7P13SR- ONE- SHEET5
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Workshop5.Synthesisedconclusions.pptxMN7P13 Building Business Insights Workshop 6: Synthesised conclusions
Dr. Stephen Hills
Synthesised conclusions
The seven-steps process
How do you define a problem in a precise way to meet the decision maker’s needs?
How do you disaggregate the issues and develop hypotheses to be explored?
How do you prioritize what to do and what not to do?
How do you develop a workplan and assign analytical tasks?
How do you decide on the fact gathering and analysis to resolve the issues, while avoiding cognitive biases?
How do you go about synthesizing the findings to highlight insights?
How do you communicate them in a compelling way?
Step 6: Synthesise findings from the analysis
Step 7: Prepare a powerful communication
6. Synthesised conclusions (20%, 1,600 words)
Draw together the individual findings and insights of your problem-solving work into an overall picture.
Using a pyramid structure, present your conclusions (i.e., governing thought) as an engaging story supported with arguments, findings, insights and facts to convince your audience of the merits of your recommended solution.
Provide a commentary of your pyramid structure.
Sythesising results and telling a great story
These final two steps are the culmination of your problem solving project and should provide a solution to your problem.
They are your conclusions and should be an engaging story supported with facts, analyses and arguments that convince your audience of the merits of your recommended solution.
Synthesising findings
Synthesis of your data gathering and analysis.
Synthesis: Combining components or elements to form a connected whole.
As you move to final synthesis, draw together the individual findings of the work on each branch of your logic tree into an overall picture.
Represent each of your findings in the form of pictures or graphics that highlight the insights that emerged from your work.
Telling compelling stories
Once you have synthesized your findings into a series of convincing graphics, the final step is to structure a compelling communication for your audience.
Return to your problem definition worksheet and remind yourself:
What problem are we trying to solve?
Has the problem evolved during project (e.g., as new information comes to bear? If so, how?
Did the boundaries change (e.g., to allow for a more creative solution)? If so, how?
What are the key criteria for success? These should be explicitly reflected in our story.
Pyramid structure
The pyramid structure helps us to show clearly how each element of our argument is supported by data and analysis.
At the very top level is our lead or governing statement of the problem.
Final one-day solution – your latest situation-observation-resolution statement.
Using insights from your synthesis stage, fill in supporting arguments that back up your top-level answer.
Structure options
Choose an appropriate structure depending on the nature of your answer and your audience.
Case: Hechinger Draft Storyline
Case: Hechinger Draft Storyline
The following example looks at the complete narrative for Hechinger.
It draws together evidence from the analysis phase into a synthesis of the findings and then tells the story: Hechinger needed to change its business model quickly to address the competitive threat of Home Depot.
The whole story is on a single page with the governing thought and call to action at the top.
Resolution – situation – observation.
Underneath are the three major arguments that underpin the governing thought.
Then underneath these are the supporting arguments and data that provide the proof for the need for action and the formula for change.
1
2
3
1 – Home Depot Advantage
2 – Sales and Operating Income
3 – Store Openings
Draft Storyline
1983 - 1988
Case: Oilco
Case: Oilco
Recommendation was for the refinery business to cut costs substantially and become a modest growth, niche operation.
Communicated via a revealed approach – did not lead with the resolution.
Case: Oilco
Using a decision tree final storyline structure, you can provide evidence for each yes/no branch in your tree, slowly working the decision maker toward your solution.
You reveal the answer, rather than leading with it.
Revealed compelling competitor data, layer by layer, so to get comfortable with difficult conclusions.
Conclusions
Conclusions
Synthesis brings together all the separate pieces of your analytic work in a way that highlights your insights.
Revisit your original problem definition and answer your decision maker’s question – what should I do? – in a compelling way that motivates action.
Use the logic tree pyramid structure to organise a compelling story.
The pyramid structure helps to structure arguments and support into a powerful story.
Your final one-day answer structure (leading with resolution, then situation and observation) can be used as the governing thought of your narrative.
Try several storyline structures to see which are most clear and compelling, such as a decision tree format to reveal the answer step-by-step.
