Be Brave Not Safe

In response to a recent post, someone pointed out to me that a common Facebook friend of ours had grossly misused the word “to.”

Oh, my heavens 🙂

I had seen it “too” but hadn’t yet addressed the matter. I could, however, sense a blog post coming on…

Normally, I would have simply let it go. However, it was a Facebook post intended to promote awareness of this person’s profession, with the goal of attracting would-be clients.

So, it really does matter! That is, if this person wishes to be viewed as a professional vs. an amateur.

Prior to going into this, I’ll admit that I’m not above committing grammatical abominations myself 🙂

There are likely several in this very article…In fact, there have been a few occasions when readers of this blog courteously pointed out my infractions, to which I dutifully made corrections. Thank you for this!

Many years ago, when I was still enslaved (I mean employed) by Corporate America, I commented to my wife that [this woman who worked for me] had again sent me an email correcting a number of grammatical mistakes that I had made in a business document.

My wife responded: Doesn’t that bother you?

To which I answered with an emphatic: NO – She makes me look good!

After I left Corporate America to launch my business, I engaged this same person as editor for the newsletter articles I had been publishing to promote my business, to make sure we looked good.

It is in the spirit of helping others project a professional image (and look good) that I thought I’d, well, hammer on this a little 🙂

First, let’s be clear. At the end of the day, whether we use “to” or “too”, it is not hard for the reader to figure out what we are truly intending to communicate. However, there are many, MANY among us who will, very quickly, dismiss us as an amateur, unfit to engage with, due to improper grammar.

Like it, believe it, or not. It is real – very real.

And, if you intend to project yourself as a professional, this matters!

Now, let’s do a short lesson, because there are so many 2’s to consider (some may say too many 🙂 ):

• Too
  • Definition: a higher degree; in addition; also
  • Examples: Too many; Too far

• To
  • Definition: expressing motion in the direction of; identifying the person or thing affected
  • Examples: To go forth; To see

• Two
  • Definition: equivalent to the sum of one and one; one less than three; 2.
  • Examples: Two Strikes; Two Turtledoves
  • Note: I know people don’t have trouble with this form of 2, silly. Just threw it in for fun!

If you (like me) would like to continuously improve your grammar a highly recommended reading is: Woe Is I, which can be acquired at Amazon.com by clicking on the image below.

Remember, if you wish to be viewed as a professional THIS MATTERS!

That’s about all the talk of grammar that I can stomach today. I need to catch some waves here at Hampton Beach and body surf to shore, on this beautiful Thursday morning 🙂

All the best!

Have you ever heard the phrase “Who’s got the Monkey?” as a principle in business related to time management?

The Harvard Business Review published an article on this topic, many years ago, which it boasts as one of its two most popular reprints ever. You can view this VERY GOOD article by clicking here.

In a nutshell, it discusses the topic of ownership of tasks or issues, and how/where that ownership should be placed, as relates to time management.

Let’s take this concept to a very generic place, which can also apply to our personal lives.

Each one of us is a customer as well as a service-provider to someone else.

Another, much better way of saying this is: we are in an endless number of reciprocal (a.k.a. give and take) relationships. This includes, with our: spouse, siblings, parents, children, neighbors, fellow church goers, co-workers in the company in which we are employed as well as customers or vendors of that same company.

Bottom-line: Never make the “customer”, in a given scenario, chase you for something that is YOUR responsibility. Said another way, keep that monkey (the issue or task) on your back until and/or unless the other person can do something for, or with you, to close it out.

Example: If I were to send an email asking someone to do something for me, there are really “up to” 3 expected responses:

1. A confirmation that the thing being asked can or cannot be done (at all, or in the timeframe requested).
2. Any questions needing to be answered to clarify the request (if applicable).
3. A confirmation that it was done!

We ALL receive requests for our time. We must acknowledge, however, that simply responding to that person to tell them we’ll get to it “as requested” isn’t enough. Far from it!

Because, if we don’t subsequently follow-up to let the requestor know that it was done, then as far as the requestor is concerned – IT IS NOT DONE. They then must follow-up with us to find out the status, if it is not obviously clear. And/or to make sure that what “might be” obviously clear, is clearly completed or if it still remains in progress.

In this example, we have:

• Placed the monkey, which we own, on the back of the other person – where it does NOT belong.
• Wasted their time – It doesn’t matter if it was merely seconds, minutes or hours.
• Created for ourselves an image of an amateur, in the eyes of our “customer.”

I HATE monkeys on my back, when they are not mine! I mean, why should I care for and feed someone else’s pet?

Another example: I was commenting to one of my son’s about the situation being experienced with the service provider mentioned in the prior post (Email and the use of Crayons)…I had been receiving a bunch of emails that were literally meaningless: I couldn’t tell if I had to do something, what to expect, when and if the problem was EVER going to be solved. And, I was repeatedly asked the same question which I had already answered.

I said to my son: I REALLY only want them to tell me the problem is resolved – NOW! I should NOT have to chase them for resolution or crisp, clear updates.

Oh, how close they came to losing my business 🙂

In closing, do you want to be viewed as a highly competent professional, in all things?

We, the person responsible for fulfilling requests of our “customer”, must maintain full ownership of all aspects of the request (communications, etc.) to ensure complete, clear and accurate understanding of status, through closure.

Thus, instilling confidence in others that we can be counted on.

Anything less and we are viewed as an amateur, who is treated (and paid) accordingly.

All the best!

How many times have you received an email that looked like the author had written it with a bunch of old, busted-up crayons?

Worse yet, have you written any?

• The entire message is in lower or UPPER case.
• There is no sentence or paragraph structure. Just a bunch of run-on words and statements separated by commas and/or dashes.
• The text is cryptic and difficult to understand – by the recipient.
• Bottom-line: The recipient ends up wondering: What in the world is this person trying to say to me?

I’ve recently been corresponding via email with a service provider, to my business, who demonstrates ALL of the above. Very unprofessional! And, it directly contributes to my lack of confidence in the services provided.

What could have been accomplished in a couple of back and forth messages, in a matter of minutes, has strung out to days. Admittedly, I wasn’t paying the appropriate amount of attention, being distracted with our recent adventure to Moosehead Lake, in Maine.

Finally, when I had the chance, I picked up the phone and called in response to the most recent email message to ensure we closed-out the dialog and made some forward progress.

I shan’t (again) cover the art of good e-mail communications, as a prior post provides that (click here to view).

I know, I know…Some will say: I just don’t have the time to polish my emails. I only have time to say what I need to say, and move on.

Really?!?

To that I’d ask 2 questions:

1. What about the wasted time spent going back and forth resulting from the NUMEROUS miscommunications and (quite often) related drama that ensues.
2. Do you want to be viewed as a professional, or an amateur? The reality is: we are treated (and paid) accordingly. Make your choice.

In closing, emails and crayons simply don’t mix. Please stop 🙂