Workplace Writing

Every time you send an email to a customer, colleague or manager, it projects an image of your professionalism, competency and courtesy. That image should be positive whenever possible, or at least neutral, but never negative.

Christine Zust is a NE OH communications expert, author, trainer, speaker … and a long-time friend and colleague. She regularly shares her concept that “everything you do positions you!” Therefore, every email you send at work positions you. The following simple suggestions will help you position your best possible positive image.

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Based on some calls and notes from readers, some of you have begun challenging your word use habits in routine workplace writing or presentations. Great – I was hoping that would happen. Effective word use is the same, whether the medium of communicating those words is an email, a phone call, a face-to-face conversation or a more formal presentation.

So, let’s continue on our journey towards more reader/listener/audience-centric words and challenge another potential word use habit – Passive Voice.

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Some of you have probably begun thinking more about the words you use in workplace communication in general and with presentations in particular. Good – that’s the whole idea behind this series of articles.

If you identified lots of word choice habits, also good. If you asked yourself why you used a particular word or phrase and weren’t happy with your blow-off answers ‘That’s the first one I thought of’ … or … ‘That’s the one I usually use’, then get ready to rock & roll. You’ll benefit from some lessons learned on our journey towards more audience-centric word choices.

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Last month’s piece on ‘WordPower’ generated some interesting off-line conversations. One reader asked about which traditional grammar rules you could break today … and get away with it. Here’s a summary of that dialogue.

I hated traditional grammar in school like most people … and most writers. So, I routinely break some time-honored practices today just to have fun, flaunt my sense of independence and creativity and get back as Sister Mary Apostrophe for all her abuses in 11th grade English class. If only she could know that I earn some of my living as a professional freelance writer and business writing trainer, she’d turn over in her grave in Grammar Hell.

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Even though we realize the impact that tone of voice, body language and visuals all have on your presentation outcomes, never forget that Content Still Rules in audience-centric presentations … and the words you use deliver that content.

Before sharing some ‘Best Practices’ in future articles to help you Harness the Power of Words, let’s discuss some of my favorite ‘Worst Practices’ – the poor choices we often make and why we make them. Tpyically, my executive coaching clients fall victim to three flaws affecting the words they use … and don’t use.

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