Let’s say your manager has assigned you to a task to help solve an internal problem the company has been facing. You’ve been able to structure the problem and gather data. Now it’s time to use that data and convert it into meaningful information in order for you to present your case to your manager. How do you do that?

I came across some good tips on different ways to analyze information and create logical thinking to build your case. As we all know, the most basic logical structure is the conditional statement (“If you leave the European market, then sales will go down.”). Here are a few tips that might be helpful when constructing the way you want to communicate your message:

1. Converse statement: Just like the conditional statement, but reversed (conclusion, then premise). “If sales go down, then it was because you left the European market.”

2. Inverse statement: Original premise and original conclusion, but both are negated. “If you don’t leave the European market, sales will not go down.”

3. Necessary condition: A condition that must be met for a certain result to be achieved. “In order for sales not to go down, you cannot leave the European market. Therefore, entering the European market is necessary to prevent sales from going down.”

Although each statement nearly says the same thing, the message that is received from your manager can be very different. Think of it like the difference between the messages you’re trying to convey of “We need to enter this new market in order to drive sales” versus “If we don’t enter this new market, we will lose out on sales.” The latter creates the notion for a call to action for your manager, the former is merely a suggestion.

For more tips to sharpen your logical thinking, you can visit this link: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10-things/10-tips-for-sharpening-your-logical-thinking/.