Written Communication

Author: Shirley Taylor

Take a look around your workplace. Do the leaders in your organisation write effectively and powerfully? Do good writers tend to get promoted? Do people tend to listen to good writers? Are good writers able to persuade or convince effectively? Absolutely, yes, yes, and yes again!

More and more of our work today is undertaken through writing rather than in person or on the phone. Indeed, I really wish that wasn’t true. Have you ever considered how much quicker certain issues could be resolved by picking up the phone or speaking to someone face-to-face? We all spend way too much time going through the ding-dong of emails going back and forth, when a simple phone call would have been much more effective. Anyway, I digress. (more…)

Author: Dale Reynolds

Have you ever been at a loss to understand what someone was saying (in person or in writing) because they used unfamiliar words? Good writing skills include making sure the intended audience will comprehend your message!

What is your intention when writing an article?

• To impress people with your intelligence
• To build a loyal following of people who will read your material again

I believe many times, writers and speakers are trying to appear intelligent and be impressive. But if you are trying to get people to come back for more, it’s absolutely the wrong strategy! You must speak and write in a way that will be understood. (more…)

Author: Krystalina Soash

As a writer and public speaker, I often ask myself “What is the purpose of writing and speaking?” And I answer, “It is to communicate a point effectively”. So whether we speak, write a speech or memo, the whole purpose is to communicate effectively. Then we have to ask, “What is it that we are trying to communicate?” 

Following are some important points to keep in mind when attempting to communicate your point: 

• State your most important point first. That is, what is the basis of your letter, memo, speech or email? State that point in the very beginning so your reader will know what to focus on.
• When addressing your reader, think about your audience. Who are you actually directing your communication towards? Is it your “in group” that understands your lingo? Is it your professional comrade that understands your jargon? Be sure to only use terms and clichés that are understood by your professional insiders. (more…)