You’ve got

three seconds
to make an
impression
Why Writing Ability Is The Most Important Skill In Business...

✓ Clear Thinking
✓ Knowing the Rules
✓ Good Reading Habits
✓ Empathy
✓ Curiosity
✓ Economy

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/01/29/why-writing-ability-is-the-most-important-skill-i
 Business Communication
Primer
Introducing the art of “busy people” writing skills

© Charlie Kirkpatrick- Ask for permission for using/quoting: [email protected]

Technology has
transformed the way we
communicate with
colleagues and clients
 We’re expected to absorb
information and respond
faster
than ever before...
.. And the digitization of
messages
means they can end up places
Communication at Internet
Speed

Speed + Ease of Transmission =

tremendous opportunities and
risks for you and your
organization.
Today’s Objectives...
✓ To explore the idea of communicating strategically
✓ To increase the likelihood that your writing actually will be
read and achieve results
✓ To consider five strategies you can use to gain audience
attention and the results you want
✓ To make you aware of automated tools for improving
readability
From PMBOK...

“Effective communication means the

information is provided in the right format,
at the right time, and with the right
impact.

“Efficient communication means

providing only the information that is
needed.”

Source: Project Management Institute

Business Audiences Today are...
Content driven - Where’s the
beef!

In search of solutions - Help me

fix it!
Business Audiences are also...
Busy, Busy, Busy!
Multitasking & Suffering from
information overload

Easily distracted
Introducing
Busy People
Writing Skills
 Writing offers many advantages
It creates a record
It can save
It’s often more
time
convenient for the
recipient
It allows us to
carefully
construct
content

It’s good for

conveying
complex information
Writing also presents many
risks...
✓ Your meaning may be misunderstood
✓ Your tone can be misunderstood
✓ You can’t immediately correct misunderstandings
✓ Your document can “grow legs and walk”
✓ You may be criticized if your work has flaws
✓ The written record can be used against you
 Poor writing is expensive...
… and can cost us:
✓ Time
✓ Credibility
✓ Goodwill
✓ Opportunities
✓ Income (Lots of
Income)!
Don’t Make
Your Boss
Think!
When we write, our task is to
make understanding as easy
as possible

✓ Respect and save people’s

time
✓ Help them know what, if
anything, they need to do
Business Writing Tips
Help your
readers
1. Provide high “skim value”
2. Establish the context of the
situation
3. Make your “bottom line” fast &
clear
4. Provide a structural “roadmap”
5. Write concisely and clearly
1: Provide high skim
value
✓ Include plenty of
white space
Come this
✓ Use “signposts” w ay !
This is
such as bullets and important!
headings Be aware of this!
2: Establish the context of the
situation

✓ Briefly describe the current situation

✓ Introduce a complication, problem,
or
question at issue
Example of a context-setting language in an
email

Maria,
As you requested, I have analyzed the results of
our most recent client survey to determine why our
satisfaction measures declined in the past three
months.
Example of context-setting language in a
report

Division XY is a significant business unit within Eleganz Context: Who

Corporation, a major player in the global IT consulting

sector. The division has experienced significant growth in
More Context:
recent years and makes important contributions to the Brief Background

company’s overall mission, business strategy, and

financial welfare. As part of an effort to reduce costs and
Your point
increase customer input, management has recently
focused on technology as a productivity enabler.
3: Make your bottom line clear

Your
recommendations Your
conclusions

The exact information someone

needs
Your answer to a
question
Decide where to place the bottom
line
Bottom line near the end:
The Indirect Approach

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF):

The Direct Approach
Researcher Logic
We often begin with facts, analyze
evidence, and draw a conclusion

fact fact fact

Conclusion
Busy Reader Logic

Busy people want the conclusion, then the

evidence to support the conclusion:

conclusio
n

fact fact fact

Business Writing Pyramid
Direct Approach or Bottom Line Up Front
(BLUF)
Bottom
Line
Statement

Supporting
Information
 Use Direct Style (BLUF)

✓If your subject matter is routine

✓If your subject matter is
nonsensitive
✓If your credibility is high
✓If your audience is positive or
neutral
Or in 90% of North American business
situations
We will practice
Busy People
Writing in this
class!
4: Provide a structural
roadmap
Tell readers where you’re taking
them
Sample Roadmap...

“This report describes our current

customer retention problems, reviews
past
corrective efforts, and outlines a four-
stage
solution.”
Roadmaps can include your bottom
line

“This report describes our current

customer retention problems, review past
corrective efforts, and shows why an
expanded Customer Relationship
Management system is key to solving
these problems.”
Reports need clear roadmaps
too...
“This paper first assesses the
historical and current technology practices
within Division XY. The paper then outlines
key recommendations for managing the
deployment of technology within the
division. As demonstrated, this project
requires the renewed attention of
management in order to inject a suitable
and sustainable means of integrating
technology successfully into the clinical
Help your
readers
1. Provide high “skim value”
2. Establish the context of the
situation
3. Make your “bottom line” clear
4. Provide a structural “roadmap”
5. Write concisely and clearly
5: Write concisely & clearly...
“Vigorous writing is concise. A
sentence should contain no
unnecessary words…for the same
reason that a drawing should have no
unnecessary lines and a machine no
unnecessary parts.” Strunk and White
Rely on shorter, simpler words
Instead of… Write….
Utilize Use
Enumerate List
Provide assistance Help
Subsequent to After
Despite the fact that Although
In the event that If
Eliminate business jargon

Instead of… Write…

As you requested
As per your request I have enclosed
Enclosed please find Thank you
I would like to thank
you
Active vs. Passive Voice
What is “Passive” Voice
✓ Occurs when the subject of a sentence is acted on
by the verb
✓ In a business context, it makes for longer, less
clear statements

ie: CONFUSION

Example: The house was remodeled by the homeowners to

help it sell.
… Active Voice
✓ Occurs when a subject performs an action on an
object
✓ Makes for shorter, more concise statements

ie: CLARITY

Example: The homeowners remodeled the house to

help it sell.
Active vs. Passive Voice - Intro...
Passive vs. Active
Passive… Object Action

Example: Instructions will be given to

Verb Subject you by the professor
Object
(Action) (Actor)
Subject

Active… Subject Action

Example: The professor will give

Subject Verb
Object you instructions.
(Actor) (Action)

Object
It all adds up to Plain English

“A plain English document uses words

economically and at a level the audience
can understand. Its sentence structure is
tight. Its tone is welcoming and direct.
Its design is visually appealing. A plain
English document is easy to read and
looks like it’s meant to be read.”

http://www.sec.gov/news/extra/handbook.htm
Plain English documents:
✓ Keep passive under 10%
✓ Keep average sentences/paragraph at
5 or fewer
✓ Keep average words/sentence at
20 words or fewer
✓ Keep average letters/word at
5 letters or fewer
Passive vs. Active Voice

Helpful Resources
Helpful Tools...
● MS-Word - Checking for Passive Voice - PC
● MS-Word - Checking for Passive Voice - Mac
● Flesch Reading Scores
● Google Docs Passive Voice Checker Add-on
● Tips for Eliminating Wordiness
● More Tips on Eliminating Wordiness
Business Writing Skills - From the trash can to
the board room...
1. Example 0 - A pile of words; straight to the trash
2. Example 1 - Breathing room; glanced at; in the trash
3. Example 2 - Paragraphs - thank you - still not
reading it
4. Example 3 - OK, at least I know the topic
5. Example 4 - I know the topic and the particulars
(headings)
6. Example 5 - Now we’re talking - A BLUF &
Conclusion
END
Exercise:

Reducing passive
voice
 Instruction on the utilization of applications is
provided by an education department at Eleganz.
Instruction is received by Eleganz employees in a
mock command center and a computer classroom.
Application functionality is frequently incorporated
by educators into the mock command scenarios in
an effort to simulate real-world crises. All
meaningful feedback on their teaching is
maintained by instructors in a separate MS Excel
spreadsheet workbook. Desired recommendations
for course improvement are reviewed and
prioritized by the assistant command director.
Feedback on their teaching is received by
instructors at monthly staff meetings. Training is
received by new users only, unless it is determined
by commanders that certain users should be
 Instruction on the utilization of applications is
provided by the education department at Eleganz.
Instruction is received by Eleganz employees in a
mock command center and a computer classroom.
Application functionality is frequently incorporated
by educators into the mock command scenarios in
an effort to simulate real-world crises. All
meaningful feedback on their teaching is
maintained by instructors in a separate MS Excel
spreadsheet workbook. Desired recommendations
for course improvement are reviewed and
prioritized by the assistant command director.
Feedback on their teaching is received by
instructors at monthly staff meetings. Training is
received by new users only, unless it is determined
by commanders that certain users should be
 Instruction on the utilization of applications is
provided by the education department at Eleganz.
Instruction is received by Eleganz employees a
mock command center and a computer classroom.
Application functionality is frequently incorporated
by educators into the mock command scenarios in
an effort to simulate real-world crises. All
meaningful feedback on their teaching is
maintained by instructors in a separate MS Excel
spreadsheet workbook. Desired recommendations
for course improvement are reviewed and
prioritized by the assistant command director.
Feedback on their teaching is received by
instructors at monthly staff meetings. Training is
received by new users only, unless it is determined
When you write, ask
yourself:
1. Am I providing high skim value?
2. Is my “bottom line” clear and easy to
find?
3. Have I made it clear why I’m writing?
4. Did I provide a structural “roadmap”?
5. Have I written concisely?
6. Have I written clearly?
7. Am I building goodwill?
Original passage-113 words. Revision—97 words. 16 fewer words or a 14%
reduction

An education department at Eleganz

provides employees instruction on the utilization
of applications. Eleganz employees receive
instruction in a mock command center and a
computer classroom. Instructors incorporate
application functionality into the mock command
scenarios in an effort to simulate real-world
crises. The instructors maintain all meaningful
feedback on their teaching in a separate MS Excel
spreadsheet workbook. The assistant command
director reviews and prioritizes desired
recommendations for course improvement.
Instructors receive feedback on their teaching at
monthly staff meetings. Only new users receive
training, unless the commanders determine that
82 Words (-27%)
An education department at Eleganz provides
employees with instructions on the use of applications.
Eleganz employees receive instruction in a mock
command center and a computer classroom.
Instructors incorporate application functionality into the
mock command scenarios in an effort to simulate real-
world crises. Instructors maintain meaningful feedback
in a spreadsheet. The assistant command director
prioritizes recommendations for course improvement.
Instructors receive teaching feedback at monthly
meetings. Only new users receive training unless
commanders determine that certain users require re-
instruction on certain protocols.
Let’s workshop your CVS e-
mails
Offer feedback on the
following:
1. How easy is it to skim the e-mail and find
the main points?
2. Is it clear why the writer is writing?
3. Is the “bottom line” clear and easy to
find?
4. Is there a clear “roadmap”?
5. Is the message concise?
6. Is the language clear?
7. Does the writer build goodwill?
 Workshop Instructions

1. When instructed, exchange copies of

your CVS e-mails with group members.
2. Take a minute to look through the e-mails
to compare their “skim value.”
3. Agree upon an e-mail to workshop, put
other papers aside, and begin workshop
process on the first e-mail.
 Workshop Instructions
1. Silently read the e-mail. Write comments,
questions in supportive tone. (3 minutes)
2. Discuss the e-mail as a group.
Silent author. (4 minutes)

3. Let author clarify feedback. (1 minute)

4. At the signal, return the e-mail to the author.
Select next e-mail to read, and repeat.
Here’s the signal to move to the
next writer’s memo:
Switch to next writer!
 Resources can help
• Prentice Hall Communication series books, especially
Guide to Managerial Communication (Mary Munter) and
Guide to Cross-Cultural Communication (Reynolds and
Valentine)

• Purdue University's online writing lab:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/

• Email guidance:http://www.emailreplies.com/#why
– http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm
 Email Etiquette starts with the
Subject
Subject: [Blank]

A blank subject line suggests that your name in the “From” line is all your recipient should
need in order to make you message a top priority. That could come across as arrogant, or
at the very least, thoughtless. A well-chosen subject line is an important opportunity to
inform and persuade your reader.

Subject: “Important! Read Immediately!!“

Rather than brashly announcing that the secret contents of your mystery message are
inexplicably important…

Subject: “All Cars in the Lower Lot Will Be Towed in 1 Hour.”

…write a functional subject line that actually conveys the important idea.
More about the subject...
Subject: “Quick question.“

If the question is quick, why not just ask it in the subject line? This subject line is hardly
useful.

Subject: “Follow-up about Friday“

Fractionally better — provided that the recipient remembers why a follow-up was necessary.

Subject: “That file you requested.“

Many email users get scads of virus-laden spam with vague titles like this. The more specific
you are, the more likely your recipient’s spam-blocker will let your message through.

Subject: “10 confirmed for Friday… will we need a larger room?“

Upon reading this revised, informative subject line, the recipient immediately starts thinking
about the size of the room, not about whether it will be worth it to open the email.
From
decade…
to
decade…
.
 PMBOK Standards
Process Groups
Knowledge Areas Monitoring &
Initiating Planning Executing Closing
Controlling
✦ Develop Project Charter ✦Develop Project Mgt Plan ✦ Direct & Manage Project ✦ Monitor & Control Project Work ✦Close Project or Phase
Integration Mgt Execution ✦ Integrated Change Control

✦Collect Requirements ✦Verify Scope

Scope Mgt ✦Define Scope ✦Control Scope
✦Create WBS
✦Define Activities ✦Control Schedule
✦Sequence Activities
Time Mgt ✦Estimate Activity Resources
✦Estimate Activity Durations
✦Develop Schedule
✦Estimate Costs ✦Control Costs
Cost Mgt ✦Determine Budget

✦Plan Quality ✦ Perform Quality Assurance ✦Perform Quality Control

Quality Mgt
✦Develop Human Resource Plan ✦Acquire Project Team
Human Resource ✦Develop Project Team
Mgt ✦Manage Project Team

Communications ✦Identify ✦Plan ✦Distribute Info ✦Report

Mgt Stakeholders Communications ✦Manage Performance
Stakeholder
Expectations
✦ Plan Risk Management ✦ Monitor and Control Risks
✦ Identify Risks
✦ Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
Risk Mgt ✦ Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis
✦ Plan Risk Responses

✦ Plan Procurements ✦ Conduct Requirements ✦Administer Procurements ✦Close Procurements

Procurement Mgt
“Project managers spend the
majority of their time communicating with
team members and other stakeholders,
whether they are internal (at all
organizational levels) or external to the
organization.”
PMBOK Guide, 4th
Edition

Source: Project Management Institute

5 Variables of Communication
Strategy
Keep in mind 5 variables of
communication strategy
• Communicator
• Audience
• Channel choice
• Message
• Cultural context
Variable 1: The communicator
• What’s your objective? What do you want
to happen?
• What’s your credibility? Is it based on:
-goodwill?
-rank?
-expertise?
-image?
-common ground?
Variable 1: The communicator
What communication style should you
use? •Tell
•Sell
•Consult
• Join
Variable 2: Stakeholder
audience
“What do they already know?”

“What do they need to know?”

“How will they feel about what you have to

say?”

“What level of jargon is

appropriate?”
 Cultural differences can also
involve
generational
preferences
Variable 3: Channel
Choice
• Should I explain in person?
• Should I put this in writing?
• What risks are involved with
each channel?
• How can I mitigate those risks?
Why put something in
writing?
 a
n
n
e
l
s
tr
“The key to Do
e
wn
n
successful war
Lateral Channel
g requires diplomacy
communications is d
t and tact
to cha
h
keep information nne
e
flowing in the right l
n
req
s
direction.” uire
b
Jason Charvat s
u
del
y
ega
The classic communication model illustrates the
process Cultur
e

Message

Communicator Audience

Response

Source: Adapted from Munter, Guide to

Managerial Communication, 9th ed.