Words, Words, Words: June ’20
Write it right, say it right, spell it right.
Category: Communication
Handle a heavy reading chore with these 4 tactics
You absorb most material that crosses your desk with ease. But once in a while, a heavy assignment—reading a book, proofing a long report or being asked to give your input on a complicated competitive analysis—can throw you off. Stop procrastinating and cut through that daunting reading assignment with these tactics…
Grammar Repair Shop: A simple solution to an ‘article’ query
Problem: Patricia Cain, Philadelphia, asked whether to use “a” or “an” before the initialism SCSR, for senior customer service representative. Lesson: The key is whether the sound that follows the article is a consonant or a vowel sound. If you read SCSR aloud, the first sound you pronounce is a vowel sound, “ess.” Therefore, use […]
Put in the ‘zing,’ take out the ‘boring’
“Professional” business writing doesn’t necessarily mean “b o r i n g.” Before printing the final draft of your documents, go back and put some “oomph” in them. Use these copyediting tricks:
Tailor your pitch to the boss’s style
Feel like your ideas are falling on deaf ears? Maybe it’s your sales pitch, not the proposal. Focus your “pitch” with these tactics:
Create an in-house style guide to keep everyone in tune
Do you have a general reference guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style, a grammar reference and a dictionary, but still not know what the preferred organizational usage or style is? We thought so. Your organization needs its own in-house style guide.
What to do when the grapevine topic is you
You’ve scrupulously avoided office gossip, but that isn’t protecting you from being the subject of this week’s chitchat. Wanting to jump quickly to your own defense is a normal reaction, but it might exacerbate the situation. Follow these steps to salvage your reputation and stop the gossip.
Recognize the needs behind colleagues’ demands
When you’re frustrated by micromanagement or other demands at work, step back and study what the other person truly needs from you. One day Lydia Abram had an “ah ha moment” that taught her how to satisfy a micromanaging colleague’s needs without slowing down her work flow:
Little words leave big impressions
In new situations, the first words out of your mouth (like, you know) can leave a lasting first impression. While you don’t want to come across as overly formal or stilted in your speech, you do want to be professional and well-spoken. (And the little words you “say” online can leave an even longer lasting first impression.)
Customize MS Word tools to check your writing
If you’re like most professionals, you use Microsoft Word every day. Take a few minutes now to customize your Word workspace by tailoring the built-in spelling and grammar checks on your computer to meet your specific needs. Here’s how: