Wooden's pyramid: Building a hierarchy of skills for successful communication

Background: John Wooden, the legendary college basketball coach, created the "Pyramid of Success", which he constructed from 14 timeless character traits and interpersonal skills that are critical to competitive greatness. Wooden's pyramid is a powerful symbol that he and others have used for several decades as an educational tool to promote leadership and teamwork. Aim: This article proposes the "Pyramid of Relational Excellence (PRE)", patterned after Wooden's pyramid, as a mnemonic-based educational symbol for communication skills training. Method: Literature review, personal reflection. Results: The PRE is constructed of four tiers with a total of 12 building blocks, with each successive tier built upon the one beneath it. The building blocks represent fundamental elements that are known to be critical to successful communication. Conclusions: The PRE is process oriented rather than task oriented and focuses exclusively on the face-to-face encounter. It therefore complements established communications curricula, such as the UK communication wheel and others, which are more comprehensive and task oriented. The PRE is constructed of timeless, fundamental principles. It is therefore particularly well suited for training medical students and residents.