5 Simple Structures to Explain Anything More Effectively

1. Problem-Solution-Result.

• useful when giving examples of how a problem or challenge was solved.

• It starts off by describing the problem, what solution was implemented and what results were achieved.

• Used to explain Opportunity-Solution-Benefit when attempting to influence an audience to take a particular action.

2. STAR framework.

• an effective model to use during interviews when asked to give specific examples. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result.

• It starts off by describing what the situation was, what tasks were required to be done, what actions were taken and what results were achieved after taking those actions.

3. What – So What – Now What?

• Be used to define what a situation is, why it’s important (so what) and what needs to be done next to either resolve the situation or move it forward if the situation is a project.

• An alternative model is Who – What – Now What?, where instead of describing a situation, we can explain who a situation is relevant to or who was involved in a situation.

4. Why – What – How – What If?

• Takes into account the learning preferences of most people.

• Starts off with explaining why a concept or idea is important, what are some relevant information or statistics, what steps need to be taken (how) and the potential benefits of taking those steps and also the potential consequences of not taking those steps.

5. Customer – Problem – Plan – Success.

• Can be used when promoting a product or service.

• Starts off by defining who the customer is or who the ideal person is for what we’re offering, what problems they’re experiencing that we can help solve, sharing a specific plan for how we can help them, and what their life will look like after they’ve used our product or service.

Things to Remember When Explaining Something

1. Be conscious of your non-verbal signals.

2. Confirm understanding by asking clarifying questions.

3. Repeat something if it needs to be repeated.