Big Picture - Little Parts

I want to explain something to a client without sounding like I am speaking in tongues, and in the clearest, most basic way possible. I want to help this client adopt my perspective on the situation at hand. How do I structure my description in a way that will paint a picture for them without "dumbing-down" the information?

I call it Microscoping the Idea: I explain the information in a general sense, break it down to explain all of the details, and then build those details back together into the big idea. In theory, I put the general information under a microscope, and then zoom out again. This allows my audience to explore all of the pieces that compose the big idea, become intimately familiar with them, and understand the idea's fundamentals.

For my own preparation, I need to establish perspective about the topic before I can break it down for the client. I will try to take a step back, and develop the overall goal or purpose. Rather than focusing on the parts, I will paint the bigger picture first. Consider the above Lego(R) sculpture by artist Nathan Sawaya. In order to design the piece, he needed to first envision the finished body, scale and proportion.

Then, I look at the building blocks - the pieces or steps that will make up the big idea. The Lego bricks, if you will. Allow me to use an example: I would like to train someone on how to use new software. Rather than launching immediately into how to use the functions, I start with why we chose this particular software. I explain how the software will help our productivity, and what it has to offer us that is different than our previous process. Only then can I begin to talk through how to use the tool, but here again, I begin with the main menu; what each button means on the menu, and how these are useful. Then, one by one, we dive deeper into each function/button until we get to the actual data entry. Zoom out to the main menu again, and then into another function and so on.

Now that you know the detail of my method, let's zoom out and look at the theory as a whole again. The idea is to systematically break down your concept, separate it into individual pieces, categorize and explore the pieces, and then build the concept back up. The client's new understanding on a fundamental level allows her to better use the concept as a tool, fight for it, and believe in it. That is what you are after when explaining yourself; you're convincing your listener that your idea is a success.

| Photo credit: The Brick Artist(TM) |