Writing Skills Ii

E ffective W riting S kills Training & Discussion on Muhammad Bilal Anwar March 17,2009

Goals & Objectives Understanding written communication Understanding importance of possessing good writing skills Knowing about different types of documents used for offices writing Discussing Offices’s current writing skill-set among employees Reviewing, Analyzing & Suggesting organizational improvement in written communication

Writing? One of the best methods to communicate Writing is one of the oldest known forms of communication In today’s age of information and technology, writing has become a lost art

Why Written Communication? Creates a permanent record Allows you to store information for future reference Easily distributed All recipients receive the same information Necessary for legal and binding documentation

Writing Skills? A career requirement More than a “nice thing to have” – a necessity Your Writing = Your Personality As a professional, it is crucial to write well

Writing Skills? The ability to write does not require a unique talent or an outstanding mental ability Everyone has the basic skills necessary to write well A basic understanding of writing and a commitment to writing well in all situations is needed as a professional

Questions a writer asks How do I begin? What is my purpose? How do I make my point clear? How do I create a logical flow? How do I say what I mean? How do I avoid grammatical errors? How can I make my message brief? How can I create a visual effect?

The Writing Process Planning Writing Quality Control

The Writing Process Planning Keep objectives in mind and research the topic Think about the audience Outlining helps organize thoughts

The Writing Process Writing Follow your outline, use your handbook Inspiration is acceptable but must be carefully reviewed Use the interview approach to supplement the outline (who, what, where, when, how)

The Writing Process Quality Control Reread your work Be critical of your own work

Considerations while writing Who? What? When? Why? Where? How?

Good Writing Completeness: all information needed is provided Correctness: relevant and precise information Credibility: support your argument Clarity: should not be vague, confusing, ambiguous Conciseness: to the point Consideration: anticipate the reader’s reaction Vitality: use the active voice rather than the passive voice

Business Documents A good official document should always answer the following questions: What is this document about? Why has it come to be? Who wrote it? How is it organized? What is it trying to accomplish What supports the conclusion? What problem or opportunity does it address?

Spelling and Grammar It is important in all official communications to use proper grammar and correct spelling What you write and how you write could reflect a positive or negative image Sloppy and/or poorly written communications could be perceived as a lack of caring

Spelling and Grammar Tips Proofread communications before sending Use spell and grammar check if available Make sure to have subject, verb and tense agreement Ensure proper word usage: affect/effect there/their among/between shall/will can/may than/then

Types of Writing E-mails Letters and Memos Agendas Reports Promotional Material Academic Documents Research (scientific) manuscripts White Papers

E-Mails E-mail is fast, convenient and easy Email is now the dominant method of communicating in business. Convenient for communicating with people in different places and different time zones Easier to communicate with people who understand written English but don’t speak it well Excellent mechanism for follow-up or action items after a meeting Messages can be saved and retrieved easily

E-Mails (Challenges) USE WITH CARE…. Email is not always confidential -- emails can sometime be obtained from central network even if deleted from personal computers

E-Mails (Challenges) Email is often sent out without re-reading, proof-reading and other standards applied to written communications. We press the send button too soon! Emails can be forwarded and sent to others without your approval or knowledge

E-Mails Many users do not realize the potential outcome of what is being sent through e-mails Official e-mails should be concise and to the point The language used in official e-mails should not be overly informal

E-Mail Manners Always include a subject or e-mail title Avoid the “ready, aim, fire” approach Avoid “flaming” Don’t be too-casual Consider if e-mail is the appropriate tool Make one point per e-mail Make the font user-friendly Don’t use all capital or lower-case letters

Letters and Memos Letters and memos are the basic vehicles of business communication They should be brief and make a single point (no more than 2 pages) Letters are for external communications Memos are for internal communications

Letters and Memos Heading or Letterhead Date Inside address Salutation Subject line Body Closing and Signature Enclosures or ‘CC’ All official letters should include:

Letters and Memos TO: (To whom is the memo directed?) FROM: (Who wrote the memo?) DATE: SUBJECT: or RE: All Office memos should include:

Types of Letters and Memos Letters of request Sales letters Response letters Cover letters, recommendations Letters of collection Letters to vendors and suppliers Memos that deal with employee issues Memos that make announcements Memos for policies and procedures

“The greatest problem in communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished. ” - George Bernard Shaw

Have you hit your target? In written communication most confusion & frustration are caused by failing to be specific Make it clear, brief and concise

Reports Define the main point Define the goals and objectives Collect the evidence needed to support the main point Organize the report State the conclusions and recommendations

Organization of Reports Title Executive summary Introduction Materials and methods Results and discussions Conclusions Recommendations

Common Errors & Tips Company name usage Shortened words (thru, condn, mgmt, ref, lib) Repetition of words Example: file the file in the file folder. Use of ampersand (&) Use of bold UPPER CASE

Common Errors & Tips Punctuation Use commas to separate elements in a series, and to separate ideas or clauses. Use correct punctuation in abbreviations; e.g., for example i.e., that is etc., et cetera Do not use multiple punctuation marks, for example: !!! ... ???, etc. Punctuation of lists and tables

Common Errors & Tips Hyphen and dash usage Confusion between its and it's Use of apostrophe Abbreviations and acronyms Use active voice Do not switch tenses very often Proofread for accuracy

10 Commandments Know what you want to say before you say it. Keep it simple. Use bullet points. WIIFM (What's in It For Me?) Don't get bogged down Call to action Edit Spell check Take 5 before hitting send Follow up

Conclusions Utilize full potential of written communication Use frequent e-mails as per your requirement What you write will ultimately define you as a professional to your colleagues and superiors Match the appropriate communication method to the recipient Eliminating excessive or unnecessary communication will improve your workflow Mastering these skills will improve your ability and enhance your career

Writing Skills Ii

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Writing Skills Ii