Give an Update using the Temple Structure
Your Task:
Prepare an update with a lot of information following the Temple Structure.
The Temple Structure
How do you give your audience the right overview of your information and avoid the trap of descending into all the details that are on your mind?
The answer is to categorize your information with a headline and 3 opening questions.
The “Temple Structure” can help you do that:
It’s visualised by a greek temple with three columns. The temple has:
A top this is your opening title and opening questions, then there are the
Three columns, which represent the opening questions and your answers -
At the bottom is the base, which are the benefits.
THE STRUCTure
Top: TITLE and Opening Questions
Opening Question 1: Repeat your question 1 and use a list structure to answer it. End your update in this category by repeating the opening question 1 and sum up the answer using one word for each list item.
Opening Question 2: Repeat your question 2 and use a list structure to answer it. End your update in this category by repeating the opening question 2 and sum up the answer using one word for each list item.
Opening Question 3: Repeat your question 3 and use a list structure to answer it. End your update in this category by repeating the opening question 3 and sum up the answer using one word for each list item.
BENEFITS: End your status update by repeating your headline and add the benefits.
EXAMPLE
Title and Opening Questions:
Status of Project X, that is what we’re going to talk about today.
At the end of my presentation you will know:
What are the most important results we have gotten so far?
Which challenges are we facing right now?
How are we approaching them?
Opening Question 1:
“What are the most important results?”
“There are two results that are very important”
“The first important result is X
The second important result is Y.
“So, What are the most important results? (Pause) X and Y.”
Repeat THIS structure for Opening Question 2 + 3.
Benefits:
”With these important updates on project X, we believe that we are taking giant steps towards a strong, stable system“
