Letter from Our Co-Founder
Over the years, I have seen firsthand one consistent pattern across industries, teams, and even the most well-meaning professionals: we talk, we write, we present – but we often fail to connect. Not for lack of effort, or even skill; and rather because somewhere between intention and perception, meaning gets lost.
That gap has always fascinated me.
Why does a seemingly well-written email still feel unclear?
Why do presentations filled with data still fail to move people?
Why do teams walk away from the same meeting with entirely different understandings?
These questions led us to develop The CommonGround Framework™ (The CGF Model): a model not just for writing or speaking, but for thinking. For structuring ideas with clarity. For articulating messages with precision. And most of all, for aligning what you mean with what others actually receive.
The CGF Model was born from years of practice – in journalism, in business strategy, in training – and from a belief that communication is never a soft skill. It is a core capability that determines how well we lead, collaborate, and drive change.
The CGF Model is not a shortcut. It is not a set of templates. It is a thinking tool, one that rewires how we approach communication, starting with clarity of purpose, structural awareness, and precision in articulation.
We built the framework not to impress, but to serve. To help professionals and organizations find alignment between thought and expression, between information and impact. And to give teams across sectors a shared language for communicating with intent.
If you have ever felt that your message didn’t land the way you intended: you are not alone. The CGF Model is our way of closing that gap.
We hope this becomes a space where you can sharpen your thinking, elevate your voice, and – above all – find common ground.
Yours Truly,
Maggie Tiojakin
Director + Co-Founder, B/NDL Studios
President + CRO, The Jakarta Post