Posted in: communication

popup-special Does Your Professional Writing Contain the 7 Cs of Effective Communication? Call me biased (after all, I run a writing blog), but I think communication is the best thing we have going for us as a species. Think about it: we couldn't have built the Coliseum or the Pyramids if we hadn't been able to communicate plans to a large number of people. Laws don't work, culture doesn't exist,...
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Posted Oct. 30, 2018 Building a clear and effective business brand is critical in today's world. People are bombarded by a continuous stream of information that saps attention and crowds out any individual communication with ceaseless noise. The increase in advertising messaging exemplifies this idea. The New York Times reports that, in the 1980s, people were exposed to 2,000 ad messages a day. By 2007, it...
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Posted Nov. 27, 2017 Sometimes we use the written word to shield ourselves from uncomfortable conversations. The classic example is the “Dear John” letter, or a written message from a romantic partner ending a relationship, but these kinds of messages arise in business scenarios as well. For example, we may need to sever a professional relationship, criticize a subordinate’s performance, or otherwise...
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Ever feel like your days are spent chasing after co workers and clients in a futile effort to get information from people who’re too busy to respond? It’s a frustrating way to work, and one that too many people are familiar with. As the administrative support professional for the president of a major telecom company, Elaine Brightharp-Cooper knows this feeling all too well. Between coordinating activities...
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Poor communication in business is so common that it’s become a comic staple. Workplace sitcoms involve bumbling managers who hit “Reply All” on vague or inappropriate memos. We joke about software that’s so obtuse it’s nearly impossible to navigate and user documentation that’s laughably inadequate. It’s hilarious — when it’s make-believe. But shoddy communication...
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