What is the MECE Principle? Understanding Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive - StrategyU … Using MECE as our guide, we take the list and try to create mutually exclusive groups. We might end up with the following three groups:
- Bakery Items: Bread, Muffin, Bagel
- Frozen Food: Popsicles, Ice Cream, Fish Sticks
- Fresh Fruit: Strawberry, Banana, Grapes
Within the context of our list, the three groups we identified are distinctly different and separate. They are mutually exclusive. Additionally, our grouping covers all nine items in the original list, so the grouping is “collectively exhaustive” as well.
This grouping is called synthesis – taking detailed information and summarizing it into a higher-level category.
What is the point of doing all of this anyway? Why not just keep the list of nine items?
The answer is that the information will be much more memorable and persuasive to the audience you communicate your message to. Remembering three things is easier than nine. …