Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Working assumptions
Most business leaders have something to say that is worth saying We want vehicles with impact: An article that is read A story that is heard The individual comes away a little bit different!. more capable! Each piece has its own integrity We are here to recognize and realize that integrity The experience of the producer is not anything like the experience of the consumer !so we need some craft!.
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
Purpose
Story
Is the piece of work compelling? Does it resonate with the blood? Does it speak to our whole selves? Does it build our awareness?
Audience
Who is this piece of work aimed at? Is it timely and relevant to their needs? Are they prepared to hear it? What do they expect and how will you meet those expectations?
Research
What is the validity of this piece of work based on? Who will see it as credible, and why? How might its substantiation be challenged? How will you meet those challenges?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
Purpose
Story
Is the piece of work compelling? Does it resonate with the blood? Does it speak to our whole selves? Does it build our awareness?
Audience
Who is this piece of work aimed at? Is it timely and relevant to their needs? Are they prepared to hear it? What do they expect and how will you meet those expectations?
Research
What is the validity of this piece of work based on? Who will see it as credible, and why? How might its substantiation be challenged? Are you prepared to openly test your validity?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
What is the explicit objective of this piece of work? What will it get you? What will that get you? What is its unfulfilled potential?
Purpose
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
Pick a single piece of work you want to produce. Write down: 1.! Its title 2.! The explicit objective of this piece of work: What will it get you? What will that get you? What is its unfulfilled potential?
Purpose
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
Research
What is the validity of this piece of work based on? Who will see it as credible, and why? How might its substantiation be challenged? Are you prepared to openly test your validity?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Research
1.! What research supports your piece of work? 2. Is it enough? 3. How might its substantiation be challenged? 4. Are you prepared to openly test your validity?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Audience
Who is this piece of work aimed at? Is it timely and relevant to their needs? Are they prepared to hear it? What do they expect and how will you meet those expectations?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Audience
I am your audience -! Here is who I am -! Here is what I expect -! Here is what you need to do to reach me
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Story
Is the piece of work compelling? Does it resonate with the blood? Does it speak to our whole selves? Does it build our awareness?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Story
You are the writer and producer of a play about this piece of work. It is the opening scene. The curtain goes up. What is on the stage? What happens next?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Ending
Is the piece our awareness?
Plot
Writing?
Closing
Publishing
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Story
Is the piece our awareness?
Plot
Audience?
Closing
Research
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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3.! 4.!
5.!
Plot
6.!
Closing
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
Nut graf
Imagine you have only one paragraph. One floors worth of conversation in an elevator. No catalog or precis, but the message itself To get across as best you can in 500 words. Write that paragraph.
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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1. The initial stage of gathering notes is meant for capturing preliminary hypotheses, observations, and insights
!! As in brainstorming, this is a time for exploration instead of judgement !! Summarize data as it comes in, along with potential implications !! Include key quotes from interviews and conversations !! Case studies, possible examples, or solutions should each get at least one note of their own !! Keep a computer file of what you see, hear, think; raise ideas in conversation and get responses !! Make notes of outliers and unexplained connections !! If you catch yourself saying or thinking, This probably isnt worth anything, but! be sure to capture it; some of the most important insights seem implausible or unimportant at first !! Dont worry if it isnt yet obvious how to use them; you will synthesize or discard later
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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The exercise of writing a nut graf helps you clarify the message
An effective nut graf The rapidly evolving field of digital fabrication, which was barely known to most business strategists as recently as early 2010, is beginning to do to manufacturing what the Internet has done to informationbased goods and services. Just as video went from a handful of broadcast networks to millions of producers on YouTube within a decade, and music went from supergroups to GarageBand and Bandcamp.com, a transition from centralized production to a maker culture of dispersed manufacturing innovation is under way today. Millions of customers consume manufactured goods, and now a small but growing number are producing, designing, and marketing them as well. As operations, product development, and distribution processes evolve under the influence of this new disruptive technology, manufacturing innovation will further expand from the chief technology officers purview to that of the consumer, with potentially enormous impact on the business models of todays manufacturers. - A Strategists Guide to Digital Fabrication
The nut graf is journalism jargon for the paragraph with the nut of the story. What makes a good nut graf? ! ! ! ! It expresses whats important and why. (Who, what, when, where, why for a news story, but it varies for other purposes) It provides the core message, and if its counterintuitive why it still matters It is conscious of the stakes how this message might change what you do. It is precise, but not too comprehensive (details to follow in article)
!!Note: Writing a nut graf can take a lot of time, but by clarifying your message, it will save you time later
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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6. There are many possible plots; pick one that flows well
!! Problem and solution: (1) a burning platform needs urgent attention; (2) diagnosis of the problem and how it came about; (3) actions needed! !! List of solutions: Very brief problem statement followed by, To fix this, here are the measures that must be taken! !! Developmental path: Few companies have taken advantage of this opportunity, because they are stuck in their old practices. Here is your step-by-step path to changing this situation! !! Counterintuitive argument: At first glance, this solution may appear unlikely. But consider this fact about our industry. Based on that! therefore! therefore! we reach our conclusion! !! Multiple options: A variety of companies have found solutions to this problem. Each has its pros and cons. Spell them out, then: Each company must determine which solution will be most effective! !! Multiple causes: To reach a solution, you must understand how we got here! !! It hasnt worked before, but you can make it work: Banks tell their call center staffs, Act like bankers and sell more. But only a few have made this work. This is why!
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Make sure the tone is direct, to the point, concise, and clear
!! Conversational tone !! Active, not passive voice ( The team decided rather than It was decided that ) !! Short paragraphs (One theme or concept per paragraph, with the top sentence stating the overall point) !! Short sentences (break long sentences into two) !! Short, common words (equal not equivalent, vague not evanescent) !! Precision in phrasing (make sure the phrase says exactly what you want it to say) !! Front-load your ideas: key ideas at the beginning of sentences, topic sentences at the front of paragraphs, main paragraphs at the start of sections, biggest point as the first section in the article !! Bury the disclaimers. This is nothing new or To be sure, some disagree belong after you make your point !! All of these are guidelines, not rules. There are always exceptions, but if you make an exception, be conscious of why you re making it !! When in doubt, read your text aloud and imagine that you re the target audience member listening to it
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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When dealing with jargon, put the terms interpretation or meaning into the passage or else delete the jargon entirely
!! Audiences understand much less jargon than you think they do. !! Even insiders who are familiar with the word may not know exactly what you mean. Jargon often carries a variety of interpretations, which can render it imprecise !! The first time you use a specialized word, insert a short definition or an example to let you and your readers know you understand each other !! Example of putting in a definition: During the past decade or so, marketers have grown accustomed to the trend known as premiumization : Each year, consumers sought out higher-priced and more distinctive products. Sales went up for such premium goods as custom-blended cosmetics, microbrewed beer, antioxidant-laden breakfast cereals and soft drinks, and cars in every price range that featured amenities like video screens and extra cup holders. A Breakaway Opportunity for Inferior Products (Booz & Company)
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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I ve already deleted all references to it in the article. This group will never be open about this topic.
If we talk about this topic we ll be shut out. Nobody here wants to talk about that topic.
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Clichs and buzzword speak on the page can suggest incoherent or sloppy thinking
!! Look out for common English clichs: ! Companies should look before they leap into an alliance with emerging nations. ! It s a buyer s market for acquisitions right now, and buyers have an embarrassment of riches to choose from. !! Avoid business phrases that have rapidly become clichs: ! Analytic skills are table stakes when you build a new marketing team. ! Beware of boiling the ocean when designing an IT solution; look instead for the low-hanging fruit. ! In researching your competition, remember: It is what it is. !! Some verbs (often those adapted from nouns or technology) come across as weak euphemisms: ! Optimize (replace with make the most of, ! Utilize (replace with use ) ! Leverage (replace with take advantage of, apply, or deploy ) use the best, etc.)
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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Watch out for ambiguous passages that the reader may interpret differently from your intent; reword them to be more precise
!! Stable companies are more focused on cutting costs across the board and conserving cash than on the opportunity they have to strengthen their competitive positions. ! Does this mean To be stable, companies should be focused on cutting costs! or Even stable companies are too focused on cutting costs! ? !! As we write these lines, in Autumn 2008, a number of financial-services companies in the West have collapsed or are collapsing. ! Does this refer to banks in California and Nevada or the leading financial institutions in North America and Europe? !! The millennial generation (ages 21 to 32) is entering the workforce, with demands fundamentally different from those of prior generations. ! Does this mean the work demanded of them is different or the rewards they are demanding are different ?
DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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DATE 2009 Art Kleiner and Booz & Company Do not reproduce without permission art.kleiner@booz.com
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