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The following is a real-life example of how Bizcom makes communication more efficient.
Normalcom:
"Hi ***, I have written in my diary that we're supposed to hang out tomorrow night but unfortunately I can't make it..." This is 20 words, not including the greeting.
Bizcom:
"Hi ***, unfortunately can't make tomorrow even though it's in my diary..."
There it is. 10 words w/o greeting. That's 50% fewer words, also much easier to follow.
Notice the most important part, or conclusion, is the 'can't make it tomorrow' bit... the other stuff merely supports this. In bizcom, the conclusion comes FIRST, and the supporting stuff comes after.
Though you are still mastering this idea, it has helped you become a better communicator in the last few months. Or, more appropriately, this idea is helping you become a better communicator even while you are mastering it. (25% fewer words)
Pretty exciting. This Bizcom thing is quite possibly the most important idea you have stumbled upon while at MBS.
^_^
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
On Communication
So today was a good day for many reasons. But one was that you had a chance to talk to a top-tier Singapore consultant guy.
Seemed like a good idea, information never hurt anyone and would be important for your job as Consulting Club President. Turns out, he is a partner in his top tier firm. This was not really what you expected, it could have been bad or good… high risk is high reward, and you have never been one to turn away from any of this. But you had to call him; common courtesy says if you set up a phone chat, you should follow through with it, partner or no partner.
Anyway, you wrote some questions down… but unlike earlier in the year when you were meeting consultants and never had enough time for your questions, here you got answers to all of your questions in under 20 minutes. Here, your information was good, there, your information was good…
But here, you literally shaved off one hour of a partner’s time. How much billable money did you save the firm? Thousands? A strange world we live in where time is so expensive.
Anyway, you were able to do this because you learned something recently. About Business Communication (Bizcom). Bizcom is not Blogcom, or even Toastmasterscom. Bizcom is so different that you have not been able to write a blog for more than a month… BlogCom now seems inefficient and rambly. By improving your Bizcom, you’ve been able to become better at class discussions, more efficient and effective. But your blog now strikes you as odd. Too many words, not enough said. Entertainment, perhaps, but wordy entertainment.
So what is Bizcom? A fair question, certainly.
Bizcom is… starting with the conclusion, then backing it up with data. This is the reverse of how most people, including you, tend to think.
In other words,“story story story CONCLUSION”
Should be written as
“CONCLUSION story story story”
In your e-mails, writing in this form literally cuts down your volume by 50%. In your thoughts, it helps communicate points more succinctly.
Quite unlike Blogcom. But if BlogCom were Bizcom, it would be much more efficient and much less wordy. Just like you are becoming.
^_^
Seemed like a good idea, information never hurt anyone and would be important for your job as Consulting Club President. Turns out, he is a partner in his top tier firm. This was not really what you expected, it could have been bad or good… high risk is high reward, and you have never been one to turn away from any of this. But you had to call him; common courtesy says if you set up a phone chat, you should follow through with it, partner or no partner.
Anyway, you wrote some questions down… but unlike earlier in the year when you were meeting consultants and never had enough time for your questions, here you got answers to all of your questions in under 20 minutes. Here, your information was good, there, your information was good…
But here, you literally shaved off one hour of a partner’s time. How much billable money did you save the firm? Thousands? A strange world we live in where time is so expensive.
Anyway, you were able to do this because you learned something recently. About Business Communication (Bizcom). Bizcom is not Blogcom, or even Toastmasterscom. Bizcom is so different that you have not been able to write a blog for more than a month… BlogCom now seems inefficient and rambly. By improving your Bizcom, you’ve been able to become better at class discussions, more efficient and effective. But your blog now strikes you as odd. Too many words, not enough said. Entertainment, perhaps, but wordy entertainment.
So what is Bizcom? A fair question, certainly.
Bizcom is… starting with the conclusion, then backing it up with data. This is the reverse of how most people, including you, tend to think.
In other words,“story story story CONCLUSION”
Should be written as
“CONCLUSION story story story”
In your e-mails, writing in this form literally cuts down your volume by 50%. In your thoughts, it helps communicate points more succinctly.
Quite unlike Blogcom. But if BlogCom were Bizcom, it would be much more efficient and much less wordy. Just like you are becoming.
^_^
Thursday, October 8, 2009
happy birthday...?
Happy birthday!
You missed it. It was last week, or maybe the week before. Things are pretty intense if you missed your own birthday.
Luckily, Melbourne has been good to you in terms of birthdays; if you do end up moving out of Oz, you will remember that, always. Last year, your friend Vrinda put on a complete surprise party; she actually planned it for the night before, and celebrated just after midnight. You were shocked in a fantastic way; it was one of those memories you will remember forever, and it was a very classy evening that means Vrinda will be your friend, for the rest of your life. Thank you, Vrinda.
This year, like last year, you told no one about your birthday. Facebook knows, though, and people know facebook. So when you had the initial Asean lunch of the year, people knew. And the leadership board, which included Stephanie, Jason, and Vicky… well, they decided to tell the restaurant… and of course, like any great Asian restaurant, they had cheesy birthday music to blare on the loudspeaker to go with the cake. Heartfelt thanks. You of all people appreciate a good bit of Asian cheesiness :)
Good times, really good people in Melbourne.
^_^
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
On Humor
So far in your life, you’ve had a chance to see many different places… unlike most, you’ve actually had the opportunity to live in these places for enough time to start to realize some of their particulars. Granted, you have seen only a few, and only for a few years each. Obviously this does not qualify you as an expert on any of them or on culture in general.
But that experience, as well as the racial diversity you see at MBS, has taught you something. Something that you should have applied quite some time ago, but something that unfortunately has only been processed within the last two days.
Humor is entirely subject to cultural interpretation. What is funny to some may be offensive to others, even within a given culture. Outside a given culture… well, how can anyone make someone else laugh without understanding the frames of reference they’re coming from?
And yet, some people actually do, and they are very well known across the world. Russell Peters and Bill Cosby, for instance, have somehow made a living connecting with people across cultures and making them laugh. These comedians are so good that the jokes they tell are understood and comprehended by people with completely different value systems, frames of reference, and life experiences. It’s amazing, really… and definitely worth seeing. Because that degree of depth of cross-cultural understanding is one that very few can ever hope to achieve.
^_^
But that experience, as well as the racial diversity you see at MBS, has taught you something. Something that you should have applied quite some time ago, but something that unfortunately has only been processed within the last two days.
Humor is entirely subject to cultural interpretation. What is funny to some may be offensive to others, even within a given culture. Outside a given culture… well, how can anyone make someone else laugh without understanding the frames of reference they’re coming from?
And yet, some people actually do, and they are very well known across the world. Russell Peters and Bill Cosby, for instance, have somehow made a living connecting with people across cultures and making them laugh. These comedians are so good that the jokes they tell are understood and comprehended by people with completely different value systems, frames of reference, and life experiences. It’s amazing, really… and definitely worth seeing. Because that degree of depth of cross-cultural understanding is one that very few can ever hope to achieve.
^_^
Friday, September 11, 2009
Update
All has been quiet on the blog front. Not so much in real life. Classes finished, physiology midterm occurred, classes are starting again (on Monday), and in the meantime, you’re studying literally as much as you can while maintaining a limited number of outside activities for sanity.
This is a good plan; or at least, it’s been good so far. You’ve met interesting people, as you are valuing the few times you let yourself out. Since sequestering yourself, you have actually built better relationships; perhaps you are at peace with the life you are leading, and this positive energy is sepping out your eyeballs. Or perhaps, because time with others is limited, you are forced to use it more efficiently.
No matter. Two of the people you are met are attending business school soon; you have decided so share pointers with them, as you were relatively successful in your journey and are also writing essays for the programs / jobs you are interested in. Unfortunately, you must keep some of this information private, though you hope to be able to share good news before the end of May 2010. Yes, it is a long way away… but that is the way of things. At least, that is the way of things in the world we live in.
In the meantime, you revisited your business school essays yesterday to help one of these friends; the level of passion and idealism was somewhat amazing. It was all real; if given enough time, you have been effective at using choice words to infuse pictures in text. A very strange skill to have; but perhaps it, more than anything else, is a reason your path has turned out this way. After all, the lens which you have presented yourself to the academic world has always started with an essay. They have been your first impression.
The point, then, is that learning to concisely and specifically express thoughts by using the written word is an extremely valuable skill in certain circles, especially academic ones. You can be as smart as you possibly can, but unless you are able to convey your thoughts on paper, your brain would be regarded as useless by the same circles that would value it most. While that is a strong statement to make, reflection has taught you that it is absolutely true.
^_^
This is a good plan; or at least, it’s been good so far. You’ve met interesting people, as you are valuing the few times you let yourself out. Since sequestering yourself, you have actually built better relationships; perhaps you are at peace with the life you are leading, and this positive energy is sepping out your eyeballs. Or perhaps, because time with others is limited, you are forced to use it more efficiently.
No matter. Two of the people you are met are attending business school soon; you have decided so share pointers with them, as you were relatively successful in your journey and are also writing essays for the programs / jobs you are interested in. Unfortunately, you must keep some of this information private, though you hope to be able to share good news before the end of May 2010. Yes, it is a long way away… but that is the way of things. At least, that is the way of things in the world we live in.
In the meantime, you revisited your business school essays yesterday to help one of these friends; the level of passion and idealism was somewhat amazing. It was all real; if given enough time, you have been effective at using choice words to infuse pictures in text. A very strange skill to have; but perhaps it, more than anything else, is a reason your path has turned out this way. After all, the lens which you have presented yourself to the academic world has always started with an essay. They have been your first impression.
The point, then, is that learning to concisely and specifically express thoughts by using the written word is an extremely valuable skill in certain circles, especially academic ones. You can be as smart as you possibly can, but unless you are able to convey your thoughts on paper, your brain would be regarded as useless by the same circles that would value it most. While that is a strong statement to make, reflection has taught you that it is absolutely true.
^_^
Monday, August 10, 2009
Shoutout to Monsieur Truffe
One of the best things about Melbourne is the lifestyle; it seems that every Sunday is a lazy Sunday, that no one has a care in the world other than running outside for a footy game with their mates in one of the everpresent Melbourne parks that seem to pop up everywhere in the middle of the ‘city’.
Perhaps it’s not quite accurate; perhaps here in Melbourne, it’s the parks that are constant, and it’s the houses / buildings that pop up at irregular intervals, breaking the pristine landscape. It’s certainly an argument worth considering.
Today was definitely a lazy Sunday, but you didn’t partake in it. You instead made significant progress in your Physiology class. After all, your Brand and M&A papers are done; the only remaining MBS assignment you have left is a Trende-style closed-book final exam in a few weeks. Plenty of time to study medicine, and you used all the time you could.
You did, however, take a break from studying, and you met a friend for Chocolate at a tiny chocolate shop called Monsieur Truffe. Notice this is not pronounced ‘Monsieur Truffle’ -- you had previously thought this, but you had been wrong. It was not the first time.
Anyway, Melbourne has a number of boutique chocolate shops; this is pretty neat idea that you hope the rest of the world catches on to. You personally believe that Monsieur Truffe and Kokoblack are almost certainly home to the best chocolate you have ever had in your life.
Your friend agrees with you about Mr. Truffe; her pupils literally dilated as she took a small bite from a ‘Mexican Chili’ chocolate. Mexican Chili. It’s a flavour that no sane person would ever think of, but one that is still somehow greater than each portion individually. Like the Linkin Park and Jay-Z EP from so long ago. Who would have thought?
If you do decide to leave Oz, you will miss these chocolate shops, just like you miss Philadelphia Cheesesteaks. And Korean samgyapsal. One thing you will not miss? Not seeing ice hockey on TV. That being said, you have not been seeing anything on TV, these days. In fact, other than the Wimbledon Final, you have not even turned on the TV since you arrived here; you are too busy MBAing.
That being said, if good work is the key to good fortune, you have a lot of karma coming your way... and you would not have it any other way. Time will tell if this willing sacrifice is worthwhile...
^_^
Perhaps it’s not quite accurate; perhaps here in Melbourne, it’s the parks that are constant, and it’s the houses / buildings that pop up at irregular intervals, breaking the pristine landscape. It’s certainly an argument worth considering.
Today was definitely a lazy Sunday, but you didn’t partake in it. You instead made significant progress in your Physiology class. After all, your Brand and M&A papers are done; the only remaining MBS assignment you have left is a Trende-style closed-book final exam in a few weeks. Plenty of time to study medicine, and you used all the time you could.
You did, however, take a break from studying, and you met a friend for Chocolate at a tiny chocolate shop called Monsieur Truffe. Notice this is not pronounced ‘Monsieur Truffle’ -- you had previously thought this, but you had been wrong. It was not the first time.
Anyway, Melbourne has a number of boutique chocolate shops; this is pretty neat idea that you hope the rest of the world catches on to. You personally believe that Monsieur Truffe and Kokoblack are almost certainly home to the best chocolate you have ever had in your life.
Your friend agrees with you about Mr. Truffe; her pupils literally dilated as she took a small bite from a ‘Mexican Chili’ chocolate. Mexican Chili. It’s a flavour that no sane person would ever think of, but one that is still somehow greater than each portion individually. Like the Linkin Park and Jay-Z EP from so long ago. Who would have thought?
If you do decide to leave Oz, you will miss these chocolate shops, just like you miss Philadelphia Cheesesteaks. And Korean samgyapsal. One thing you will not miss? Not seeing ice hockey on TV. That being said, you have not been seeing anything on TV, these days. In fact, other than the Wimbledon Final, you have not even turned on the TV since you arrived here; you are too busy MBAing.
That being said, if good work is the key to good fortune, you have a lot of karma coming your way... and you would not have it any other way. Time will tell if this willing sacrifice is worthwhile...
^_^
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