Please note that ‘very much in fact’ is not a correct sentence. I remember from school that a sentence needs to have a subject, a verb, a noun, a pronoun, a semi pronoun, a past participial and a quick brown fox.

Regardless, I just like the way the statement worked. Which in the end is why I like our blog, it allows each Zoner (a term used for a TimeZoneOne employee) to create content that no one can change; this is not often the case in the advertising profession.

I also like Active Communication. This is a key part of our business. Indeed I think that being a good communicator is a key requirement, if not the key, to achieving success in the world.

At the heart of it, Active Communication means not just relying on email. We are in separate locations and it is very easy just to press send and then sit back and flick paper at Liz.

The power of send is limited, what if:

- The Zoner is not at work today?

- The Zoner does not read the email until the end of the day

- The Zygons steal the internet and The Doctor can’t get it back?

Active Communication is also helped by using our briefs and email templates; these insure that key information is included, which in turn means that work will go more smoothly, confusion avoided, mistakes minimized and fingers not pointed.

Communicating in a manner that connects to the other person is an invaluable skill to master (or at least try). This is why we create our OAD baseball cards. If you can be mindful of how the other person thinks, feels, processes information etc and tailor your communication accordingly then you will have much greater success in getting the result you are after. It will also avoid unnecessary tension that blocks progress.

For example:

- Nigel finds details give him the full picture

- Rich finds details energy sapping

- Raewyn needs to talk her ideas out loud

- David likes to process ideas quietly

- Andy likes to do things immediately

- Tatts likes to consider

- Lisa constantly thinks up new ways

- Mark likes to take an idea and follow it through

- Muzzy likes growing veges

- Hamish likes eating animals

So as you can see TimeZoneOne is a great big melting pot big enough to take the world and a Scot.

On the baseball cards we state: If you mis-communicate it is your choice. You are responsible. Speak my language. I urge you to think more about this.

Time for a reader’s letter.

Dear Sir

My name is Brett King.

What is squash? 

Regards

Brett King

Well Brett, thanks for this letter. I don’t know much about squash (genus cucurbita) the vegetable but I do play squash the sport (sportus sweatilots), so here are some illuminating bullet points about the game:

- It is played by 2 players (but can be played by 4)

- The weather never gets in the way

- It used to be called Squash Racquets, which is a bit odd, its like saying I play Rugby Boots, or anyone fancy a game of Table Tennis Bats?.

- Richard doesn’t play many drop shots

- In one hour of squash you huff and puff out 700 to 1000 calories which is much more than most other sports

- NZ has had some great players eg Susan Devoy and Ross Norman. Tim (happiest chappiest) is not one of these, I played him in Chicago and he kept running in to the walls and his white complexion went quite red (genus beetroota).

- It is an awkward game to learn but once you do it is great fun

- It is a great way to meet Pakistanis

 

Cheers

Tatts