Pyramid Principle: Logical Order

There are 3 possible logical orders:

The source of the grouping	dictates its order
Determine the causes of an effect	Time Order
Divide a whole into its parts	Structural Order
Classify like things	Degree order

⊕ (Minto [1996] 2018, p 76)

Thus, a grouping of steps that represets a process or system always goes in time order, and the summary of the set of actions is always the effect of carrying out the actions.⊕ (Minto [1996] 2018, p76)

While the … steps … would be indeed taken in the order shown, they are not all at the same level of abstraction. Some of the steps are taken to create the end products stated in the other steps, so that they imply mini-processes … within the overall process.

…

The trick to avoiding cause-effect mistakes is to visualize yourself actually taking the action you are writing about in each case, and state what you will have in your hand at the end of the action. You can then judge whethere you must take on particular action before you can take the next, or whether you must take it in order to achieve the next.⊕ (Minto [1996] 2018, p 78-79)

When you divide a whole into its parts – whether it be a physical whole or a conceptual one – you must make sure that the pieces you produce are:

• Mutually exclusive of each other
• Collectively exhaustive in terms of the whole.

I abbrevieate this mouthful to MECE.⊕ (minto_pyramid_priniciple?, p 82)

The only process I know for getting at the real thinking underlying lists of ideas grouped as a class:

1. Idenity the type of point being made
2. Group together those of the same type
3. Look for the order the sets of groups implies.⊕ (Minto [1996] 2018, p 92)
   
   

Checking order is a key means of checking the validity of a grouping. With any grouping of inductive ideas that you are reviewing for sense, always begin by running your eye quickly down the list. Do you find an order (time, structure, degree)? If not, can you identify the source of the grouping and thus impose one (process, structure, class)? If you have a long list, can you see similarities that allow you to make subgroupings and impose an order on those?⊕ (Minto [1996] 2018, p 93)