The Hidden Edge

At the end of a rather wet and windy Weymouth bank holiday weekend, the sun has come out just in time to put fingers to keyboard to type set this week’s Blog. 

As usual, I got diverted when I started reading this newsletter article in World Wide Words, to which I subscribe:  http://www.worldwidewords.org/nl/kfty.htm#N5

The content in this article took me back to Lynne Trusses book that I had been reading over the last May bank holiday Eats, Shoots and Leaves.  She eloquently describes punctuation as being the art of separating the parts of written composition so that the meaning can be readily understood. 

The value of sharp punctuation, in sales copy, cannot be over estimated.  It does not necessarily have to follow the grammatical rules.  Indeed, in advertising copy, quite often the position or exclusion of punctuation accentuates wit.

“A woman, without her man, is nothing. 

A woman: without her, man is nothing.” 

Another of the quotes I love from Lynne Trusses book; “punctuation points up – rather in the manner of musical notation – such literary qualities as rhythm, direction, pitch, tone and flow.”   

If you want your copy to be read in the way that you wish, then you must punctuate accordingly to let your sentences contain a pleasant rhythm. 

This is superbly illustrated by Dean Martin and Victor Borge? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7L02tCNi0I Enjoy!

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on “comments” then click on the RSS button to get notification when a new Blog is posted

According to Tori Amos; “You’ll never gain weight from a doughnut hole!  

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlycQ8N3lEE&mode=related&search= 

I think this is something that Charles Handy would not only smile at but probably concur. 

In his book, The Empty Raincoat (chapter 4 for those of you who don’t want to read the whole book) Handy suggests our lives can be likened to a doughnut.   

The circumference of your (ring) doughnut is only so big.  The more you stretch the doughnut hole with the duties you have (to be successful in business) the less doughnut there is left.  These may be self imposed duties or they maybe duties that have been mapped out for you by over zealous E-Myth http://www.e-myth.com/converts. 

Whichever the scenario the remaining outer rim of your doughnut is all the time you have for creativity in your business and other important but fun stuff in your life.   

This leads to a paradox and Handy is fond of those.  Your friends and family like you better when you are less successful; as you have more time to listen to them, appreciate them, and have fun with them.  The chances are that you, too, like your friends better, when they are not quite so successful, for the same reason. 

Interesting questions for the professional business start up.  What is success for you and does it impinge on your doughnut time or are you doing something you love so much that the your doughnut is just full of jam?

If you enjoy reading my Blogs; please click on comment below; then the RSS button to get notification whenever a new Blog is posted.

Last year I read a rather battered version of John Gray’s “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus”.

It landed in my lap at a time that couldn’t have been more significant. My husband and I had had a lengthy and somewhat heated argument over maps and the directions on how to get to the lovely Ligurian Coast in Italy, from Milan.   The actual argument lasted three days and the ongoing repercussions; three – six months, roughly!

The significant learning point is that we (men and women) do speak very different languages. What I say, and my husband hears, can be often miles apart. A bit like where we ended up and where we should have been!

On this occasion I thought I was asking him to stop and look at the map with me, to determine where we were, and to work out how to programme the Satellite Navigation System (the technophobe that I am).

What he heard was he had taken the wrong route and added an hour to our journey; that I didn’t trust him to take the right route later on. He heard that I was unhappy with him and therefore no longer loved him.

His subsequent response was that we were going in the right direction now and that there was no need to stop and check the map.  Of course what I heard was; what are you so upset for?  You are being irrational.   I know I am right and you are wrong so stop causing these arguments as I no longer love you.

I have, over the last six months, put some things that I learnt from this book into practice, with some reasonable results. However, there is no way I would ever be able to get my husband to read it, let alone adopt any of the communication tips that might motivate or encourage me, a woman.

Thankfully, it would appear that if only one person makes a change to the words that they use, there is still a knock on effect. If one person feels acknowledged and appreciated it makes them more likely to acknowledge and appreciate the other.

My questions for today are:

• Are there any men that have read this book? If you did; what positive (or negative) affirmations have you had?

• How many women have read this book without passing it on to their man, like me and if so why?

• How many of either sex can’t be bothered either way?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueUOTImKp0k

If you enjoy reading my Blogs; please click on the RSS button below to get notification whenever a new Blog is posted.

Published in 1990, this book is advertised as a completely different look on how to be successful.  Whilst Michael Beer’s The Joy of Winning is not exactly that different, he does write in English rather than American AND there are numerous references to, us, commoners.   

Anyone who started work in the 80s and basked in the ‘open wallet’ boom era will also recognise the subsequent bust era, within which this book was written.  There are some brilliant learning points and whilst others will, I am sure, get something else from it; these are my own. 

1. Know more about your business than most.  Then be unsatisfied (not dissatisfied) with that!
2. Do something with ideas that come to you or others.  Most will do nothing – what a waste of a good idea!
3. Expect to win and hate to lose; but recognise when you do lose; why that is and learn from it!
4. Know what your average is.  If you aim to beat the average you bring up your mean score!
5. You will do what you want to do; only when you want it badly enough.  Aim for that which you want badly!
6. Trust no one to help you when the chips are down, blame no one or no thing.  It is down to you to make things happen and you alone!
7. Walk tall always; and be recognised!
8. Agree with - don’t argue with others; you can’t win an argument! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS5TsJEbS7w  

Some of these points you may need to think about how they might work for you.  If you would like to explore or argue the points, please do.  I am happy to give you my personal take on them.

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on comments then click on the RSS button to get notification whenever a new Blog is posted.

One of the  most common mistakes I find when I am proof reading is the use of the plural verb in relation to a business entity.

A singual subject must have a singular verb and likewise in the plural.

For example “Business Solutions provide bespoke training for corporate organisations on excellent customer experiences”,  should read Business Solutions provides … Why?  Because there is only one Business Solutions - regardless of how many solutions and how many people work for this company.

This leads to the other common gramatical problem.  A significant number of companies describe what they do!  Of course, a company is a single entity and the reference should therefore be what it (the company) does. 

Indeed when referring to what the staff do, the words should actually refer to what the staff does as staff is singular! 

Website copy is always the worst!  Do check yours and let me know if you have fallen foul of any of these common gramatical mistakes?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3vHN1Aadck

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

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on comments then click on the RSS button to get notification when a new Blog is posted.

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

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on comments then click on the RSS button to get notification when a new Blog is posted.

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?

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on comments then click on the RSS button to get notification when a new Blog is posted.

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/

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on comments then click on the RSS button to get notification when a new Blog is posted.

This is a different sort of Blog today, not as upbeat as I usually like to be; but today has been hard. 

Please click on this and get in the mood with me first http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ujEpNq36Ok

Today, an associate of mine Robert Pascall gave the most brilliant eulogy of his young wife who died suddenly of a massive brain haemorrhage.

Whilst touching, it was spiced throughout with his take on her wicked sense of humour.  So much so, that when we gathered outside after the service and sleet prevailed you could just imagine her chuckling and touching up her hair.

How right it is to say goodbye! 

Today, I also said goodbye to many colleagues after a significant cull from the organisation.  This was done on mass at a gathering in a pub in Poole. 

There were no cards, no collection or presentations.  Not only have they been separated, not from choice, from people they had gotten to know for any number of years, but there was no individual or personal recognition of their departure; just a group beer.  

I will never let that happen again. 

I realised today how the written word is so powerful.  ‘I am sorry that you are leaving’ or ‘how wonderful you have another job’ or ‘good luck with your new venture’, lasts so much longer in print than it ever does over a few pints of beer.   Adding a poignant memory of something that you have shared with them would make the written gesture even more special. 

I hope that my special colleagues (and they will know who they are) will forgive me for not taking the time out to express in writing why I will miss them so much.

This Blog is for them and for Robert, Samuel and Benjamin for teaching me such a powerful lesson today. 

And for Sherry who gave them all something really special to remember her by.  As an organ donor she has made better eight other lives. 

WOW!

If you enjoy reading my Blogs please do click on comments then click on the RSS button to get notification when a new Blog is posted.