The key take-aways from the Pyramid Principle at McKinsey were:

1. Start with the answer first
2. Group and summarize your supporting arguments
3. Logically order your supporting ideas

Ways of logically ordering ideas that belong in the same group

• Time order: if there is a sequence of events that form a cause-effect relationship, you should present the ideas in time order.
• Structural order: break a singular thought into its parts, ensuring that you have covered all of the major supporting ideas.
• Degree order: present supporting ideas in rank order of importance, most to least important.

Another Article

http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2010/07/13/the-benefits-of-top-down-thinking-why-it-is-critical-to-entrepreneurs/