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Category: Internal Communication

Dishing out criticism, without the sting

Ask a person if he likes criticism, and he’ll probably say no. Most of us would prefer constant praise. But most of us also want to know that people take our work seriously. We crave feedback that is thoughtful and thought-provoking. The trick is learning how to give and receive meaningful feedback. Here’s how:

Pen an opening line with the 3 R’s

How well can you capture the attention of someone receiving your memo? Your memo will capture readers if it includes one of the three R’s in its opening line: It should recommend something, reveal information or request that someone act. Test your skill by picking the best opening sentence in this example:

The power of 3’s

Three blind mice, the three little pigs, three wishes—there’s a reason childhood stories revolve around the magic number “3.” Our brains tend to think in threes. How can you take advantage of this simple truth?

6 ways to tighten your communications

With the diminishing time you have to communicate, it’s a good idea to tighten your writing and say everything that needs to be said in half the words. With thought and discipline, you can do great things in small spaces. Here are six tips from Brady Dennis, who as a reporter at the St. Petersburg Times wrote a series of profiles in just 300 words apiece.