The 3-30-3-30 rule

(This is one of a series of posts I wrote in work so have less of the equestrian side in them.)

I was trying to find a reference to the concept of the "30 second" rule as a test for vision and strategy concepts. The idea is that if you can't express it clearly and concisely in 30 seconds, then you need to do more work to refine the concept.

And in checking references for that, I came across an extended version -the 3-30-3-30 rule

Translating that into more local terms:

Three seconds: a headline that grabs the audience attention. Not the ordinary title people use for their site documents, but instead actually thinking clearly about what’s in it for the audience. In other words, how you would quickly describe the document to someone if you were in the lift between floors.

Thirty seconds: A very simple overview of the issue, its background and the position of your organization. Very short, if possible keep to 3 or 4 paragraphs.

Three minutes: A one-page policy brief that overviews the issue in slightly more detail. Think of this as the one-pager the author will print and hand to the stakeholders and/or decision makers.

Thirty minutes: The deeper detail providing everything the team need to be fully informed on the issue. This includes providing document referneces and links to additional resources to help provide a full picture of the issue.

Plagiarism is just another word for sharing best practice