We spend the amount of time expressing ourselves and very little time communicating effectively.
Expression is the foundation of communication, but it is also the biggest obstacle to communication.
How to improve the quality of our expression, this framework will be really helpful.
What is the SCQA Framework?
Developed by Barbara Minto, a former McKinsey & Company consultant, the SCQA has become one of the most famous communication frameworks for structuring your message in a resonating way. It is particularly helpful in converting complex information into a simple and understandable format.
SCQA is an acronym that stands for Situation, Complication, Question, and Answer.
Situation
Describe the context or background of the issue, states facts or realities that everyone (especially your target audience familiar with.
It sets the stage by providing relevant information about the current state of affairs.
Complication
Identify any challenges, problems, or issues arising from the situation.
Conflicts are somehow much better since people are more interested in the open clash. Sometimes the complication is not obvious so you have to dig it out and put it in front of the people.
This is the key part so please make sure you’ve captured the audience’s attention before moving to the next.
Question
Ask the question how the hurdles of the Complication in the previous step can be overcome.
How can prevent the threat or seize the opportunity?
The ideal state would be, the listeners have the same doubts or questions as you, and they will be more connected and engaged to the solutions you are going to give next.
Answer
Provide the answers or solutions to the questions based on your analysis.
This is the final stage of the SCQA framework but could be the beginning of the problem-solving, regardless of the result, you should have successfully set up the perception to everyone. It sounds easy but hard to achieve, right?
Why do answers come later? The situations and complications built a holistic storyboard and people prefer listening to stories to principles, listening to a tiny story is always more enjoyable and engaging than a brilliant truth.
When to Use SCQA
We cannot simply use the SCQA for all kinds of communication.
This framework is more suitable for one-way expression or independent statements, chasing for recognition and understanding.
If it is a two-way communication, like negotiation and debate (efficiency and results are the key), you can directly jump to the answer by using Pyramid Principle framework (another methodology developed by Barbara Minto as well).
Variations of SCQA
The beauty of the SCQA framework is, you can re-organize the sequence to serve different purposes. There are 3 variations:
- ASC: Straight to the point (answer goes first)
- CSA: Highlight concerns to raise anxiety
- QSCA: Question then followed by answer, to show your confidence
It’s not good to have too many variations on your mind, you will get lost. It’s better to just go with the default.
Example in Action
When asked if the company needs a marketing plan, you could structure your response using SCQA:
- Situation: Provide context about the current state of the company and its marketing efforts.
- “Currently, our company has been experiencing stagnant sales growth despite having quality products/services. Our market share has remained relatively unchanged, and we’re facing increased competition from new entrants in the industry.”
- Complication: Highlight the challenges or issues that make the decision complex.
- “However, our current marketing strategies seem to be lacking effectiveness in reaching our target audience. We’re struggling to differentiate ourselves from competitors, and customer engagement levels are not as high as we’d like. Additionally, there’s uncertainty about how changes in consumer behavior and market trends are impacting our business.”
- Question: Pose the central question that needs to be answered.
- “Given these challenges and uncertainties, the question arises: Do we need to conduct a marketing plan to address these issues and drive growth?”
- Answer: Provide a clear response to the question based on analysis and reasoning.
- “Yes, conducting a comprehensive marketing plan is necessary to overcome our current challenges and drive sustainable growth. By developing a well-defined marketing strategy, we can better understand our target audience, differentiate our offerings, and effectively communicate our value proposition. A marketing plan will enable us to align our marketing efforts with our business objectives, allocate resources efficiently, and measure the success of our initiatives.”
Takeaway
- Presentation, report, email, or value proposition, using SCQA can make the message more attractive to the reader and result in a favorable outcome.
- Be concise. Keep your statement simple and clear. Make sure each part hits the point directly.
- Avoid using jargon.
- Storytelling is the key. People prefer stories to logic.
