You’ll learn how to communicate your best ideas to your most important audiences.
• WRITE FOR BUSINESS. Clear and concise writing gets noticed and leads to action.
• BE A TOP HIRE. Demonstrated communication skills improve your job prospects.
• BECOME A LEADER. Effective communication skills help you lead.
• STAY CONNECTED. Appropriate communication helps you stay connected in your networks and relationships.
Get ready to explore ways to manage projects and people, design great-looking documents, and present your ideas clearly and confidently.
WRITE FOR BUSINESS
Communication is the heart of business. Short emails, complex reports, private chats, impassioned pitches, formal presentations, and team meetings move information and ideas around
an organization, define strategy, and drive decisions.
Business communication is concise, direct, clear, and compelling.
WRITE TO BE UNDERSTOOD
Clear and Concise Writing
All writing styles, including business writing, can be written clearly without losing meaning. Plain language is a term used to describe writing that is clear and concise. Many businesses
and governments are revising traditionally dense, hard-to-understand text using plain-language principles. Below is an example from PlainLanguage.gov.
FEMA’s Winter Preparedness Safety Tips
BEFORE
Timely preparation, including structural and non-structural mitigation measures to avoid the impacts of severe winter weather, can avert heavy personal, business and government expenditures.
Experts agree that the following measures can be effective in dealing with the
challenges of severe winter weather.
AFTER
Severe winter weather can be extremely dangerous. Consider these safety tips to protect your property and yourself.
What Are Good Writing Skills For A Business Or Manager / Management
Look Good in Print
When you write for business, write correctly. Simple mistakes can embarrass you and cost your company real money.
A business manager should avoid the most common pitfalls.
Grammar Rules. Some of the fundamentals are grammatical, reflecting the rules that govern how sentences are constructed
in the English language. These rules have fairly definitive right and wrong answers (although grammar rules do evolve; witness the recent acceptance of the singular “they” by some media outlets).
Style Guidelines. Other fundamentals relate to style: preferred constructions that, while not based on grammar
rules, represent recommended practice. Many organizations have their own style guides listing particular do’s and don’ts. Always follow your employer’s style guide (if available).
THE BUSINESS AUDIENCE
Your audience dictates your business writing style. Keep the following points in mind when composing:
• Your audience is busy. Busy (and business) readers want concise, no-nonsense information.
• Your audience is analytical. Readers want solid evidence and transparency.
• Your audience is increasingly international. Even though English is the global language of business, avoid language that could create misunderstandings or confusion for non-native
English speakers.
• Your audience is decisive. Business communication often leads to decisions. Provide well-reasoned recommendations.
• Decision makers are critical of time wasters. Business moves quickly, so give only pertinent
information. Make that information reliable and easy to access.
BE A TOP HIRE
Employers are hungry for people with communication and leadership skills. Job market research firm Burning Glass reports, “Writing, communication skills, and organizational
skills are scarce everywhere. These skills are in demand across nearly every occupation—and in nearly every occupation they’re being requested far more than you’d expect based on standard job profiles.”
HIRE THE BEST WRITER
Employers are eager to hire good writers because clear writing demonstrates clear thinking. Read about bad business writing in this Harvard Business Review article:
A 2016 survey reveals that written and verbal communication skills are in the top five attributes employers are looking for when hiring new college graduates (see Figure 1.1).
BECOME A LEADER
You become a leader by using your communication skills to learn from people, coordinate their efforts, share knowledge, communicate high standards, and inspire.
In their book, The Extraordinary Leader, researchers Zenger and Folkman report that communicating “powerfully and prolifically” enhances leadership competencies, including
even seemingly unrelated ones like technical competence or strategic development. Powerful communication is a skill—and a habit—that enhances all other skills.
STAY CONNECTED
Human connection is valuable to health, safety, peace, and success. We spend the majority of our waking time in communication activities, driven to connect—and stay connected—with
other people.
Part of good business communication involves understanding another’s point of view, delivering bad news clearly but diplomatically, maintaining trust through ethical and honest
messaging, and using language to encourage and motivate a team.
Your study of business communications will not only help you increase your workplace skills and employable value, but will also help you to live well, understand others, stay connected,
and accomplish your goal
IN CONCLUSION
By practicing concise and direct communication, you’ll become more effective in business, a more sought-after hire, a more influential leader, and a more connected human being.
Credits:
Lead author and project manager: Lisa Thomas
