Verbalization

Did you ever think that you would appreciate the grammar that you learned back in grade school? While writers (and grade school teachers) might be concerned with nouns, verbs, and other parts of speech, is there any reason you should be? The answer is yes... but perhaps not for the reason you might think.

Think back to the definitions of these words: nouns are people, places or things, and verbs are action words. Interestingly, people can be easily classified this way too. Are you an analyst, a designer, or a manager? Or do you analyze, design, manage, invent, act, inspire, and lead? Nouns vs. Verbs.

People who are nouns have a fixed sense of what they are and what they do; they are static. People who are verbs have direction: from what is, to what can be. They are moving to their next goal.

This week's action item: Look over any biographies and resumes (and any elevator pitch) that you have. Are you a noun or a verb? If you are a noun, add some direction by re-writing with more verb-alization: make yourself a person of action.

Bonus Action: Organizations can be nouns or verbs as well. If you are writing a proposal, doing a pitch, or writing a memo, take a moment this week to identify all of the nouns, then consider if your communication would be better verb-alized.

Randall Craig is an expert on Career Planning, Work-Life Balance, and Networking; to find out how his workshops, webinars, and keynotes can help your team or add to your event, contact him through www.PersonalBalanceSheet.com, or by email at editor@ptadvisors.com.

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Copyright © 2009 Knowledge to Action Press and Randall Craig. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: November 3, 2009