it's like being transported back to uni with the essays
I know ideas, I can discuss them, I can present them and I can argue them
but can I decide how to structure a fooking briefing paper on the topic I know inside out?
NO I CANNOT
do you think ritalin would help?
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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)
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have a Clergham
Then use the structure of your presentation for your briefing paper.
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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?
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haha
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@??? faod
it's because I cannot structure my thoughts
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I'm always writing, so not a problem. That's one advantage of being antediluvian.
My handwriting is still terrible, mind.
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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.
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M7 your GDPR dudes would self immolate if they heard that
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It's "Business Transformation" sort of thing, no personal data.
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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 !)
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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.
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You're going to confuse her with your clever 'start' - 'middle' - 'end' in reverse order...
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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.
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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 :(
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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 :)
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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
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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.
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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
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That was AA Milne btw
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You could start with the quote "only the little people pay taxes"...
...and then channel your inner Leona Helmsley
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Fluffy agreed it’s not a quick fix. But it doesn’t sound like a one-off problem.
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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
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