Captain's log #3398 - On Floppy Language

The easiest way to fail persuading someone is the use of floppy language.

What are the characteristics of floppy language?

• Apologise frequently - starting sentences with "I am sorry"
• Mumbling
• Broken sentences with pauses, ums, ers, and other uncertainty noises
• Letting sentences tail off into ramblings
• Frequently using qualifiers of uncertainty "I guess, I don't know, I hope"
• Use of submissive body language

Using this kind of language signals low self esteem.
So, what can we do?

My solution is that firstly, we should think through what we are going to say and secondly, at the same time, reflect on and plan how we are going to say it.

My own hotel

Hello fellow bloggers,

yes I finally fulfilled my final ambition. As many of you will know, I spend a fair amount of my life in hotel rooms. I like them, simple as that. Where else can you use as many towels as you want without the consequences of doing laundry? Which other environment can be messed up nicely during the evening only to be transformed back into its virgin, organised, and anodine state as if by means of a miracle during the working day when you are away?

I also like the boutique chique in modern abodes of this type. The tasteful colour schemes, the mirrors, the carefully placed pieces of art. And let's not talk about the bedding and above all the pillows! The pillows! The plethora of cushions, tastefully arranged only to be thrown carelessly across the floor during ther ritual of going to bed (or passing out, depending on the quality and available quantity of alcoholic beverages contained in that wonderful invention, also known as the minibar).

I have spent many a blissful hour working in these rooms, uninterrupted, with mindless TV in foreign tounges providing the acoustic backdrop to my attempts to defining the future of my little business unit.

Now I have found the perfect solution. I have renovated my bedroom at home and, because it is only just finished, it is empty, save my bed and a simple table to provide a home for my laptop (and the brand new LED flatscreen TV on the wall). Tasteful - peaceful - it is a boutique hotel wet dream come true. And because all other rooms are clogged up with stuff which normally lives in the bedroom, it's the only place I can use to work!
All I need is a maid and a minibar and I will no longer feel the need to travel at all.

Good night labrats M.

With a little help from my friends...

I've had a survey up on Survey Monkey for about a year and so far I have 57 responses. This was / is about what motivates us at work in the Nielsen company. So, Nielsen / TCS folks come on and russle up some support. I promise I will share the results.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M62ZBGK

Indian Traffic

A lot has been said and written on the subject. Today I cracked the lane discipline rules.
Rule one - driver must not stay in any lane longer than 23 seconds
Rule two - driver must line up with lane markation lines whenever possible
Rule three - indicators are not to be used
Rule four - fold in your mirrors to avoid damage - who cares about the guys behind you anyhow?

Happy driving labrats!

Road trip

Here I am, sweat running down my forehead combining nicely with the sun screen burning my eyes to cinders. Two beggar children bugging me and my right ankle is about to give in from repeatedly jumping on the kickstart of the Enfield.
But this is India. So the cavalry arrives in the shape of a young biking enthusiast who spends the next 20 minutes in the steaming heat trying to give the bike some CPR.
Today was simply "love the foreigners day" and it was not advertised in the Baroda Times.
Namaste my friends

Real Business People

At the bar in the Crown Plaza in Bangalore. After we convinced the bar to remain open for a last drink, Eleni inquired as to where all the people were. Apparently the hotel is full, because we struggled to get rooms, but there was not a soul in sight at 23:30. So the barman goes: "well madam, the other people staying here are real business people, they are going to go to work tomorrow". Eleni: "but we are business people - we are going to work tomorrow, what are you trying to say?!?". Barman: "Oh, I am not trying to say anything, would you like some ice for your drink."

Captain's log #3397 - Fast Team Building

It's hard, I know. Virtual teams, cross functional teams, SWATs, etc.. and the more need we have to spend quality time to improve the performance of our teams (and we all belong to more than one, don't we?) the less real time do we spend on it.

I have come across this little gem by Marshall Goldsmith and I intend to try it out!

http://www.marshallgoldsmithlibrary.com/docs/articles/Team-Building.doc

#3396 continued

A real life example then...

In AC Modelling we experience capacity problems from time to time. This is caused by two facts:
a) we cannot afford to resource up to the maximum we might ever need
b) it's a seasonal fluctuation, caused by quarterly sales targets

If a specific consultant's project is affected, than for that person this is something special. In the overall picture a capacity bottle neck is a normal occurence. If the consultant complains and escalates the problem, management will be tempted to "jump" on it. The modelling team then typically jumps into action, special arrangements are made, etc.. (remember last year's Marketing Mix crisis?)

This is "tampering". We are treating "common cause" as "special cause".

Captain's log #3396 - On Tampering

Hi folks, sorry I've been quiet, but I was being trained (for the first time in 15 years or so).
Trained to be an Executive Black Belt no less.
So I am gonna get on everyone's nerves by sharing my learning.
In every process there is variation. Some of it is normal and caused by regular factors (common causes) such as seasonality. Extreme outliers (and some other signs) point to "special causes", like a hurricane. Ideally both types should be reduced to create the smoothest process possible. Special causes, of course, require special attention and investigation.
If we however confuse the two causes and treat common causes like special ones, we are over-reacting, which is known as "tampering".
Read tomorrows log for a real life example...
Good night y'all.