I did an exam a couple of years ago and I felt like I'd run a marathon after

(faod this writing is on a computer tho)

have a Clergham

Then use the structure of your presentation for your briefing paper.

Why can't you just start?

is it: - 

(a) worry about starting in the right place?

(b) worry that you JUST CANT DO IT!?

(c) fear that it wont be any good at the end?

(d) the voice screaming you cant do this in your head? 

(e) you know that when you start it will all be too much?

(f) all of the above? 

haha

@??? faod

it's because I cannot structure my thoughts

I'm always writing, so not a problem.  That's one advantage of being antediluvian. 

My handwriting is still terrible, mind.

I recognise this in myself.  I have trouble "beginning", but no worries when it feels more like adding, editing etc to an established document structure.

I now cheat.  I found someone on freelancer.com that helps me get started with something of this nature. I anonymise anything that might identify an organisation or would be considered confidential.  (Acme Company, Bob Jones etc. I keep a list of the replacements).

I suspect I might have something undiagnosed due to now-known family history but hey, who doesn't?

Be careful doing this on a work computer for obv reasons.

M7 your GDPR dudes would self immolate if they heard that

It's "Business Transformation" sort of thing, no personal data.

Righto Clergies...

...image you are sitting opposite me. Take a breath, look me in the eye and tell me the three main points of your article (you are only allowed three !)

Start at the end. “What is the purpose I want to serve? What conclusion is my audience supposed to reach?”

Stick a bunch of stuff in the middle. Rearrange the flow until it leads to your end. 

Write an introduction. 

You're going to confuse her with your clever 'start' - 'middle' -  'end' in reverse order...

ah but it’s not just about doing it backwards, it’s more about understanding why you’re doing it (to which the answer shouldn’t be “because I’ve been told I have to”, or at least that’s not a helpful answer). The narrative should serve a purpose - and in business people don’t normally spend enough time thinking through what the purpose really is. 

so it is about all of the taxes, fluffy

and what would happen to them if something happened

my argument is "it depends"

you can see my problem :(

You've actually just written it...

- Start with your best aggregated description of the taxes (in groups not individually)

- Explain why you have selected your 'something' to apply to this group of taxes - why is it relevant?

- 'It depends' is so much easier to conclude on than a specific 'ram it down their throat' point - don't go getting tangled up in the detail of 'the depends' outcome, instead describe WHY it depends.

Send over the draft and I'll edit out the crap :)

Read ‘The Pyramid Principle’ by Barbara Minto. 

She was the Chief Editor of Mckinsey. Her approach has been used extensively, not only by them, to create powerfully persuasive documents on all sorts of topics.

She deals with the audience and purpose, overall structure, sequence of points and crafting individual messages

Elfffi, this is Clergs you're talking to... ...she probably has to present it tomorrow morning so not much time for self-help book reading.

I would start with why we assume taxes r ok when our rulers impose them upon us.  Got a quote for you to start with:

King John was not a good man

he had his little ways

and sometimes nobody spoke to him

for days and days and days

Then I think one of the Georges invented income tax during the Nap wars.  George 3 perhaps.  

then those post war cvnts invented the national insurance and pretended it wasnt just extra tax.

then Gordo put up the higher rate.

then fatty osbourne fckd up sdlt and vat

w**kers.

article: DONE

That was AA Milne btw

You could start with the quote "only the little people pay taxes"...

...and then channel your inner Leona Helmsley

Fluffy agreed it’s not a quick fix. But it  doesn’t sound like a one-off problem.

Go backwards

Start with the one line conclusion you are aiming for

Then the main takeaways, salient points, lets say 5 of them

Then the fluff that leads to the 5 salient points

Then the background

Then the issue the briefing is going to solve

Then the topic that the briefing is about 

then the title of the briefing