy.com)

How to Structure a Book with the Fichtean Curve - YouTube

6. Save the Cat Beat Sheet

Opening Image [1]. The first shot of the film. If you’re starting a novel, this would be an opening paragraph or scene that sucks readers into the world of your story.
Set-up [1-10]. Establishing the ‘ordinary world’ of your protagonist. What does he want? What is he missing out on?
Theme Stated [5]. During the setup, hint at what your story is really about — the truth that your protagonist will discover by the end.
Catalyst [12]. The inciting incident!
Debate [12-25]. The hero refuses the call to adventure. He tries to avoid the conflict before they are forced into action.
Break into Two [25]. The protagonist makes an active choice and the journey begins in earnest.
B Story [30]. A subplot kicks in. Often romantic in nature, the protagonist’s subplot should serve to highlight the theme.
The Promise of the Premise [30-55]. Often called the ‘fun and games’ stage, this is usually a highly entertaining section where the writer delivers the goods. If you promised an exciting detective story, we’d see the detective in action. If you promised a goofy story of people falling in love, let’s go on some charmingly awkward dates.
Midpoint [55]. A plot twist occurs that ups the stakes and makes the hero’s goal harder to achieve — or makes them focus on a new, more important goal.
Bad Guys Close In [55-75]. The tension ratchets up. The hero’s obstacles become greater, his plan falls apart, and he is on the back foot.
All is Lost [75]. The hero hits rock bottom. He loses everything he’s gained so far, and things are looking bleak. The hero is overpowered by the villain; a mentor dies; our lovebirds have an argument and break up.
Dark Night of the Soul [75-85-ish]. Having just lost everything, the hero shambles around the city in a minor-key musical montage before discovering some “new information” that reveals exactly what he needs to do if he wants to take another crack at success. (This new information is often delivered through the B-Story)
Break into Three [85]. Armed with this new information, our protagonist decides to try once more!
Finale [85-110]. The hero confronts the antagonist or whatever the source of the primary conflict is. The truth that eluded him at the start of the story (established in step three and accentuated by the B Story) is now clear, allowing him to resolve their story.
Final Image [110]. A final moment or scene that crystallizes how the character has changed. It’s a reflection, in some way, of the opening image.

Save the Cat Beat Sheet: The Ultimate Guide (+ Template) (reedsy.com)

Breaking Down the Save the Cat Structure | Outline a Novel in 20 Minutes! - YouTube

7. Seven-Point Story Structure

The Hook. Draw readers in by explaining the protagonist’s current situation. Their state of being at the beginning of the novel should be in direct contrast to what it will be at the end of the novel.
Plot Point 1. Whether it’s a person, an idea, an inciting incident, or something else — there should be a "Call to Adventure" of sorts that sets the narrative and character development in motion.
Pinch Point 1. Things can’t be all sunshine and roses for your protagonist. Something should go wrong here that applies pressure to the main character, forcing them to step up and solve the problem.
Midpoint. A “Turning Point” wherein the main character changes from a passive force to an active force in the story. Whatever the narrative’s main conflict is, the protagonist decides to start meeting it head-on.
Pinch Point 2. The second pinch point involves another blow to the protagonist — things go even more awry than they did during the first pinch point. This might involve the passing of a mentor, the failure of a plan, the reveal of a traitor, etc.
Plot Point 2. After the calamity of Pinch Point 2, the protagonist learns that they’ve actually had the key to solving the conflict the whole time.
Resolution. The story’s primary conflict is resolved — and the character goes through the final bit of development necessary to transform from who they were at the start of the novel.