Vocabulary Builder: Cogent and Lucid

Going to the source

Yes, it’s back, the Vocabulary Builder feature. The best I can tell you at this time is that it will be a monthly feature. It will consist of words, phrases, evolving concepts, and all that “stuff” that sounds really great but few are aware of what it really means – or they’ve forgotten.

This month starts with two words. They seem relevant because of the way our social atmosphere is starting to go.

The first word is “cogent.”

Dictionary.com tells us it’s an adjective. Great site that it is, it even provides various iterations in the form of adverbs as well as adjectives. It has two definitions, which essentially convey the same idea, being:

1. convincing or believable by virtue of forcible, clear, or incisive presentation; telling.
2. to the point; relevant; pertinent.

We strive to make cogent (clear and understandable) presentations at our department meetings. We want the client sales presentation to be relevant to their needs so that they will be more inclined to purchase our product instead of that produced by the competition. The interview was so cogent that it convinced the Hiring Committee to go with Candidate A instead of Candidates B or C.

Clear and convincing is what we’re attempting to communicate by using the word “cogent.”

Now what about this word, “lucid?” How did that get hauled into this conversation? (Would you believe My Muse forced me to include it?)

It’s another adjective (a word that describes the subject of the sentence). Again, Dictionary.com is my point of reference. They define the word as meaning:

1. easily understood; completely intelligible or comprehensible: a lucid explanation.
2. characterized by clear perception or understanding; rational or sane: a lucid moment in his madness.
3. shining or bright.
4. clear; pellucid; transparent.

Well. Although my consciousness demanded that both words be included in this re-launch, it appears there was more purposefulness to this than mere whim.

Helpful Resources:

• PHR/SPHR Recertification
• Read The Desk on Kindle

Vocabulary Builder: STEM

It’s an acronym that’s been popular in the world of education since 2001. It has to do with encouraging youth, especially girls, to consider challenging themselves with certain subjects that are not the usual curriculum for girls. It encourages all youth to enjoy the subjects and fulfill their natural curiosity about something called

• S
• T
• E
• M

Who can tell me what these letters stand for?

There’s a new focus that proposes that STEM should become STEAM. Any idea what the “A” stands for?

Wouldn’t it be great if we could encourage more people to be more involved in these subjects? With the popularity of things such as Androids and iPhones, not to mention the advancements of online games and moving our lives into actually living Star Trek lives, it would seem there would be few who are shy about delving into STEM and the things that relate to it.

So What does STEM mean? Maybe we should be talking about STEAM.

Maybe a better question is what are you doing about bringing it into more lives?

Additional Resources:

• FIRST heats up STEM and gets STEAM, Heidi Buck, First Lego League (August 28, 2011)
• Understanding the Basics of STEM Education, Patricia Fioriello, DRPF Consults.com (April 2011)
• K-12 STEM Education Overview, Hanover Research (October 2011)
• STEM Education Has Little to Do With Flowers, Natalie Angier, New York Times (October 4, 2010)

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Tipping the Success Scales

Some people seem to have all the luck. They toss their presentation materials (resume, cover letter, work samples, portfolio, profile statement and URL, and so on) into the social stream (not to be confused with the jet stream of all the others zooming past in order to gain attention) and get snatched up in short order. “Well just how did that happen?” some will pout. “I’m just as qualified; maybe even more so. And I definitely got my materials delivered before that Johnny-Come-Lately!” Maybe you did. In fact, the time stamp says you were a full two days ahead of your competitor yet they got the tap for coming in to do a face-to-face meeting. Drat!

Patrick McFadden writes the Indispensable Marketing blog and indirectly explains this phenomenon. He calls it using power words or words that enrich. Patrick provides 50 power words in his enrichment post and then tells a reader that the 50 is not the exhaustive representation. Good point, too, I might add. While the list is fantastic, it doesn’t include the word “open” as one example of what could be included. Some other synonyms not in his list are words such as “alluring”, “receptive”, and “ready” but that doesn’t prevent them from being just as effective when it comes to delivering consistent results.

Actually, Patrick’s words are intended for those who are marketing their business – whether a service or a product. His intent was not to provide advice for job seekers. When you stop to consider the process that’s occurring, however, it becomes obvious that the principles are essentially the same because what’s being marketed, in the case of job seekers, is a basket of talents and skills they possess. Even freelancers and consultants need to pay attention to these power words and integrate them into their daily vocabulary (to get into the habit of using the words; to get into the mindset of those adjectives).

A word of caution would serve all of us well at this juncture. Marketo is a partner of About.com’s Marketing Channel. Marketo is offering a free ebook called 10 Tips for Successful Email Campaigns. Once you have that download on your screen, you’ll discover Marketo discourages use of some of Patrick’s 50 because when used in email, they become spam magnets and will prevent your message from being delivered.

One word in particular is guaranteed to be counterproductive when seeking new opportunities and contracts – “free.” We’re not in the business of surviving off the land and being charitable to a fault. In the early days of The Net, tons (literally) and scads of stuff was free. We got really accustomed to that. But the IT bubble that burst back in 2000 taught us that exorbitant salaries countered with no price tag will eventually be the death of all things we like and admire. (I wonder if that works on weeds?) There’ll be a lot of people walking away with all that free advice and examples. You’ll be standing there watching the backs of those who received. They’ll be headed to the place where they can get the model made, the services delivered (on time), and getting paid for all that knowledge of yours that you so generously allowed them to convert to cash. And they’ll have paid someone else for the reaping of those benefits.

Don’t be too liberal with use the word “free.” Think “freely expand” or “generous benefits.” Do be free with use of the Indispensable Marketing words in your writing, in your networking, and in your normal vocabulary so that you convey the rich rewards of being associated with you.

What Does This Mean in Law?

We talked about legal job search tips that deserve to be preserved. Here are some additional points that are important to interviewing, job search, and strategies for the sake of understanding the terminology and concepts that are being discussed and for the sake of just getting ahead of the game.

So you’re just starting out and trying to figure out what needs to be done to stand out when your classmates are more stellar than you. FindLaw’s Hot Job Talk talks about the various aspects of getting started. One of the difficult areas is should you pursue a position in a firm when your GPA and class standing isn’t as stellar as that of your classmates.

HOW TO LAND A LEGAL JOB WHEN YOU’RE AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR CLASS
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates) – In this sluggish economy, it can be hard to land a job, even if you graduate in the top 10 percent of your class. So what legal job-search tips can possibly help someone who’s ranked at or near the bottom?

So let’s say you opt for contract work or a less than stellar first year position and they tell you your first project is “document review”. That’s a loaded term. It could mean one thing in litigation and have a completely different context when it comes to transactional law. And then there are other areas of law such as environmental advocacy. Maybe you should be asking more questions in the moment that those terms arise.

JUST WHAT IS DOCUMENT REVIEW?
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates) – If you ask 10 different attorneys what document review is, you’ll probably get 10 different answers.

One solution to this ticklish situation is to have a trusted senior in your corner and explaining things to you as you go. Make certain you respect their position. Don’t start thinking you know more than the “teacher.” And take to heart these tips on how to find a mentor.

NEW LAWYERS NEED MENTORS: 3 WAYS TO FIND ONE
(FindLaw’s Strategist) – If you’re starting your own law practice, one of the most common pieces of advice you’ll receive is to get a mentor.

So let’s say you decide to strike out on your own. You may think you can just go and hang your shingle and life will be good; clients will flock to your office; you’ll have to beat them back with a 2×4 as you bill $500 per hour for your time. Really? You need to plan your business just as carefully as you did your education. Here are some things that need to be taken into consideration by a solo practitioner. Just remember that the advice morphs when it comes to practicing with others in some type of collaborative.

WHAT INCORPORATION STRUCTURE IS BEST FOR A SOLO PRACTICE?
(FindLaw’s Strategist)- Not all solo firms advise clients about how to incorporate, but all solo attorneys have to figure out what kind of business entity is best for them.

And now that you’ve set up shop, you need to start networking in order to gain potential business and clients. Since we just had the Winter holidays, you may have been frequenting some of the holiday parties. Since we’re in the midst of the Awards and athletics playoffs seasons, some of those celebrations may call you into those venues to rub elbows and hobnob. Now you’re starting to ask yourself the next pivotal question about building business relationships and client base.

HOW TO GET NEW CLIENTS AT A HOLIDAY PARTY WITHOUT REALLY TRYING
(FindLaw’s Greedy Associates)- So you’ve been invited to the big holiday party. Congratulations. All the bigwigs will be there. Now you just got to close the deal. But how do you go about picking up clients at the holiday party?

Sponsored Links:

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Vocabulary Builder: Peek, Peak, and Pique

Homonyms are such tricksters. They sound like their sib[ling]s and cousins but they mean entirely different things. Those who are familiar with the family of homonyms find it difficult to have anything profound to say about them. Each one has a different meaning associated with a different matter but they’re spelled differently while they all sound the same. Unfortunately for the one who isn’t familiar with the family, Word will tell them they’ve spelled the word properly but won’t tell them that it’s the wrong word in relation to the concept they’re attempting to relate. Use of the wrong homonym tells the reader who is being enticed (and is familiar with the family) that the speaker still has a lot to learn.

The good part of having a lot to learn and misuse is that the speaker is open to learning. That is a definite saving grace. Another that accompanies that is learning the differences quickly and applying use of the correct word in the correct situation – no subsequent misuse of that family of terms.

So let’s take a look at today’s group of homonyms.

We sometimes “peek” at or into something. What we’re doing is peering into a thing that’s being kept secret for some reason. Maybe it’s a gift. In the alternative, there may be a keyhole opening through a lock or some other aperture and we’re attempting to find out what’s on the other side. Having that knowledge would definitely help us know whether what’s on the other side is worth pursuing or not.

Then we reach a “peak” and wonder where to go next. In this instance, we’ve reached the top of something, be it a mountain or hill, a performance level, or even something that’s stacked so high that it can no longer support additions.

Which brings us to “pique.” As you can tell from the spelling, it comes to us from France and means raising an interest in something. It also means being stung with insult or irritation about something. Interesting word that “pique.” These days, it’s mostly used in reference to having one’s interest aroused. If we look at it from the Latin and relate it to Spanish, we realize it’s closely related to the term “picador” which is the word used for the person who jabs a bull with barbed picks that stir the animal to action and make it angry enough to charge in order to defend itself. So let’s pique someone’s interest but not their ire.

The other thing we should do is be mindful of what words have homonyms and make certain the correct word is being used lest we expose how new it is to our vocabulary.

Sponsored Link: Dictionary of Homonyms (Wordsworth Reference)

Vocabulary Builder: Budget Issues

I usually post a weekly Vocabulary Builder to the “Classes & Trainings” folder of the Bulletins portion of my site. The psychology is that people use terms but they don’t always mean the same thing to different people or in different situations. The result is strained, or even no, communication but a lot of confusion.

To remedy that, especially for the sake of having a good exchange during an interview (showing off your skills) and then for the long haul on your permanent job during those times at the water cooler or (more importantly) during department meetings, I started the Vocabulary Builders.

During the time when these Vocabulary Builders were static and lived in the Career and the Recruiting Tips newsletters, the definitions were provided in the body of the newsletter. Things changed when the exercises moved to non-static mode. I now ask for members to provide how they define the terms. In that way, we can (1) gain an understanding of how others interpret the word(s) or term(s) and (2) gain more meaningful communication.

Now that our history lesson about the Vocabulary Builder is out of the way, here’s this week’s exercise regarding Budget Issues:

Vocabulary Builder: Budget Issues

Congress and the President are having some strong conversations right now as we consider various methods to put the budget (and economy) back on some good footing. While getting into a debate over which strategies are best and which is the best Party to follow isn’t necessarily right for this post, it would be good to get a common ground understanding for the terms being used during your next conversation on the subject.

How are you defining these terms?

• discretionary budget item
• debt service
• static calculation of revenue (without taxation)
• partisan
• nonpartisan

Incidentally, which branch of governnment is the one responsible for creating the economic environment in which we live and work?

• President
• Congress
• Judiciary

You can use the Comments section to provide your definition of one or all of the terms (and/or) respond to the challenge question. You can also go to the Bulletins and respond there.