Dan Roam - Blah Blah Blah- What To Do When Words D
Blah Blah Blah: What To Do When Words Don't Work by Dan Roam
Introduction
Have you ever been to so many meetings that you couldn't get your work done? Have you ever fallen asleep during a bulletpoint presentation? Have you ever watched the news and ended up knowing less?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have experienced the problem of blah-blah-blah. This is the problem of using too many words that don't communicate anything meaningful or memorable.
In this book, Dan Roam, the author of the best-selling The Back of the Napkin, shows us how to overcome this problem by using a technique called vivid thinking. This is a technique that combines our verbal and visual minds so that we can think and learn more quickly, teach and inspire our colleagues, and enjoy and share ideas in a whole new way.
In this article, we will summarize the main points and insights of the book. We will learn what is the problem of blah-blah-blah, what is the solution of vivid thinking, and what are the benefits of vivid thinking. We will also see how to apply vivid thinking to any situation, from business to education to media. By the end of this article, you will be able to use vivid thinking to create clear and compelling messages that will make you smarter, happier, and more successful.
The Problem: We talk so much that we don't think very well
How words can be misleading, confusing, and boring
Words are powerful tools for communication. They can help us express our thoughts, feelings, and opinions. They can also help us persuade, inform, and entertain others. However, words can also be problematic. They can be misleading, confusing, and boring.
Words can be misleading when they are vague, ambiguous, or inaccurate. For example, when we say \"the economy is bad\", what do we mean by \"bad\"? How bad is it? Compared to what? For whom? Words can also be misleading when they are used to manipulate, deceive, or distort the truth. For example, when politicians use euphemisms, spin, or propaganda to influence public opinion.
Words can be confusing when they are too complex, technical, or jargon-filled. For example, when we read a legal document, a scientific paper, or a business report that is full of unfamiliar terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. Words can also be confusing when they are too simple, generic, or clichéd. For example, when we use buzzwords, slogans, or platitudes that don't convey any specific or original meaning.
Words can be boring when they are too long, repetitive, or monotonous. For example, when we listen to a lecture, a speech, or a presentation that is full of bulletpoints, statistics, or facts. Words can also be boring when they are too short, superficial, or sensational. For example, when we watch the news, a movie, or a show that is full of soundbites, headlines, or drama.
Examples of wordy problems in business, education, and media
To illustrate how words can be misleading, confusing, and boring, Roam gives us some examples of wordy problems in different domains:
In business, we have the problem of blah-blah-blah meetings. These are meetings where people talk too much and say too little. They waste time and energy without reaching any clear decisions or actions.
In education, we have the problem of blah-blah-blah classes. These are classes where teachers talk too much and students learn too little. They fail to engage and inspire students without developing any critical thinking or creativity skills.
In media, we have the problem of blah-blah-blah news. These are news stories that tell us too much and inform us too little. They overload us with information without providing any insight or context.
The limitations of words as a thinking tool
The root cause of these wordy problems is that we rely too much on words as our default thinking tool. We think that words alone can detect, describe, and defuse the multifaceted problems of today. However, words have their limitations. They can't capture the complexity, ambiguity, and uncertainty of reality. They can't show us the big picture, the patterns, or the connections. They can't stimulate our imagination, emotions, or intuition.
As Roam puts it: \"We talk so much that we don't think very well.\"
How pictures can help us think better
The power of visual thinking
If words are not enough to think well, what can we do? Roam suggests that we use pictures as a complementary thinking tool. Pictures can help us think better because they have some advantages over words:
Pictures are more direct. They show us things as they are or as we imagine them to be. They don't need interpretation or translation.
Pictures are more simple. They reduce complexity to its essence. They don't need explanation or elaboration.
Pictures are more fun. They appeal to our senses and emotions. They don't need motivation or persuasion.
As Roam puts it: \"Pictures make ideas clear.\"
The six types of pictures that solve problems
But what kind of pictures should we use to think better? Roam introduces us to six types of pictures that solve problems. These are:
Who/What pictures. These are pictures that show us the people and things involved in a problem. They help us identify the nouns and name them.
How much pictures. These are pictures that show us the quantities and measurements related to a problem. They help us count the numbers and compare them.
Where pictures. These are pictures that show us the locations and spaces associated with a problem. They help us map the places and position them.
When pictures. These are pictures that show us the events and sequences that affect a problem. They help us plot the times and order them.
How pictures. These are pictures that show us the actions and processes that cause a problem. They help us flow the steps and link them.
Why pictures. These are pictures that show us the reasons and motivations behind a problem. They help us stack the layers and rank them.
pictures, we can solve any problem by answering the questions of who, what, how much, where, when, how, and why. The Solution: Vivid Thinking combines our verbal and visual minds
What is Vivid Thinking and how does it work?
Now that we know the problem of blah-blah-blah and the power of pictures, how can we use them to communicate better? Roam introduces us to a technique called Vivid Thinking. This is a technique that combines our verbal and visual minds so that we can create clear and compelling messages.
Vivid Thinking is based on two assumptions:
We have two modes of thinking: verbal and visual. Verbal thinking uses words to process information. Visual thinking uses images to process information.
We can switch between these two modes of thinking depending on the situation. Sometimes we need words to explain something. Sometimes we need images to show something. Sometimes we need both words and images to make something vivid.
Vivid Thinking works by using a simple framework called The Vivid Grammar. This framework helps us to choose the right words and images for our message. It also helps us to organize them in a logical and memorable way.
The definition and principles of Vivid Grammar
The Vivid Grammar is a set of rules that guide us to create vivid messages. It is based on three elements: subject, form, and content.
The subject is what we want to communicate. It is the main idea or theme of our message. For example, if we want to communicate about the business cycle, the subject is \"the business cycle.\"
The form is how we want to communicate. It is the shape or structure of our message. It can be verbal or visual, or a combination of both. For example, if we want to communicate about the business cycle using a metaphor, the form is \"the business cycle is a pendulum.\"
The content is why we want to communicate. It is the purpose or goal of our message. It can be informative, persuasive, or entertaining, or a combination of these. For example, if we want to communicate about the business cycle using a metaphor to inform and persuade our audience, the content is \"the business cycle is a pendulum that swings back and forth from peaks of prosperity to troughs of recession.\"
The Vivid Grammar follows three principles:
Match: match the form to the subject and the content. Choose the words and images that best suit your idea and your goal.
Focus: focus on one subject, one form, and one content at a time. Don't mix different subjects, forms, or contents in one message.
Order: order your message from simple to complex, from familiar to unfamiliar, from concrete to abstract. Start with what your audience knows and build on that.
The Vivid Grammar: a simple framework to create clear and compelling messages
To use The Vivid Grammar, Roam suggests that we follow four steps:
Choose your subject: decide what you want to communicate.
Select your form: pick the words and images that best match your subject.
Fill in your content: add details and facts that support your goal.
Arrange your message: organize your words and images in a logical and memorable way.
To illustrate how The Vivid Grammar works, Roam gives us an example of how he used it to create a vivid message for his book:
Step
Action
Result
1. Choose your subject
He wanted to communicate about his book.
The subject was \"my book.\"
2. Select your form
He decided to use a metaphor as his form.
The form was \"my book is a toolbox.\"
3. Fill in your content
He added details and facts to support his goal of informing and persuading his audience.
The content was \"my book is a toolbox that contains six tools (pictures) that can help you solve any problem.\"
4. Arrange your message
He organized his words and images in a simple and memorable way.
The message was a picture of a toolbox with six tools labeled with the names of the six types of pictures that solve problems.
By using The Vivid Grammar, Roam created a clear and compelling message that captured the essence of his book in one image.
How to apply Vivid Thinking to any situation
The four steps of Vivid Thinking: Look, See, Imagine, Show
Now that we know what is Vivid Thinking and how it works, how can we use it to communicate better in any situation? Roam introduces us to a simple process called The Four Steps of Vivid Thinking. This process helps us to use our verbal and visual minds to create vivid messages.
The Four Steps of Vivid Thinking are:
Look: look at the situation you want to communicate about. Observe the facts, data, and information that are relevant to your subject.
See: see the meaning behind the situation. Analyze the patterns, trends, and insights that are relevant to your content.
Imagine: imagine the possibilities for the situation. Generate ideas, solutions, and scenarios that are relevant to your goal.
Show: show your message to others. Use words and images to convey your subject, form, and content in a vivid way.
To illustrate how The Four Steps of Vivid Thinking work, Roam gives us an example of how he used them to communicate about the concept of vivid thinking itself:
Step
Action
Result
1. Look
He looked at the concept of vivid thinking and its components: subject, form, content.
He collected the facts, data, and information about vivid thinking.
2. See
He saw the meaning behind the concept of vivid thinking and its components: subject, form, content.
He analyzed the patterns, trends, and insights about vivid thinking.
3. Imagine
He imagined the possibilities for the concept of vivid thinking and its components: subject, form, content.
He generated ideas, solutions, and scenarios for vivid thinking.
4. Show
He showed his message about the concept of vivid thinking and its components: subject, form, content.
He used words and images to convey his subject (\"vivid thinking\"), his form (a metaphor: \"vivid thinking is like a camera\"), and his content (an informative and persuasive message: \"vivid thinking helps you capture and share your ideas clearly\"). He also used The Vivid Grammar to organize his message in a logical and memorable way.
By using The Four Steps of Vivid Thinking, Roam created a clear and compelling message that explained the concept of vivid thinking in one image.
Examples of Vivid Thinking in action: from Harvard Business School to late-night TV
To show us how Vivid Thinking can be applied to any situation, Roam gives us some examples of how he used it to communicate about different subjects:
In Chapter 3, he used Vivid Thinking to communicate about a Harvard Business School class on strategy formulation. He used a metaphor as his form (\"strategy formulation is like cooking\") and an informative and persuasive message as his content (\"strategy formulation is like cooking: you need ingredients (resources), recipes (plans), skills (capabilities), and taste (vision)\"). He also used The Four Steps of Vivid Thinking to create a picture that showed his message in one image.
The Destination: No more blah-blah-blah
How Vivid Thinking can make us smarter, happier, and more successful
The benefits of Vivid Thinking for learning, teaching, and sharing ideas
By using Vivid Thinking, we can not only communicate better, but also improve our own thinking and learning abilities. Vivid Thinking can help us to:
Learn faster and deeper. By using words and images to process information, we can activate both our left and right brain hemispheres. This can enhance our memory, comprehension, and creativity. For example, Roam suggests that we use Vivid Thinking to learn new languages, by associating words with pictures and stories.
Teach more effectively and persuasively. By using words and images to convey our message, we can appeal to different learning styles and preferences. This can increase our audience's attention, interest, and retention. For example, Roam suggests that we use Vivid Thinking to teach complex concepts, by simplifying them with metaphors and examples.
Share ideas more clearly and compellingly. By using words and images to present our ideas, we can make them more vivid and memorable. This can increase our impact, influence, and inspiration. For example, Roam suggests that we use Vivid Thinking to share our vision, by showing it with a picture that captures its essence.
As Roam puts it: \"Vivid Thinking makes us smarter.\"
The future of Vivid Thinking: a new way to communicate and collaborate in a complex world
Vivid Thinking is not only a useful technique for today's world, but also a necessary skill for the future. As the world becomes more complex, ambiguous, and uncertain, we need to be able to think and communicate more clearly and creatively. Vivid Thinking can help us to:
Adapt to change. By using words and images to explore different scenarios and possibilities, we can be more flexible and resilient in the face of change. We can also use Vivid Thinking to create change ourselves, by showing others a vivid picture of a better future.
Solve problems. By using words and images to analyze problems and generate solutions, we can be more effective and innovative in solving challenges. We can also use Vivid Thinking to collaborate with others, by sharing our perspectives and insights in a vivid way.
Create value. By using words and images to express our unique ideas and talents, we can be more valuable and distinctive in our work. We can also use Vivid Thinking to create value for others, by delivering vivid messages that inform, persuade, or entertain them.
As Roam puts it: \"Vivid Thinking makes us happier.\"
Conclusion: How to start using Vivid Thinking today
A summary of the main points and takeaways of the book
In this book, Roam shows us how to overcome the problem of blah-blah-blah by using a technique called Vivid Thinking. Vivid Thinking is a technique that combines our verbal and visual minds so that we can think and learn more quickly, teach and inspire our colleagues, and enjoy and share ideas in a whole new way.
To use Vivid Thinking, we need to follow two steps:
Use The Vivid Grammar: a simple framework that helps us choose the right words and images for our message.
Use The Four Steps of Vivid Thinking: a simple process that helps us use our verbal and visual minds to create vivid messages.
By using Vivid Thinking, we can not only communicate better, but also improve our own thinking and learning abilities. Vivid Thinking can also help us adapt to change, solve problems, and create value in a complex world.
A call to action for readers to try Vivid Thinking for themselves
If you want to experience the benefits of Vivid Thinking for yourself, Roam invites you to try it today. You don't need any special skills or tools to start using Vivid Thinking. All you need is a pen and a paper, and a willingness to experiment with words and images.
Here are some suggestions for how you can use Vivid Thinking in different situations:
If you want to learn something new, use Vivid Thinking to create a picture that summarizes the main points and takeaways of what you learned.
If you want to teach something to someone, use Vivid Thinking to create a picture that explains the concept or idea in a simple and memorable way.
If you want to share your idea with others, use Vivid Thinking to create a picture that shows the benefits and value of your idea in a clear and compelling way.
As you practice Vivid Thinking, you will discover how it can make your ideas clearer, more memorable, and more powerful. You will also discover how it can make you smarter, happier, and more successful.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a pen and a paper, and start using Vivid Thinking today!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Vivid Thinking and the book:
What is the difference between Vivid Thinking and visual thinking?
Vivid Thinking is a technique that combines verbal and visual thinking. Visual thinking is a mode of thinking that uses ima