Doua lucruri sunt, dupa mine, cele mai importante in afaceri (si nu numai): sa vorbesti bine si sa scrii bine.
Importanta celor doua activitati poate fi vizualizata foarte simplu. Am cautat pe Amazon cate carti sunt listate sub sintagma “public speaking”. Am gasit 12.287. Amazon listeaza 22.664 de titluri sub sintagma “how to write”.
E firesc sa apara mai multe carti legate de “scris”. A scrie nu este la fel de inspaimantator ca “vorbitul in public”, prin urmare activitatea asta e cel putin la prima vedere mai atractiva. Apoi, orice angajat sau antreprenor, are mult mai multe ocazii de a se exprima in scris dacat oportunitati de a vorbi in public. In afaceri ai de pregatit in fiecare zi sau saptamana emailuri, memo-uri, prezentari catre colegi de echipa sau catre audiente externe. Vorbitul in public, in fata unui public numeros, este mai putin intalnit.
Totusi, scrisul poate fi la fel de inspaimantator ca vorbitul in public. Poate fi inspaimantator pentru cel/cei care sunt “la primire”. De prea multe ori comunicarile de business sunt neinspirate si neinteresante. Asta se intampla deoarece transmitatorul nu se straduie suficient – el/ea considera, intr-o maniera implicita, ca audienta este “garantat” accordata la subiect si la transmitator (e simplu: daca ai de trimis un materials scris catre echipa de proiect, sau catre agentia de publicitate, atunci aceasta audienta este perceputa ca o audienta captiva, ea trebuie sa asculte ce ai de spus, e considerata implicit ca are un interes clar si imediat in a urmari comunicarea facuta de tine). Da, e adevarat, in aceasta situatie receptorul este conectat la transmitator, insa rezultatul poate fi imbunatatit foarte mult daca transmitatorul are grija sa isi construiasca o poveste.
Chiar daca scrii pentru afaceri, materialul tau trebuie sa aiba o poveste. Jacqui Banaszynski (Jacqui a venit de mai multe ori la Bucuresti la conderintele organizate de Cristian Lupsa si “Decat o Revista“) explica foarte bine in articolul “Why We Need Stories” ce inseamna povestile in viata de zi cu zi, in jurnalism, in proza si chiar in afaceri:
Stories give shape to experience and allow us to go through life unblind. Without them, the stuff that happens would float around in some glob and none of it would mean anything. Once you have a version of what happened, all the other good stuff about being human can come into play. You can laugh, feel awe, commit a compassionate act, get pissed, and want to change things.
Un exemplu pentru mine sunt “povestorii” de la Pixar. Emma Coats, un fost storyboard artist la Pixar, a pus pe Twitter, in decursul a aproape doua luni, o serie de elemente de baza necesare pentru a scrie povesti de interesante. Pe blogul dedicat cartii “The Pixar Touch”, autorul, David A. Price, listeaza toate postarile Emmei.
Iata-le mai jos, cu copy/paste. Aceste 22 de elemente sunt scrise, evident, din perspectiva unei naratiuni derulate in genul fictiune. Totusi, ele pot fi aplicate si in comunicarea de afaceri si in randurile de mai jos am subliniat punctele care au o adresabilitate imediata.
#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
#2: You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.
#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won’t see what the story is actually about til you’re at the end of it. Now rewrite.
#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
#8: Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
#9: When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.
#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.
#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
#17: No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.
#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?
#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can’t just write ‘cool’. What would make YOU act that way?
#22: What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.
Sursa foto.