What exactly is top-down communication when it comes to structuring? Is it saying 'There are 4 areas I want to look at : A, B, C and D. Within A, there are 3 things. Firstly X, Secondly Y, Thirdly Z.."? Is mentioning the number of areas (4, 3 etc..) and then saying firstly, secondly as you go through each item in the area, what makes it top-down?
Are there other ways to communicate a structure top-down for the purposes of the interview?
Hey there,
It depends a bit on the context. Generally, I very much like your approach!
Let's provide some context:
For a structure question
Top-down means that you go from the more general and abstract ideas to the more concrete and tailored ideas that are relevant to answer the initial question. By using numbers and signposting the way you do, you make it easy for the interviewer to follow, intervene or ask follow-up questions.
For a recommendation, implication, hypothesis, etc
Top-down means that you would start with your key point first, then provide supporting arguments.
Generally, consulting communication is mostly top-down, especially on the level with senior executives. When collaborating with clients on less executive levels, consultants sometimes switch to a bottom-up approach, first explaining their logic and rationale, then providing their insights, request, etc. The latter, however, is not relevant for case interviews.
Cheers,
Florian
Almost. It's not about saying the number. It's about:
So it is not about saying the number of components / factors, but about mentioning those factors altogether before explaining them one by one.
Yes! That's exactly right!
Just be careful to not be too generic/repetitive with the “firstly, secondly, thirdly” :)
Also, make sure you're really clear about which bucket you're in and when you transition. I find that gesticulating with your hands in parallel to verbally indicating transitions is the most clear!
Hi there,
This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:
In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best communicated any type of initial structure, please feel free to contact me directly.
I hope this helps,
Hagen
Hi!
Top-down communication is about explaining your logic at a high level and then iteratively deep dive into the subconcepts.
This is also known as the Pyramid Principle, which is a nice book if you want to further explore this topic.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Anto
