Personal Business English Lesson Learned: Keep it simple
I’m writing this article thanks to comments I received from Rhumah slot (Rudolp) on my article Time is Money and David on my article The Art of Business English. Rudolph asked about journal-type articles (sharing personal experiences) and David was curious as to the source / origins of my articles.
How, you may ask, are these related? Well…
The source of my article The Art of Business English, and most of my articles really, is hard won personal experience. For those who have read the ‘About‘ section of my website, you’d know that I’ve worked for some of the largest international telecommunications corporations in the world, and so, the opinions I share in my articles are from actual lessons learned in the world of business. That being said and going against my usual rule of not sharing personal experiences (another business lesson learned: only use relevant facts), I thought I’d do so just this once, in the hopes that it would provide clarity and reference to my opinions on Business English.
When the first Telecommunications company I worked for in South Africa (Marconi Communications – Italian) was taken over (Ericsson – Swedish), I was moved from a relatively small, personal local office into an enormous multinational one.
The Ericsson (Market Unit Sub-Saharan Africa / MUSA) branch I worked for at that time, had sub-offices in 43 African countries, all reporting into it. So suddenly, after working with just a few people I now had to work with hundreds, I also had to learn a new position, as well as the ways and expectations of a new boss and company. Talk about a culture shock! Ericsson and other similarly large organisations, work very differently to smaller businesses. But one thing in business we all know is that you have to be adaptable and get comfortable with change because you will have loads of it.
Being the newly appointed Demand Manager, by the end of my first month I’d been sent to Manila (Philippines, to learn how the Global Shared Services Centre / GSSC) and to Madrid (Spain, to learn how the Regional Shared Services Centre / RSSC worked) because I was to manage the services they provided.
It was also the first time that I’d experienced acronyms, e.g. GSSC, on mass. In fact, there were so many of them that I had to create a spreadsheet, just to keep up with a conversation (over 600 in total by the end of my time in Ericsson), as every sentence in every email, presentation and discussion was full of them, so understanding them was literally the only way to understand and be understood. It was also the first time I’d travelled internationally for business and so I had also needed to learn all about business travel bookings and travel claims, etc. though that is another story entirely. Back to this particular lesson learned …
Upon my return to South Africa and having only had one other conversation with my boss up to that point, he requested that I provide him with a travel report.
Naturally eager to impress him, I’d spent the next few hours writing him a three page email providing a highly detailed account of everyone I’d met, exactly what we’d discussed and my impressions of it all. Goodness, I even scanned and attached my written notes from every meeting I’d had during those 21 days out of the office. I took it as my mission to be fully transparent and to give him everything he could possibly need to know about my trips. The email ended up being so large that it nearly crashed the server when I had sent it and it must have taken him around 15 minutes just to download!
When he had walked past my desk the next day, I’m sure I must have looked up proudly expecting him to thank me for keeping him so very well informed. Only, he gave me a kindly smile and simply said, ‘Thanks for the very thorough report Lyn. Next time, perhaps you could condense it into just 5 bullet points?’
My world nearly came crashing down at that moment, as I realised that I may have overdone it, just a bit. I suddenly understood that I’d wasted his precious time and that he did not have the time to micro manage me (look over my shoulder and check on every bit of my work, as my other bosses had done), he had more than enough of his own work to complete. Instead, he trusted that I’d do my work and so had not needed a blow-by-blow account of everything. In fact, all he had really wanted and needed from me was a heads-up on any potential issues and risks, that he could assist me in resolving before they became an actual problem for him and his department.
Remember the adage (general truth): K-I-S / Keep it simple? That is as applicable in business, as in life.
The surprising thing is that, in the beginning, it was more difficult and it took me longer to create those short bullet points than it had to create the 3 page email, full of detail because I first had to learn:
- What my boss actually expected from me and not what I thought he needed (know your audience)?
- What my boss needed from me to be able to do his job (managing the risks in his department)?
- How I could make my bosses life easier (not wasting his time, doing things he needed done so that he did not need to do them, etc.)?
- What I really needed my boss to help me with, which actually wasn’t a lot in the end?
- What was really important and what could potentially blow up that he needed to know about to be able to avert disaster?
The great Albert Einstein put it so eloquently, ‘If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.’ If you are able to be brief and to the point, then you have achieved success because you have at last fully understood something. You cannot summarise something you don’t understand, so it is a vital skill to be able to have and share.
That being said, though it was more difficult for a while, it was also incredibly liberating (freeing) to have a boss who trusted me to do my job and who gave me the space I needed to shine. It also gave me the push I needed to ‘step up’ and become an asset (someone who saved him time and effort), rather than a liability (someone who cost him time and effort). Of course, not all bosses are that way but most are in large corporations, so it is important to recognise them and to then, keep it simple.
If you enjoyed this article then you will also enjoy:
Links to other related content:
- Business Emails
- Business Meetings
- Business Presentations
- Business English Tests
- Business Lessons Learned
- Videos
Want to see more? View our other Business English articles by clicking on this link
Subscribe to our YouTube channel by clicking on this link
If you would like to receive an email every time we publish a new article…please complete the below form and click ‘Submit Form’:
Having read this I thought it was really informative.
I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this
information together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant
amount of time both reading and leaving comments.
But so what, it was still worthwhile!
Major thankies for the blog article.Really looking forward to read more. Want more.
I’m really enjoying the design and layout of your
website. It’s a very easy on the eyes which makes
it much more enjoyable for me to come here and visit more often. Did you hire out a developer to create your theme?
Exceptional work!
Hi Annie
I’ve done it all myself.
We’re a group of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community.
Your site provided us with valuable information to work on. You’ve done an impressive job and our whole community will be thankful to you.
Thanks for finally writing about > Personal Business English Lesson Learned: Keep
it simple – OPTIMUM BUSINESS ENGLISH < Loved it!
Great post.
This is really interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your excellent post.
Also, I have shared your site in my social networks!
Thanks for your support Saundra
I have read so many posts on the topic of the blogger lovers but this piece
of writing is genuinely a good piece of writing, keep it up.
Why people still use to read news papers when in this technological world the
whole thing is existing on net?
I pay a visit everyday some web sites and blogs to read
posts, however this website presents quality based posts.
You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really
something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and
extremely broad for me. I am looking forward for your next
post, I will try to get the hang of it!
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much
about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.
I think that you could do with a few pics to drive the message
home a little bit, but instead of that, this is great blog.
A great read. I’ll certainly be back.
Hello mates, how is the whole thing, and what you want to say regarding this post, in my view its genuinely amazing designed for me.
you are in point of fact a excellent webmaster. The website loading
speed is incredible. It kind of feels that you’re doing any distinctive trick.
Moreover, The contents are masterpiece. you have performed a great process on this topic!
Hello i am kavin, its my first occasion to commenting
anywhere, when i read this paragraph i thought i could also make
comment due to this brilliant piece of writing.
Hi! Someone in my Myspace group shared this site with us so I came to check it out.
I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking
and will be tweeting this to my followers!
Outstanding blog and fantastic design and style.
Thank you for your support and lovely comment Ima.
Hi, everything is going sound here and ofcourse every one is sharing data, that’s really excellent,
keep up writing.
I am extremely impressed along with your writing skills and also with
the format to your weblog. Is that this a paid topic or did you modify it yourself?
Anyway stay up the excellent quality writing, it is uncommon to peer
a great weblog like this one these days..
I have been surfing online more than 3 hours today,
yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
It’s pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the net will be much
more useful than ever before.
Thank you for every other informative website. The place else may I get that kind
of info written in such an ideal manner? I’ve a undertaking that I’m simply now running on, and I’ve
been on the glance out for such info.
Thank you Myrtis
Hello my family member! I want to say that this article is awesome,
nice written and include almost all significant infos. I would like to look
more posts like this .
I read this piece of writing completely regarding the comparison of latest and preceding technologies,
it’s awesome article.
pretty handy stuff, overall I believe this is worth a bookmark, thanks
I have read so many posts on the topic of the blogger lovers
but this piece of writing is truly a nice paragraph, keep it up.
Hi there! I just wish to give an enormous thumbs up for the great data you will have right here on this post. I will probably be coming again to your blog for extra soon.
Hello! I just wish to give you a big thumbs up for your great info you have here on this post.
I am returning to your blog for more soon.
Hey! I’m at work browsing your blog from my newiphone! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all yourposts! Carry on the fantastic work!
Very shortly this web site will be famous among all blogging users, due to it’s good posts
I truly appreciate this post.Really looking forward to read more. Really Great.
Asking questions are really pleasant thing if you are not understanding anything totally, but thisarticle offers good understanding even.
These are truly impressive ideas in on the topic of blogging.
You have touched some pleasant things here. Any way keep up wrinting.
Appreciate the share!
It’s going to be finish of mine day, except before ending I am reading this great article to improve my knowledge.
Appreciation to my father who told me regarding this weblog, this weblog is in fact amazing.
Really appreciate this.
Someone essentially assist to make critically posts I might state.
That is the first time I frequented your website page and so far?
I amazed with the research you made to create this
actual submit amazing. Wonderful process!
I believe that is among the so much significant information for me.
And i am satisfied studying your article. But want to observation on few common things, The web site style is
ideal, the articles is really great : D. Good job, cheers
This post is invaluable. When can I find out more?
Please read the rest of my articles to find out more, here: https://optimumbusinessenglish.com/category/business-english/
You definitely made your point!
Hi, I do believe this is a great website. I stumbledupon it ;
) I may return once again since I saved as a favorite it.
Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may
you be rich and continue to help other people.
It’s going to be end of mine day, but before ending I am reading this wonderful article to
improve my know-how.
It’s awesome to pay a quick visit this website and
reading the views of all mates concerning this piece of writing, while I am also zealous of getting experience.
Simply want to say your article is as amazing. The clearness to your
post is just cool and i could think you’re an expert in this subject.
Well along with your permission allow me to grasp your feed to keep updated with impending post.
Thanks 1,000,000 and please carry on the rewarding work.
I every time spent my half an hour to read this website’s articles every
day along with a mug of coffee.
Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from
somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand
out. Please let me know where you got your theme.
Thanks a lot
Hello there, I discovered your website by the use of
Google. your website got here up, it seems great.
I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hi there, simply became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative.
A lot of people shall be benefited from your writing.
Cheers!
Hey there! This post could not be written any better! Reading this post reminds me of my good old
room mate! He always kept chatting about this.
I will forward this write-up to him. Pretty sure he
will have a good read. Many thanks for sharing!
Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after reading through some of the post I realized it’s new to me.
Nonetheless, I’m definitely delighted I found
it and I’ll be book-marking and checking back often!
Just desire to say your article is as surprising.
The clearness in your put up is simply excellent and i can assume you are knowledgeable
on this subject. Well with your permission allow me to take hold of your RSS feed
to keep updated with imminent post. Thanks 1,000,000
and please carry on the enjoyable work.
Everything is very open with a really clear description of the challenges.
It was really informative. Your website is very helpful.
Thanks for sharing!