Adult Enterprise Leadership

Development Series for Managers

Email Communication Part 2September 13, 2016

Kimberly Pace

CEO, Executive AURA

kimberly@executiveaura.com

“The assumptions or

character traits that

come to mind when I

see poor writing

skills are sloppiness,

poor attention to

detail, and lack of

organization. Or

perhaps this person

just doesn’t care.”

Steve Puricelli, Owen ‘99Strategy – Supply Chain

Accenture

“If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s

one of the hardest things people do.”

William Zinsser

On Writing Well

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

Nathaniel Hawthorne

“Good writing is clear thinking made visible.”

Bill Wheeler

Wall Street Journal reported that,

of 443 companies surveyed,

80% cited poor writing

as their biggest skill problem.

Format Professionally

Presenting written material in paragraph form, particularly when the paragraphs are longer than seven lines of single-spaced text, is not a very reader-friendly method of relaying information. Paragraphs, especially long ones, do not allow the writer to make distinctions about the information being presented, nor do they allow the reader to scan the information easily. The only assumptions readers can make about paragraphed material is that each paragraph might deal with a different topic. But, even if this is true, the reader must still read the information to determine what the topic is. Formatting techniques, on the other hand, help the writer to create white space that allows the reader to “take a break” from the reading task. Formatting techniques also establish an immediate visual sense of organization, enabling the reader to scan, saying to the reader at the very outset of the task, “This piece of writing will be easy to deal with.”

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Microsoft Templates –

Agendas, Newsletters

UseCorrect Grammar

& Mechanics

“I always new I was intelligent…”

1. Clear

2. Concise

3. Complete

4. Compelling

Executive Writing

Purpose and the Audience of the document:

1. Why am I writing?

2. To whom am I writing?

3. What do I want my reader to do?

4. What do I want my reader to think and feel?

5. What content is important for my reader to know?

6. What type of word choice and tone will motivate and persuade my audience?

Writer’s Concerns

•Why do I have difficulty getting started?

•How should I sound? (Authoritative? Cooperative?

Cordial?)

•How can I present my information concisely?

•Will this make sense to someone not in my area?

•Am I using correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling?

•Should I send this as an email or choose a different

medium?

The LEAD is the most

important thing your

reader needs to know.

Organizational Patterns