Communication
Feel like your ideas are falling on deaf ears? Maybe it’s your sales pitch, not the proposal. Focus your “pitch” with these tactics:
“Professional” business writing doesn’t necessarily mean “b o r i n g.” Before printing the final draft of your documents, go back and put some “oomph” in them. Use these copyediting tricks:
You’ve scrupulously avoided office gossip, but that isn’t protecting you from being the subject of this week’s chitchat. Wanting to jump quickly to your own defense is a normal reaction, but it might exacerbate the situation. Follow these steps to salvage your reputation and stop the gossip.
Do you have a general reference guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style, a grammar reference and a dictionary, but still not know what the preferred organizational usage or style is? We thought so. Your organization needs its own in-house style guide.
When you’re frustrated by micromanagement or other demands at work, step back and study what the other person truly needs from you. One day Lydia Abram had an “ah ha moment” that taught her how to satisfy a micromanaging colleague’s needs without slowing down her work flow:
In new situations, the first words out of your mouth (like, you know) can leave a lasting first impression. While you don’t want to come across as overly formal or stilted in your speech, you do want to be professional and well-spoken. (And the little words you “say” online can leave an even longer lasting first impression.)
If you’re like most professionals, you use Microsoft Word every day. Take a few minutes now to customize your Word workspace by tailoring the built-in spelling and grammar checks on your computer to meet your specific needs. Here’s how:
Do you get the feeling your boss doesn’t want to be interrupted, but then gets annoyed that he’s out of the loop? One boss, Claudia Noble, president of Philadelphia-based Noble-Roberts Associates says, “One of the best ways to communicate with your boss is through …”
If you’re reviewing a long document, limit your proofreading to about 10 minutes at a time.
When concluding a phone conversation, wait an extra second before hanging up.
