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’:
you are in reality a good webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible.
It sort of feels that you are doing any unique trick.
Furthermore, The contents are masterwork. you’ve done a excellent job in this topic!
Wow, great blog article.Thanks Again. Great.
Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog
with my twitter group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Cheers
Hi Clarissa
Not at all.
Thank you for supporting my page.
What a data of un-ambiguity and preserveness of precious familiarity about unexpected emotions.
Very good blog post. I definitely appreciate this website.
Stick with it!
Hey there! I’ve been following your blog for a while now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Porter Texas!
Just wanted to mention keep up the excellent work!
Appreciating the commitment you put into your blog and in depth information you
offer. It’s good to come across a blog every once
in a while that isn’t the same old rehashed material. Great read!
I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed!Extremely helpful info specially the last part 🙂 I care for such information much. I was seeking this particular info for a long time.Thank you and good luck.
I am so grateful for your blog article. Want more.
Thanks for your marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed
reading it, you may be a great author.I will ensure that
I bookmark your blog and may come back at some point.
I want to encourage you to ultimately continue your great work,
have a nice afternoon!
Wonderful, what a blog it is! This web site provides useful facts to us, keep
it up.
Howdy! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if
that would be ok. I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
Very neat article.Much thanks again. Will read on…
Thank you for some other informative site. The place else may just I am getting that kind of info written in such a perfect approach? I have a mission that I am just now running on, and I have been on the look out for such info.
For the reason that the admin of this web page is working, no hesitation very soon it will be well-known, due to its quality contents.
Keep on working, great job!
I am so grateful for your post.Much thanks again. Cool.
Your way of telling everything in this paragraph is actually pleasant, every one be capable of easily be aware
of it, Thanks a lot.
constantly i used to read smaller articles that also clear their motive, and that
is also happening with this paragraph which I am reading
at this time.
Very neat blog article.Much thanks again. Fantastic.
I think the admin of this site is in fact working hard for his web site, as here every information is quality based material.
I am continually looking online for posts that can help me. Thank you!
What i do not understood is actually how you are not actually a lot more neatly-appreciated than you may be now.
You’re so intelligent. You realize therefore considerably with regards to this subject, made me personally imagine
it from so many numerous angles. Its like women and
men don’t seem to be fascinated until it is something to accomplish with Woman gaga!
Your personal stuffs outstanding. Always take care of it
up!
Great post. I was checking continuously this blog and I’m impressed!
Very useful information specially the last part 🙂 I care for such info a
lot. I was seeking this particular information for a long time.
Thank you and good luck.
I was suggested this blog by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as nobody else know such detailed about my problem. You are amazing! Thanks!
Really informative post.Thanks Again. Much obliged.
I like the valuable information you supply to your articles.
I will bookmark your blog and check once more right here frequently.
I’m fairly sure I will learn a lot of new stuff right right here!
Good luck for the following!
Thanks again for the article.Much thanks again. Awesome.
Greetings! Very useful advice within this post! It is the little changes which will make the most important changes. Thanks for sharing!
I am genuinely glad to glance at this blog posts which consists of plenty of useful information, thanks for providingthese kinds of information.
I like the valuable info you provide in your articles. I’ll
bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I am quite certain I will learn plenty of new stuff right here!
Good luck for the next!
Im thankful for the blog post.Thanks Again. Cool.
I enjoy what you guys are up too. This type of clever work and coverage! Keep up the excellent works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my own blogroll.
Hi friends, its wonderful article aboutteachingand completely explained, keep it up all the time.
Hi my friend! I wish to say that this post is awesome, great written and come with almost all important infos. I would like to see extra posts like this.
Because the admin of this web page is working, no doubt very soon it will be renowned, due to
its feature contents.
I value the blog article.Much thanks again. Great.Loading…
Enjoyed every bit of your blog article. Will read on…
Very nice article, totally what I wanted to find.
A round of applause for your blog.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
I love what you guys are usually up too. This sort of clever work and coverage!
Keep up the superb works guys I’ve incorporated you guys
to my blogroll.
Hello, I check your new stuff on a regular basis.
Your writing style is awesome, keep it up!
I used to be suggested this website by means of my cousin. I’m not positive whether this publish is written by him as no one
else know such specific approximately my difficulty. You are amazing!
Thanks!
This is very fascinating, You’re a very professional blogger.
I have joined your rss feed and stay up for looking for extra of your magnificent post.
Also, I’ve shared your website in my social networks
Thanks for your support Adrianna.
Hi there to all, how is everything, I think every one is getting more
from this web page, and your views are fastidious in favor of new visitors.
If some one needs to be updated with newest technologies afterward he must be pay a quick visit this website and
be up to date daily.
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
I don’t know who you are but definitely you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already 😉 Cheers!
I really enjoy the blog post.Really thank you! Much obliged.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you, However I am having problems with your
RSS. I don’t know why I can’t subscribe to it. Is there anyone else getting identical RSS issues?
Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond?
Thanx!!
Dear Mariano
I have a form at the end of every article where you can sign up to receive an email update every time I post a new article.
However, as you seem to have missed it, I have signed you up for it myself, according to your wishes expressed in your message.
I hope that is ok?
I do not even know the way I stopped up right here, however I thought this submit
used to be great. I do not realize who you’re however definitely you’re going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already.
Cheers!