You may think you’ve just penned the most brilliant correspondence of the year, but if it takes the recipient too long to wade through lengthy paragraphs, he’ll never know how bright you are. Take a tip from writing guru William Strunk: “Vigorous writing is concise.” Follow these steps to trim your prose:
Mark your calendar: Oct. 16 is National Boss Day. Here’s an alternative to bringing a card or cookies: Honor the day by making a silent commitment to strengthening your relationship with your boss.
“Hey, thanks!” Sometimes a quick word of thanks to a co-worker is enough. Other times, you need to express your personal appreciation in a way that stands out (but doesn’t break the bank). Try one of these ideas the next time you want to thank someone for going above and beyond.
To do your job well, you probably need to remember a gazillion things —and the same goes for the others on your team. Wouldn’t you love to share all that knowledge and expertise? One idea: an e-mail newsletter just for your admin team.
You may know exactly what Sam is about to say, so you’re impatient because it’s taking him so long. But that’s no excuse for interrupting him. Besides, people who speak slowly will slow things down even more if you interrupt them. Here’s how to break the habit.
Managers believe they’re getting better at deducing what admins need. Uh-huh.
When you seek input from others, whether you’re speaking or writing, be clear in your request. People will appreciate your directness and the time it saves them.
As any writer can tell you, a first draft is seldom perfect. The best writers put their words through rigorous rewrites and revisions before they even bother to run the spell-checker. Doing the same for memos, e-mail correspondence and letters could take your business writing to a whole new level.
The Internet is changing the way we read and think, asserts a recent article in The Atlantic Monthly titled “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” So what does that mean for you? Cater your writing to skimmers.
The words “very” and “so” are kosher intensifiers during casual conversations (as in, “It’s so hot today!”). But when writing, it’s best to avoid both. Why? They can weaken your writing.
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