Instructor: Welcome to this lecture where we are going to
explain the MECE principle.
MECE is there to divide complex topics
into simpler and more logical groups for easy understanding.
To put it in very simple terms,
it is a way of organizing information.
Let's look at the name itself, M-E-C-E,
Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive.
Let's work with the first one,
mutually exclusive means that topics
don't repeat or overlap each other,
they need to be really neatly defined,
like if you have, for example
something about physical activity per age group,
now you are doing three groups, zero to 24 years,
18 to 60 years and 60 years and above,
what do you think is this mutually exclusive
or is there any overlap?
Of course, there is an overlap
with the first two age groups,
I couldn't really divide age groups
and overlap 0-24 and 18-60,
it should be more like zero to 18, 18 to 60 and 60 plus,
this would be now mutually exclusive.
The second part is collectively exhaustive,
this essentially means that some of all your little groups
need to paint the full picture of a given topic.
Here, if we go again to the physical activity
in specific age groups, I have 0-18, 18-60 and 60-65
but what, people above 65 do not train anymore,
do not walk anymore.
If I want to be collectively,
meaning all those groups need to paint the whole picture,
I should do it more like 0-18, 18-60, 60-65 and 65 plus,
now I am painting the entire picture.
The MECE principle did help me to divide age groups
into separate groups that are not overlapping each other
but are painting together the entire picture.
Let me show you a graphical explanation.