Vandana Shiva is a strong, courageous woman.
I love to see her speaking out on such an important issue.
The Slumbering Sheep
There’s not much time left
For the sheep to wake.
I hope that more do
Before it’s too late.
We must each of us choose
Where to make a stand.
Before freedom is lost
And banished from this land.
Pay close attention
Prepare to give no quarter.
Or we’ll be led to our doom
Like lambs to the slaughter.
The hour is getting late
There’s no time to think.
Ask questions.
Listen to your intuition.
What is it trying to tell you?
Trust it.
A sad state of affairs…
Having trained in psychology as a younger man I’ve found it absolutely disgusting the way that our so-called leaders have embraced fear mongering over the coronavirus. They’re using fear as a mechanism of control. (Aided by ‘clickbait’ from large sections of the media.)
They want you to be frightened. They want you to be cowering at home, too scared to venture out into the light.
Don’t get me wrong, there are certainly things to be wary of in this world. But if you want to be afraid of something, be afraid of government; not this virus.
To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin:
“Those that are prepared to sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither and will ultimately lose both.”
Omne trium perfectum: the rule of 3
This article is the seventh in a series. It was first published on July 18th 2020, via LinkedIn.
How’s your Latin?
This translates as “everything that is three is perfect”, or “every set of three is complete”.
Even if you’ve never heard the phrase “omne trium perfectum”, there’s a good chance that you’re familiar with the “The Rule of 3”. It refers to the tendency for things that are grouped in threes to be somehow more memorable, more powerful and more enduring. What’s more, it’s in action all around you. Here are a few examples:
- Ready, set, go
- Lights, camera, action
- Veni, vidi, vici
- Government of the people, by the people, for the people
- Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
- Three Stooges
- Three Musketeers
- Three Blind Mice
- Three Little Pigs
The Rule of 3 is particularly prominent in the field of writing, given the way it combines “…both brevity and rhythm, with having the smallest amount of information to create a pattern”. This doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with combining words or pieces of information in pairs or groups of four etc. It’s just that there is something special about groupings of three.
In fact, several major religions are formulated around groups of three; including:
Christianity (Holy Trinity)
- The Father,
- The Son, and
- The Holy Ghost.
(The word “trinity” means “threefold”, “three at a time”, “three in it”.)
Hinduism (Three principal gods)
- Brahma – the creator of the universe,
- Vishnu – the preserve of the universe, and
- Shiva – the destroyer of the universe
Use of the Rule of 3 is commonly found in public speeches. On April 5 this year, Queen Elizabeth II gave a speech on the global coronavirus pandemic that applied the Rule of 3 on several occasions. These included:
“A time of disruption in the life of our country: a disruption that has brought grief to some, financial difficulties to many, and enormous changes to the daily lives of us all.”
You’ll notice how this sentence contains:
The speech also contained:
“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.”
If you pay attention and listen carefully, you’ll be surprised how often you hear or see the Rule of 3 in action. It’s used so much because it’s effective. Perhaps your writing could benefit from its application?
Note: This article is the seventh in a series. Links to earlier articles are included below:
- How to design great documents
- Confessions of a word nerd
- It’s all about the ‘Art’
- Form follows function
- Less is more; simple is best
- Subtract to add meaning
Subtract to add meaning
This article is the sixth in a series. It was first published on July 6th 2020, via LinkedIn.
In these articles I’ve been sharing ideas about how to make both your writing and documents better. In my experience, there are a few key principles that will help you improve the quality of your output.
Principle #3 – Subtract
In my last article I touched on how easy it is to overload your document with too much content and recommended some techniques to help you avoid it. After putting these techniques into action, there’s a further step you can take.
Once you’ve applied the earlier principles and arrived at what could be considered a final document, you can ‘next level’ your work by going over it with a fine tooth comb and looking for opportunities to remove content. Whether it’s an unnecessary word, redundant sentence or superfluous graphic, you must cut as much as you possibly can.
In short, the key to applying this principle is delete, delete, delete!
Remember, there’s only so much information that your audience can process at one time. Your goal is to find the most efficient way of getting your point across. If you’re brutally honest with your review, you’ll find that there’s invariably content that doesn’t add anything of substance, but has been included out of habit or personal preference. Maybe you’ve included a graphic or image that looks nice, but is not actually essential to the story you’re trying to tell.
These content elements are holding you back. Far from adding to your message, they serve as a distraction.
Strip away anything that doesn’t result in the message being lost. The extra elements are a distraction…they take away meaning, rather than adding it.
One method I’ve often used to help me with this is to get my document to a ‘finished’ state and then sleep on it (easier said than done when you’re hurtling towards a deadline). Looking at it the next day with fresh eyes and a critical mind I’m always able to find bits of dead content that can be stripped away. Another approach would be to have a friend or colleague read it. Seek their input, but be mindful to filter out feedback that’s simply reflecting their own biases and preferences.
With a bit of practice, you can develop a real skill for eliminating the unnecessary.
Note: This article is the sixth in a series. Links to earlier articles are included below:
Less is more; simple is best
This article is the fifth in a series. It was first published on July 1st 2020, via LinkedIn.
In my last article, I mentioned that there are three key principles to apply in order to make your report or presentation as impactful as possible. In this article I’ll describe the second of these principles.
Principle #2 – Less is more; simple is best
It’s easy to overload your document with too much content, especially text. After all, you’ve got a lot to say and surely your audience would benefit from exposure to every last bit of knowledge you have on a topic…right?
WRONG!
In an age when we’re bombarded with unprecedented amounts of information, it’s never been more important to make your message simple and concise. If your report or presentation is built around elegant simplicity, you’ll find it easier to stand out from the crowd.
There’s only so much information that can be ‘ingested’ at one time. Here are some simple tips to help you avoid information overload:
- For each page, think 1/3 text, 1/3 image or graphic and 1/3 blank space (especially for presentation slides).
- Blank space is important. The eye needs somewhere to rest.
- Remember that we process words and pictures differently. Use images and graphics to convey information wherever possible. It’s a much more efficient method of communicating.
Pictures => instantaneous, involuntary, effortless, high impact, emotional response.
Words => slow (200 words per minute), voluntary, effort required, low impact, limited emotional response.
“Think of each page as a billboard; it should be comprehensible in 3 seconds.”
For written components, make them easy to read. Focus on keeping your text:
- Short – words, sentences (aim for <15 words), paragraphs.
- Active – use active language, strong verbs.
- Uncluttered – no fluff, no unnecessary words, every word has a purpose.
If you’re able to apply these tips you’ll avoid having too many elements competing for the reader’s attention. Failure can make the document hard to follow; i.e. make it too much work to read. If you get it right, your audience will thank you. You’ll be surprised by the contribution this will make to receiving more positive feedback and achieving better outcomes.
Note: This article is the fifth in a series. Links to earlier articles are included below:
Form follows function
This article is the fourth in a series. It was first published on June 22nd 2020, via LinkedIn.
When striving to make your report or presentation the best it can be, there are three key principles to keep in mind. In this article I’ll describe the first of these and why I think it’s so important.
Principle #1 – Form follows function
The maxim ‘form follows function’ is considered to have originated with late 19th and early 20th century architecture and industrial design. In this context, it signifies that the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose.
The same principle applies to a document.
When putting together your next proposal or slide deck, first ask yourself – What am I trying to achieve with this document? This will define the document’s FUNCTION.
How you answer that question will then help determine its FORM; e.g. length, page orientation, medium (Word, PowerPoint, online, other?).
Once you’re satisfied that you’ve answered this question, it’s time to start planning.
Remember, there are four stages to efficient business writing:
- Think – structure, headings, sub-headings
- Draft
- Revise
- Proof
It’s the first stage of this process – THINK – where your planning takes place. This is far and away the most important part of any writing process. If you properly understand what it is that you’re trying to achieve (i.e. you understand the ‘problem’), you’re well on your way to producing a document that hits the mark.
Always start this process with a blank sheet of paper. I can’t stress this enough. Never copy someone else’s document…design your own. This holds true even if the someone you’re copying is you! If you set out to replicate what you’ve already done, you’ll continue to be limited by your own past.
Be intentional. It’s hard to hit a target you’re not aiming at.”
Make it ‘fit-for-purpose’
In my industry (insurance broking) we like to say that we tailor a suite of services to each individual client, to ensure that our offering is ‘fit-for-purpose’. We do this by, metaphorically, starting with a blank sheet of paper. That is, we take the time to understand the client in order to design and build an insurance program that’s bespoke to them.
The same principle applies to any report or proposal that we issue to them. Now, on more than one occasion I’ve been asked to grab the most recent report of its kind, change the name, and tweak it around the edges. We’d never do that when designing an insurance program. Nor should we do it when designing our documents.
Food for thought.
Confused in a COVID-19 “hot zone”
I’m confused.
On Tuesday 30 June, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews issued a statement with regards to the recent uptick in community transmission of COVID-19 within the state.
That statement can be found here.
In the announcement, he listed 10 postcodes that were identified as containing “hot zones”. Residents in these postcodes, myself included, were told that they have to return to Stage 3 Stay at Home restrictions – until at least 29 July.
Upon hearing this news, I accepted it at face value. Back to harder restrictions for four weeks.
A couple of days later I found myself wanting to learn more about the detail of what was / was not permitted. (Don’t judge…I’ve been WFH since mid-March and was desperate for something different to do.)
A quick search online directed me to various DHHS notices in relation to the postcode restrictions. These included:
- Stay at Home Directions (Restricted Postcodes), and
- Restricted Activity Directions (Restricted Postcodes)
These notices clarified and confirmed the particulars of the current COVID-19 behavioural restrictions. However, what stood out to me was the period for which the restrictions would apply (see below).
I’ve checked the above links again at the time of posting. The public documents both display an end date of 19 July.
There are a number of things that I’ve come to know over the course of my 4+ decades on the planet. Among them are:
- I’m not a lawyer,
- I’ve never worked for a govt agency or had a hand in writing public policy, and
- 19 July is not 29 July – they’re different dates.
(Note: this is NOT an exhaustive list. I know other stuff too.)
So, I have questions.
Is this a typo in the directions issued?
Seems unlikely, given the importance of such an announcement and the spotlight on the pandemic.
Is there a legal or administrative reason as to why these notices couldn’t be issued for the ‘full’ 28 day period, thereby requiring them to be extended for a further 10 days from 19 July?
NFI – see point #1 above.
Is there a ‘plan’ to end the announced lockdown period early so the government can look like good guys?
This would seem particularly crass in light of months of government declarations that they would be straight with Victorians in sharing information about the pandemic. (Seriously, what possible reason would there be for this approach?)
I’m legitimately confused by this.
Can anyone shed some light for me?
It’s all about the ‘Art’
This article is the third in a series. It was first published on June 16th 2020, via LinkedIn.
Every document has a purpose. Every document has a function.
Every document has elements that it needs to include. This can be because certain information is:
- explicitly prescribed (tender responses),
- organisationally mandated (your boss told you to put it in), or
- you simply think it’s a good idea (“the heart wants what the heart wants”).
Whatever the elements that you need to combine, it’s crucial that you spend some time planning precisely ‘how’ you’re going to integrate them. At a minimum, this involves consideration of order and emphasis. You need to ask yourself:
What content is most important?
How will you prioritise your points?
What’s the most effective way of ordering them to get your message across?
Art over Mechanics
There’s a necessary mechanical aspect to collating your content and working through the questions listed above. Whilst mechanical processes can be dry and boring, they help to ensure that everything that needs to be done, is done. The mechanics of putting your report or presentation together are important, but the real magic lies elsewhere. If you want your document to sing, it’s all about the ‘art’.
What do I mean by ‘art’? (Word nerd alert…)
In this context, ‘art’ refers to connection. If you can seamlessly link the elements of your document together, it will be easier for your audience to follow. The easier it is for them to follow, the greater the chance of you getting your message across.
How do you make the connection?
There are a number of techniques available to help you achieve better connection:
- Firstly, getting the order of your content right is imperative. Does it make sense to have it in the sequence you propose? Is it logical? Does it flow? Does each subsequent point build on the earlier content?
- How are you going to link your content segments? Will it be with language or imagery?
- Have a theme! Linking the elements of your document together into a cohesive narrative is easiest when you have a powerful theme to build around.
I’ve always found this last point (i.e. theme) to be the most useful. It can serve as your ‘north star’, ensuring that all content is aligned around a central message. By organising your content this way, you’ll find it hard to stray too far.
To make your report or presentation sing, the magic lies in how you connect elements. This is the ‘art’ of creating great documents.
