EEffective ffective WWriting riting SSkillskills
Training & Discussion onTraining & Discussion on
Muhammad Bilal Anwar
March 17,2009
Effective Writing Skills
Goals & ObjectivesGoals & Objectives
Understanding written communicationUnderstanding written communication Understanding importance of possessing Understanding importance of possessing
good writing skillsgood writing skills Knowing about different types of Knowing about different types of
documents used for offices writingdocuments used for offices writing Discussing Offices’s current writing Discussing Offices’s current writing
skill-set among employeesskill-set among employees Reviewing, Analyzing & Suggesting Reviewing, Analyzing & Suggesting
organizational improvement in written organizational improvement in written communicationcommunication
Effective Writing Skills
Writing?Writing?
One of the best methods to One of the best methods to communicatecommunicate
Writing is one of the oldest known forms of communication
In today’s age of information and technology, writing has become a lost art
Effective Writing Skills
Why Written Why Written Communication?Communication?
Creates a permanent recordCreates a permanent record Allows you to store information for Allows you to store information for
future referencefuture reference Easily distributedEasily distributed All recipients receive the same All recipients receive the same
informationinformation Necessary for legal and binding Necessary for legal and binding
documentationdocumentation
Effective Writing Skills
Writing Skills?Writing Skills?
A career requirementA career requirement More than a “nice thing to have”More than a “nice thing to have”
– a necessity – a necessity Your Writing = Your PersonalityYour Writing = Your Personality As a professional, it is crucial to
write well
Effective Writing Skills
Writing Skills?Writing Skills?
The ability to write does not require a unique talent or an outstanding mental ability
Everyone has the basic skills necessary to write well
A basic understanding of writing and a commitment to writing well in all situations is needed as a professional
Effective Writing Skills
Questions a writer asksQuestions a writer asks
How do I begin? What is my purpose? How do I make my point clear? How do I create a logical flow? How do I say what I mean? How do I avoid grammatical errors? How can I make my message brief? How can I create a visual effect?
Effective Writing Skills
The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process
PlanningPlanning WritingWriting Quality ControlQuality Control
Effective Writing Skills
The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process
PlanningPlanning
Keep objectives in mind and Keep objectives in mind and research the topicresearch the topic
Think about the audienceThink about the audience Outlining helps organize thoughtsOutlining helps organize thoughts
Effective Writing Skills
The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process
WritingWriting
Follow your outline, use your handbookFollow your outline, use your handbook Inspiration is acceptable but must be Inspiration is acceptable but must be
carefully reviewedcarefully reviewed Use the interview approach to Use the interview approach to
supplement the outline (who, what, supplement the outline (who, what, where, when, how)where, when, how)
Effective Writing Skills
The Writing ProcessThe Writing Process
Quality ControlQuality Control
Reread your workReread your work Be critical of your own workBe critical of your own work
Effective Writing Skills
Considerations while Considerations while writingwriting
Who? What? When? Why? Where? How?
Effective Writing Skills
Good WritingGood Writing
Completeness:Completeness: all information needed is all information needed is providedprovided
Correctness:Correctness: relevant and precise information relevant and precise information Credibility:Credibility: support your argument support your argument Clarity:Clarity: should not be vague, confusing, should not be vague, confusing,
ambiguousambiguous Conciseness:Conciseness: to the point to the point Consideration:Consideration: anticipate the reader’s reaction anticipate the reader’s reaction Vitality:Vitality: use the active voice rather than the use the active voice rather than the
passive voicepassive voice
Effective Writing Skills
Business DocumentsBusiness Documents
A good official document should always A good official document should always answer the following questions:answer the following questions:
What is this document about?What is this document about? Why has it come to be?Why has it come to be? Who wrote it?Who wrote it? How is it organized?How is it organized? What is it trying to accomplishWhat is it trying to accomplish What supports the conclusion?What supports the conclusion? What problem or opportunity does it What problem or opportunity does it
address?address?
Effective Writing Skills
Spelling and GrammarSpelling and Grammar
It is important in all official communications to use proper grammar and correct spelling
What you write and how you write could reflect a positive or negative image
Sloppy and/or poorly written communications could be perceived as a lack of caring
Effective Writing Skills
Spelling and Grammar Spelling and Grammar TipsTips
Proofread communications before sending
Use spell and grammar check if available Make sure to have subject, verb and
tense agreement Ensure proper word usage:
affect/effect there/theiramong/between shall/willcan/may than/then
Effective Writing Skills
Types of WritingTypes of Writing
E-mails Letters and Memos Agendas Reports Promotional Material Academic Documents Research (scientific) manuscripts White Papers
Effective Writing Skills
E-MailsE-Mails E-mail is fast, convenient and easy Email is now the dominant method of
communicating in business. Convenient for communicating with people
in different places and different time zones Easier to communicate with people who
understand written English but don’t speak it well
Excellent mechanism for follow-up or action items after a meeting
Messages can be saved and retrieved easilyMessages can be saved and retrieved easily
Effective Writing Skills
E-Mails (Challenges)E-Mails (Challenges)
USE WITH CARE….
Email is not always confidential -- emails
can sometime be obtained from central
network even if deleted from personal
computers
Effective Writing Skills
E-Mails (Challenges)E-Mails (Challenges)
Email is often sent out without re-Email is often sent out without re-reading, proof-reading and other reading, proof-reading and other standards applied to written standards applied to written communications. communications. We press the We press the send button too soon!send button too soon!
Emails can be forwarded and sent to Emails can be forwarded and sent to others without your approval or others without your approval or knowledgeknowledge
Effective Writing Skills
E-MailsE-Mails
Many users do not realize the potential outcome of what is being sent through e-mails
Official e-mails should be concise and to the point
The language used in official e-mails should not be overly informal
Effective Writing Skills
E-Mail MannersE-Mail Manners Always include a subject or e-mail title Avoid the “ready, aim, fire” approach Avoid “flaming” Don’t be too-casual Consider if e-mail is the appropriate tool Make one point per e-mail Make the font user-friendly Don’t use all capital or lower-case
letters
Effective Writing Skills
Letters and MemosLetters and Memos
Letters and memos are the basic vehicles of business communication
They should be brief and make a single point (no more than 2 pages)
Letters are for external communications
Memos are for internal communications
Effective Writing Skills
Letters and MemosLetters and Memos
Heading or Letterhead
Date Inside address Salutation
Subject line Body Closing and
Signature Enclosures or
‘CC’
All official letters should include:
Effective Writing Skills
Letters and MemosLetters and Memos
TO: (To whom is the memo directed?)
FROM: (Who wrote the memo?) DATE: SUBJECT: or RE:
All Office memos should include:
Effective Writing Skills
Types of Letters and Types of Letters and MemosMemos
Letters of requestLetters of request Sales lettersSales letters Response lettersResponse letters Cover letters, recommendationsCover letters, recommendations Letters of collectionLetters of collection Letters to vendors and suppliersLetters to vendors and suppliers Memos that deal with employee issuesMemos that deal with employee issues Memos that make announcementsMemos that make announcements Memos for policies and proceduresMemos for policies and procedures
Effective Writing Skills
““The greatest problem in The greatest problem in communication is communication is the the
illusionillusion that it has been that it has been accomplished.accomplished.””
- George Bernard Shaw - George Bernard Shaw
Effective Writing Skills
Have you hit your target?Have you hit your target?
In written communication most confusion & frustration are caused by failing to be specific
Make it clear, brief and concise
Effective Writing Skills
ReportsReports
Define the main pointDefine the main point Define the goals and objectivesDefine the goals and objectives Collect the evidence needed to Collect the evidence needed to
support the main pointsupport the main point Organize the reportOrganize the report State the conclusions and State the conclusions and
recommendationsrecommendations
Effective Writing Skills
Organization of ReportsOrganization of Reports
TitleTitle Executive summaryExecutive summary IntroductionIntroduction Materials and methodsMaterials and methods Results and discussionsResults and discussions ConclusionsConclusions RecommendationsRecommendations
Effective Writing Skills
Common Errors & TipsCommon Errors & Tips
Company name usageCompany name usage Shortened words (thru, condn, mgmt, Shortened words (thru, condn, mgmt,
ref, lib)ref, lib) Repetition of words Repetition of words
Example:Example: file the file in the file folder. file the file in the file folder. Use of ampersand (&)Use of ampersand (&) Use of Use of boldbold UPPER CASEUPPER CASE
Effective Writing Skills
Common Errors & TipsCommon Errors & Tips
Punctuation Punctuation
Use commas to separate elements in a Use commas to separate elements in a series, and to separate ideas or clauses. series, and to separate ideas or clauses.
Use correct punctuation in abbreviations; Use correct punctuation in abbreviations; e.g., for example i.e., that is etc., et cetera e.g., for example i.e., that is etc., et cetera
Do not use multiple punctuation marks, Do not use multiple punctuation marks, for example: !!! ... ???, etc. for example: !!! ... ???, etc.
Punctuation of lists and tables Punctuation of lists and tables
Effective Writing Skills
Common Errors & TipsCommon Errors & Tips
Hyphen and dash usage Hyphen and dash usage Confusion between its and it's Confusion between its and it's Use of apostrophe Use of apostrophe Abbreviations and acronymsAbbreviations and acronyms Use active voice Use active voice Do not switch tenses very oftenDo not switch tenses very often Proofread for accuracyProofread for accuracy
Effective Writing Skills
10 Commandments10 Commandments
1.1. Know what you want to say before you Know what you want to say before you say it. say it.
2.2. Keep it simple.Keep it simple.3.3. Use bullet points.Use bullet points.4.4. WIIFM (What's in It For Me?)WIIFM (What's in It For Me?)5.5. Don't get bogged downDon't get bogged down6.6. Call to actionCall to action7.7. EditEdit8.8. Spell checkSpell check9.9. Take 5 before hitting sendTake 5 before hitting send10.10. Follow upFollow up
Effective Writing Skills
ConclusionsConclusions Utilize full potential of written Utilize full potential of written
communicationcommunication Use frequent e-mails as per your Use frequent e-mails as per your
requirementrequirement What you write will ultimately define you as What you write will ultimately define you as
a professional to your colleagues and a professional to your colleagues and superiorssuperiors
Match the appropriate communication Match the appropriate communication method to the recipientmethod to the recipient
Eliminating excessive or unnecessary Eliminating excessive or unnecessary communication will improve your workflowcommunication will improve your workflow
Mastering these skills will improve your Mastering these skills will improve your ability and enhance your careerability and enhance your career