The Hidden Edge

Prelude to the Blog:  This week has been a one of real highs and real lows. I was at a loss to know what to write about this week for fear of belittling the lows, with my usually up beat musings.  Yet not really wishing to dwell on them. 

So I was surfing around on Google for a while when I found the top ten words that had been looked up in the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary for 2006.  I decided to create a Blog around them.    See if you can pick out the top ten words?  

And whilst you do, have a listen to this.  It’s great classic from the 80s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef1AAhxjueg

The Cold War at Work can relate to a period of conflict, tension and negative competition between opposing factions in the work place.   The analogy is played out by two superpowers, often previously allies, in multiple arenas.  Coalitions are usually formed which quite often lead to a quagmire for all those involved in the organisation.

The resulting corruption of the underpinning values that the organization purports to support, weakens the leadership.  The subsequent insurgent actions of either party at any given time, erodes confidence in the management.   This is because regardless of political correctness, vendettas and systematic use of shock (terrorism) is used as a means of coercion in the fight to be right.  Unfortunately this state of hostility spills over in the workplace as each tries to substantiate his or her ‘sectarian’ truthiness.   

The cold war will only draw to a close when either a decider leaves the arena or détente
is sought by both sides.

Thanks to Google and Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary for this weeks Blog.   So ….. how many of the top ten word did you pick out - be honest now?   To find out go to http://www.m-w.com/info/06words.htm

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In his fascinating article Steve Mckee describes how the following five words Quality, Value, Service, Caring and Integrity should never be used in an advertisement about your business and why. www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2006/sb20060607_197154.htm 

This reminded me of a small group coaching session by Jennie Bayliss of Red Dandelion http://www.reddandelion.co.uk/   She asked us to visualise our business as a vehicle.  As she went round the room asking for feedback; the answers were all the same (brand name excepting).  The vehicles were all top of the range, quality motors.  Why because they were top notch quality yet good value for money, great service, with excellent after sales care etc etc you get the picture? There was one exception.  This delegate described her vehicle as a bus.   

Woah!  Attention grabbing moment!   

“My business is one that people can get on and off at whatever point in their business development journey they like.  Every bus has a destination; the one that I am driving might not be going in the direction you want to be heading in right now.  So like any good bus driver, I can tell you the number of the bus that you do want to take. 

The great thing about my bus is that it is on one of the most popular routes.  So there are plenty of like minded business people taking the journey together with me.  However, if you do get on my bus by mistake you can quite easily jump off at the first stop and get on another which is heading to a more appropriate direction.” 

The message is clear; when you are promoting your business, think about the words you are using, as the ones you do use need to differentiate you from the crowd. 

What messages is this lady giving about her business? 

And finally, I just had to find something appropriate and here it is from you tube for this week!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeeOPR8bxac

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This Blog is further to an earlier one http://thehiddenedge.blogwessex.com/2007/03/30/its-time-for-saying-goodbye/ where I mentioned how important it was to say goodbye properly! This one is based on a simple thank you!

My husband often says ‘you are the best!’ Ok that’s kinda nice but the best at what?

Washing his socks? Ironing his shirts? Making the bed? Cooking tea?

Or is it something else much more important that that? Who knows, only him! Come to think of it - how does he know?

When you are saying thank you or well done! Do make sure that the recipient knows why you are saying it. Even though you might think it is obvious, the receiver may not. The power behind the substantiating words is so much more than the two preceding ones.

Think about it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf-VSVqXgzU

• When has someone said to you “well done for …”

• “You are the best because …”

• “Thank you for …”  How special did it make you feel?

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Last weekend, challenged by my Blog master to go Blog elsewhere, I, in a roundabout way, found myself on Friends Reunited.  http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk..

It has been six years since I first registered. I was amazed at the upgrades.  In addition to finding an old colleague that I had lost touch with for 10 years, (we have emailed twice now) I found a couple of secondary school friends, added two names to the “do you know this person” list, emailed a girl who I don’t know but who lived in the same flat as I in the same year, in Worthing, and learnt how to upload photographs.

However, here I am at the point to this Blog! In the profile FR asks you to list your top twenty words.

 Well, being a wordsmith I got stuck in - and then I thought how common and superficial they were so scrubbed them out.

I have listed another top twenty here to get your view point.

My top twenty words: 

1.    Surreptitious

2.    Elf

3.    Panegyric

4.    Martians

5.    Sea

6.    Geldolf

7.    Soup

8.    Cummonangetaff

9.    Play

10. Jigsaw

11.  Study

12.  Action

13.  Share

14.  Values

15.  Tap 

16.  Zapp! 

17.  Herb 

18. Bowie 

19.  Snow 

20.  Farce

These are all words that stimulate my creative thinking.   A process that I have to work at big time! Tell me what are your top ten (twenty I have decided is too many)  and why?  Whilst you consider these and your own key words here’s a little light entertainment!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-TwjbHn-JA&mode=related&search= =

PS you will be pleased to know that despite the bizzarre and longish words in this list the readability stats is 84% and the reading ease is 5.  http://thehiddenedge.blogwessex.com/2007/03/01/keep-it-simple-stupid/

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