Narratives¶
Writing narratives has proven to be tool that drives positive business outcomes. It includes 2 parts the narrative and the appendices (documents to support the narratives).
Narratives part is to define, describe the details of a strategy, a problem, the solution or initiative. They are part o the decision making process at Amazon.
when to use it:
- to present a project / problem and action plan
- sharing an idea for sign-off
- Dive deep into a topic
The purpose is to clarify your thinking and inform others. Or to ask for support or funding. Decide whether to prioritize / take action on a problem. Manage action items. Documenting for posterity.
Two formats: one pagers or 6 pagers. Make as short as possible and as long as necessary. Reader spent 5 minutes per page.
- one pagers: this is a brief narrative to communicate high-level goals, tenets, and design of a project. Be very crisp about the value of a project. Reader understand the project, evaluate its benefits and risks and makes high-level decisions
- six pagers: 6 pages but unlimited appendices. Be concise and actionable. Includes group or project tenets, Document accurate information in order to make good decisions.
Address
- Why reader should care about this doc?
- What does reader need to know to make decision?
- Why should reader already know and not know?
Narratives tell a story.
Purpose¶
What is the objective of your document? What is the "bottom line"? What do you want from the reader?
Executive summary is a more extensive version of the purpose or objective. ( may be found in 6-pagers)
Background context¶
The length depends of what the audience already knows. Senior leaders need more context.
Look at:
- How closer the reader to your customer? Do they know your customer as well as you do?
- What background information do they need to know to understand the problem and want to support your solutions?
- How familiar is your team and its charter to your reader?
Get details about what the current process is, or what the team is doing, vision, mission and goals. Give performance year to date with goals status.
Problem and opportunity¶
We need to spend a lot of time understanding what the customer problem is.
Be sure to tell the reader why they should care. If they do not believe there is a problem, you're going to struggle to sell your recommendations.
- Define who is the customer
- What problems customer is facing
- The impact the problem is having
- The cause of the problem
- Describe why the process needs to change.
- List the problems identified and how they are impacting customers now, and how they will continue to impact customers if not resolved.
- Use Data to quantify the problem.
Recommendations and strategy¶
Think Big and invent and simplify. Do your best to brainstorm ideas, measuring how well they solve the problem and making some form of recommendations.
Be sure to include what will be implemented, what would be the predicted output, what long term change, outcome will happen.
Recommendations will vary depending on the complexity of the problem and the availability of the resources to solve problems.
Give multiple solutions and make a recommendation for which would work best and why. Includes the recommendations disregarded and reasons why.
For each problem outline the recommendation with pros and cons.
During narrative review, keep the discussion on the recommendations, decide together on which would work best. This meeting may not reach conclusion so define items and owner.
Next steps¶
Outline what the next steps are for implementing the recommendation and requests for support. List actions to be taken by whom. List any conflicting dates or events which impact implementation. Define how success will be measured and tracked. List any blockers to remove.
Conclusion¶
Similar to the executive summary. What is expected of the reader now they've read the doc. Approval, advice, alignment...
- A summary of the problem
- A summary of the recommendation(s)
- A summary of the next steps
Appendices¶
- list what supporting data, visuals, to support statement done in the narrative
- predict some hard questions from the reader.
- FAQs are useful when proposing controversial recommendation.
- Put them in the order, they are referred to in the main document