Advanced Business Writing

For anyone whose job includes frequent writing about complex issues with a variety of readers in a workplace environment, the task is hardly ever easy. Add to that the fact that consistencies within the English language are always changing, and often workplace writers haven’t thought much about grammar and punctuation since they were in school. This advanced writing course will extend general principles for writing well in the business world with the crafting of documents typically found in the workplace. Attendees will be asked to rethink some rules they have learned previously with a mindfulness toward current and contemporary writing practice. We will apply practical strategies for planning and executing messages and achieving goals, even in the most challenging professional situations, and refining written communication skills so as to adjust for audience, scope, structure, and tone.   Topics Include: Ten Tips for Writing Well in the Workplace

• Determine why you are writing
• Identify your reader or recipient
• Start strong and stay specific
• Be conciseness
• Check all your words
• Read aloud
• Revise for clarity
• Take a moment
• Imagine yourself as the recipient
• Send your message

Additional Topics

• A word about writer’s block
• What’s the “this”? What’s the “it”?
• Gender-neutral language
• The “I” vs. “me” pronoun issue
• Misplaced and dangling modifiers
• “that” vs. “which”
• Ending with a preposition
• Avoiding absolutes

  Learner Outcomes:

• Identify and review English grammar, standard punctuation marks, and today’s usage rules
• Relate current punctuation rules to standard business documents with the acknowledgement that punctuation is for the reader or recipient
• Explore importance of style guides and style sheets and how to use them
• Discuss the use of templates and collaborative written endeavors with an awareness of purpose and audience
• Learn tips for getting started, prioritizing and arranging, locating information when one is not sure what to say, and knowing when enough is enough
• Consider tips for organizing thoughts so as to communicate messages effectively
• Summarize and synthesize substantial information into coherent professional documents that highlight main points, not merely as a recitation of facts
• Embrace the 5 C’s of effective business writing: (1) Correctness, (2) Clarity, (3) Conciseness, (4) Consistency, and (5) Comprehensibility