Don't Dialog With People You Can Talk To, And Don't Interface With Anyone

Be honest, you know what I am talking about before I even get started. We all know someone who talks and writes with way more words than they need. They use words like "synergize", or "interface." They write long sentences that could have been written in three words. They confuse and annoy their readers with jargon and redundant words that serve no purpose. Sometimes that person we know, is us. 

The first rule of writing (and speaking really) is simplicity. Often times, we want to embellish our writing with big words or complicated jargon to help make us sound smart. More often than not, it doesn't. What it does is cause  confusion with our readers and muddles the point we are trying to get to them, or it just annoys them. It is your job as the writer to keep the attention of your audience and get your point out as simply and clearly as you can.


When it comes to writing, keep it simple. Get your point made in as few words as possible and move on to the next thing.

Manager or Leader?

Dictionary.com defines a manager as a person who controls and manipulates resources and expenditures. Managers know exactly what is expected of them and they have the resources to go and get that done. Managers manage a process that is understood. Someone else came up with it, and they go make others implement it. 

A leader is something totally different. Leaders make change. 
Leaders challenge the status quo and take people in a direction that they believe in. 

Seth Godin breaks down the difference like this:

Managers have employees. Leaders have followers.

Ask yourself these questions, Why do people follow you? Do they do it because they have to, or because they want to? Are you implementing a process or implementing change? 


Most importantly, Where are you going?

Home School MBA

I have been exploring the idea of going back to school to get my MBA for the last two years or so. The possibility of understanding and mastering the fundamentals of modern business practices is a great motivator. The possibility of dropping fifty thousand dollars on that education with no guaranteed return on investment is not so attractive.

Do you remember the bar scene from Good Will Hunting? You can find the whole thing out on youtube. Will gets into a discussion with a guy at bar and makes a comment that resonates with someone in my particular predicament.

See, the sad thing about a guy like you is in 50 years you're gonna staht doin some thinkin on your own and you're gonna come up with the fact that there are two certaintees in life. One, don't do that. And Two, you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a education you coulda got for a dollah fifty in late chahges at the public library 

 That got me thinking, could I really learn everything I need to know just by checking out books from my public library? It can't be that easy, can it? After a little research, I found this online resource. Josh Kaufman has set up a fantastic resource for just this purpose. He provides a reading list broken down into 25 different categories from productivity to finance, communication to sales, and everything in between. He also provides a book of his own that helps list out all the areas of study and how best to break down the different areas of business. 


So, I have decided to take the challenge. Can I get an MBA education that would cost me close to fifty thousand dollars for less than a dollar fifty in late charges at my public library? I think I can.  I will take books from each area listed at personalmba.com and study and apply everything I learn. I have no doubt in 24 months from now, I will be able to put what I have learned up against any MBA program out there.


So, "good for you" you say. Why don't you just shut up and do it already? Why all the talk on a blog about it? That is a great question. I have got a good answer. In  less than a year, my wife and I will be travelling to China to adopt a little girl. My other children already refer to her as our little sister Addi. As you can imagine that will be very expensive. I am using this forum as a fundraiser to earn money to make that trip. As I study and pick up valuable knowledge about business I will share that information here. If you find that information useful  or interesting, or you just want to help, please click on an ad to the right and help us out. 


So, where do I begin? Well, since I am going to do a blog about what I am doing, communication and writing may be a good place to start. I am going to pick up On Writing Well by William Zinsser at my library tomorrow and begin my journey.