Today we complete the review of the book BRIEF by Joseph McCormack.
We were discussing the steps :
Map it
Tell it
Talk it
Show it.
He says as we get older, we tend to skip the outline for our message.This is a big mistake especially when the volume of information is huge to handle, distill or disseminate. Outlining keeps you prepared, organized, clear, contextual and confident. Visual presentations or outlining is increasingly in vogue today thanks to software such as Mindjet. Software like Mindjet and tools like Bubbl.us are appealing because they are visual logical and intuitive to use and share. This practice is called mind mapping.
A specific type of mind map is the BRIEF map which draws the focal point or headline for your communication:
B: Background or beginning.
R: reason or relevance
I: key information
E: Intended ending
F: Expected follow up or questions
Brevity is all about preparation and pre-assembly. A BRIEF map is a visual tool that prepares you to be succinct.
The next step is to tell the message by using a story. Even though we may not be a journalist, we should think like one in telling a story. Key considerations of a great story include a strong headline, compelling lead paragraph, a clear sense of conflict, a personal voice, a consistent narrative thread, a logical sequence of events, character development and powerful communication. Storytelling is a way for the making corporate speaking more engaging.
The next step is to talk it.To talk it means you can have controlled conversations where two people are willingly talking and enjoying but being limited by time. A controlled conversation is a discipline and active listening prepares you with what matters most to the person you are talking to.
A TALC track is just that. - It is talk, active listening and converse. When somebody is talking, to let the person talk is very important. To closely listen what the other person is saying with interest the entire time is equally important. And only converse or bridge to a different topic when a natural pause comes.
The last step is to show it. Its a powerful way to make a picture exceed a thousand words. Phonebooks, newspapers, printed menus and billboards are increasingly replaced by visuals. The author says that we remember only 10% of what we hear, 30% of what we read, and 80% of what we see. Using an image or a video with your story, keep it short, be mindful of time and quality.
Finally, we should gain the decisiveness to know when and where to be brief.
For example, Trim your meetings early when you know its done. Also, we can rethink the meeting and find new ways of engaging attendees. This could even be a standup meeting. And remove the tyrant voice - one that is dominating to the detriment of others.
Those who are loquacious on their Twitter or Facebook are training the world to tune them out. Social media is where the brevity rules. People are already finding different tools to present information. But the effort required to make quality posts cannot be ignored.
TED talks are an amazing forum to practice this. Their motto is "ideas worth sharing" and its the sharing part that gets tricky and they help you practice it. Everyone is in the business of buying or selling ideas so we must make our pitch appropriately.
Another example of brevity in action is good interviews. An interview candidate often makes the mistake of talking too much. Good interviews are just the right amount.
The same applies to sharing good news. It doesn't need to be piled on as is the case in some corporate communications but it can be allowed to sink in. Likewise, give the bad news straight. Since they happen all the time, dispense with it and channelize your energy back into rebuilding.
Lastly by being brief, you discuss your own essence.
We were discussing the steps :
Map it
Tell it
Talk it
Show it.
He says as we get older, we tend to skip the outline for our message.This is a big mistake especially when the volume of information is huge to handle, distill or disseminate. Outlining keeps you prepared, organized, clear, contextual and confident. Visual presentations or outlining is increasingly in vogue today thanks to software such as Mindjet. Software like Mindjet and tools like Bubbl.us are appealing because they are visual logical and intuitive to use and share. This practice is called mind mapping.
A specific type of mind map is the BRIEF map which draws the focal point or headline for your communication:
B: Background or beginning.
R: reason or relevance
I: key information
E: Intended ending
F: Expected follow up or questions
Brevity is all about preparation and pre-assembly. A BRIEF map is a visual tool that prepares you to be succinct.
The next step is to tell the message by using a story. Even though we may not be a journalist, we should think like one in telling a story. Key considerations of a great story include a strong headline, compelling lead paragraph, a clear sense of conflict, a personal voice, a consistent narrative thread, a logical sequence of events, character development and powerful communication. Storytelling is a way for the making corporate speaking more engaging.
The next step is to talk it.To talk it means you can have controlled conversations where two people are willingly talking and enjoying but being limited by time. A controlled conversation is a discipline and active listening prepares you with what matters most to the person you are talking to.
A TALC track is just that. - It is talk, active listening and converse. When somebody is talking, to let the person talk is very important. To closely listen what the other person is saying with interest the entire time is equally important. And only converse or bridge to a different topic when a natural pause comes.
The last step is to show it. Its a powerful way to make a picture exceed a thousand words. Phonebooks, newspapers, printed menus and billboards are increasingly replaced by visuals. The author says that we remember only 10% of what we hear, 30% of what we read, and 80% of what we see. Using an image or a video with your story, keep it short, be mindful of time and quality.
Finally, we should gain the decisiveness to know when and where to be brief.
For example, Trim your meetings early when you know its done. Also, we can rethink the meeting and find new ways of engaging attendees. This could even be a standup meeting. And remove the tyrant voice - one that is dominating to the detriment of others.
Those who are loquacious on their Twitter or Facebook are training the world to tune them out. Social media is where the brevity rules. People are already finding different tools to present information. But the effort required to make quality posts cannot be ignored.
TED talks are an amazing forum to practice this. Their motto is "ideas worth sharing" and its the sharing part that gets tricky and they help you practice it. Everyone is in the business of buying or selling ideas so we must make our pitch appropriately.
Another example of brevity in action is good interviews. An interview candidate often makes the mistake of talking too much. Good interviews are just the right amount.
The same applies to sharing good news. It doesn't need to be piled on as is the case in some corporate communications but it can be allowed to sink in. Likewise, give the bad news straight. Since they happen all the time, dispense with it and channelize your energy back into rebuilding.
Lastly by being brief, you discuss your own essence.
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