Teaching a weekly fitness class—like writing weekly business messages—can get repetitious. A good instructor motivates action while guiding people in their exercises. My instructor likes to interject colorful similes to keep us going. I suspect it’s also her way of staying sharp and engaged, too. [Read more…]
Whether you’re writing an email, an article, a report, or a proposal, never leave your readers wondering what you actually want.
Specifically, they shouldn’t have to wonder about these critical components of communicating:
It’s easy (and lazy) to say, “Give clear instructions and point readers to their next action.” But here’s a more concrete method. [Read more…]
Much of the spoken language slides into our writing, but at times the words we say aren’t the exact fit for what we mean. Check your intention every time!
Consider these sentences from an article about education:
With the spoken word, we have the privilege of adding voice intonation, hand gestures, and emotion with our vocal cords. That doesn’t happen as easily in writing. You might leave readers guessing about your intended meaning and risk setting a tone that can be misconstrued.
Does your writing come across as arrogant? Are you using pompous phrases? To avoid confusion, consider dropping the following idioms and phrases from your writing altogether. Not only will you convey your thoughts more directly, but your writing will gain clarity. [Read more…]
Suppose your supervisor emails you a message that says, “Fix the attached” or “Polish this piece.” What does it mean to fix or polish a business message? In addition to correcting punctuation, typos, misspellings, and grammar glitches, what’s required beyond that?
First, find out what your supervisor thinks it needs. Where does it fall short? What’s missing? Whether or not you receive an answer, go through the following key questions yourself:
Here’s a 58-word sentence that could be chopped into three sentences, making the message easier to follow:
ORIGINAL: While it’s true that a portion of the budgeted dollars (less now than in past years) is spent dealing with design and construction deficiencies, most of the maintenance budget dollars are spent for normal upkeep and operational costs, for example, landscaping, fire protection, access control, equipment maintenance, power washing, lighting, painting, HVAC maintenance and repairs, and so on.
REVISED: Yes, a portion of the budgeted dollars (less than in past years) is spent on design and construction deficiencies. Yet most of the maintenance budget dollars are needed for normal upkeep and operational costs. These include landscaping, fire protection, access control, equipment maintenance, power washing, lighting, painting, and HVAC maintenance and repairs.
When it’s up to you to fix or polish that important message, use these questions as your checklist every time.
EXTRA: Barbara offers a FREE 30-minute teleclass sharing tips on better business writing, Wednesday, June 13th at 4 pm PT / 7 p.m. ET. Register here.
Barbara McNichol is passionate about helping administrative professionals add power to their pen. To assist in this mission, she has created a Word Trippers Tips resource so you can quickly find the right word when it matters most. It allows you to improve your writing through excellent weekly resources in your inbox, including a webinar, crossword puzzles, and a Word Tripper of the Week for 52 weeks. You can enjoy a $30 discount at checkout by using the code ODI at www.wordtrippers.com/odi
Those who care about productivity, for one. Studies show that 6% of productivity in corporations is affected by poorly written communications. And that number is probably low. Still, it reflects the time wasted going back and forth, back and forth, to clarify messages that should have been clear, concise, and complete in the first place. [Read more…]