Key Writing Skills

for

Morons & Managers

KEY WRITING SKILLS FOR MORONS & MANAGERS is not a textbook of English Grammar. It is a straightforward guide to better communication skills, relevant to every walk of present-day life. Morons won't buy it; managers should. It will also prove helpful to school-leavers and young graduates seeking their first job. It is extremely easy and enjoyable to read, with each chapter concluding with optional short exercises (and answers) to enable self-assessment and rapid progress in easy steps. It has been written by an established author and editor with extensive personal experience of working in industry, education, and commerce.

Copyright Norman Price 2012 All rights reserved

Published by Manuscript Appraisals www.manuscriptuk.com

Contents
WHY BOTHER? 1 BACK TO BASICS (Briefly) 2 KEEP IT SHORT 3 PUNCTUATE WITHOUT PAIN 4 BOX CLEVER 5 READ IT THROUGH 6 COPING WITH CORRESPONDENCE 7 MEMO AND REPORT WRITING 8 DEALING WITH A THESIS 9 A NEW CV Bibliography Answers to Exercises Appendix I Appendix II Appendix III

WHY BOTHER?
Why bother to write well? The fact that you're reading this modest guide suggests that you are already aware of the advantages and benefits to be gained. So youre certainly not a moron, although you may well be an enlightened manager. However, to press home the importance of sound writing skills, let's just take a brief look at the other side of the coin and remind ourselves of the problems caused by the poor communicator. They fall under four headings: Incomplete Information Let's imagine that the manager of a road haulage company is less than careful when preparing a job-specification for a new secretary to be recruited via an employment agency. He lists the necessary word-processing skills but neglects to mention an essential need for shorthand. Of the five applicants sent for him to interview, only one is proficient in shorthand. His choice of candidate is severely curtailed and much time has been needlessly wasted - his and theirs. The manager's standing takes a dive. Misinformation The problems here are easy to see. An Essex-based shop-fitting rep, say, is mistakenly sent to Newcastle upon Tyne instead of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Amusing to recount, maybe, but not so funny for the small employer paying out good money for a wasted trip. And not likely to boost the promotion prospects of the person responsible for the error. Now picture the negative consequences of a wrong telephone number on a personal CV. No contact; no interview; no job! Misinformation is worse than no information at all. Ambiguity Consider these sentences: Remove the computer from the desk before putting it in the van. (Is it the computer or the desk to be loaded into the van?)

Be there at nine o'clock. (Morning or evening?) The minister had only one young mistress during his spell in office. (Just the one mistress, or was only one of them young?) Porridge is such a comforting food when it is cold. (When what is cold - the porridge or the weather?) The police aim to stop drug-peddling at acid house raves. (Their own drug-peddling or that of others?) All of these are vague and confusing when you think about them. Hardly examples of effective communication. Poor Presentation Quality of presentation can be marred by an untidy or unsuitable layout, misspellings, poor sentence construction, illogical sequencing, or a general lack of overall clarity. In each case the end result is a singularly unimpressive document guaranteed to reflect badly on its creator and, in the business world, to detract substantially from a company's image. Any of the aforementioned shortcomings incomplete information, misinformation, ambiguity, or poor presentation - can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. Two or more of them together is a sure recipe for disaster. But life goes on, you might say. Why worry about it? We get by. And we do - but at what cost? Every snippet of misinformation wastes time and money; in extreme cases it can even cost lives. Imagine the possible consequences of serious misunderstandings in hospitals, war zones, or in real-life rescue operations. Almost too awful to contemplate. But they do happen. And yet industry, commerce, government departments, and yes, even our schools, colleges and universities are peppered with everyday examples of sub-standard memos, poorly-worded letters, and third-rate documentation. A survey by the Queen's English Society revealed that only 25% of teachers believed that 15-year-olds should be specifically schooled in the use of correct grammar. Some of the teachers' replies were themselves littered with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. No wonder, then, that a study by the University of Ulster found that

illiteracy among youngsters was higher in 2001 than before the First World War. None of the 15-21 year-olds tested was able to spot all 14 mistakes in a piece of text, and the University of Ulster report indicates that some 15% of young people in this age group are functionally illiterate. The copious flow of complaints from universities and employers throughout the United Kingdom leaves no room for doubt over the scale of the problem. Gallup surveys commissioned by Royal Mail have found that almost nine out of ten British executives regard communication and letter writing skills as 'very important' if not 'essential'. The Royal Mail Impressions report reveals that failure to write a decent letter can have a serious effect on business success. More than half of the participating executives said that a badly written letter would greatly deter them from responding to a sales pitch. They were found to admire a letter writer who can encapsulate complex ideas simply and neatly, suggesting an orderly, logical mind. When asked which areas of letter writing need most improvement, 34% of respondents said grammar, 26% spelling and 28% clarity. Long-windedness was most deplored, while nearly two-thirds of the executives thought that layout and presentation could do with some improvement. On a personal level, as college or university students, our final results will hinge largely on our ability to commit our thoughts to paper. As job-seekers our initial contact with potential employers will in most cases be by the submission of a letter and CV, both of which must create a very positive impression if we are to succeed in a fiercely competitive job market. As managers we must communicate effectively. So good writing skills are clearly of crucial importance to all of us. If we are perpetrators of sloppily-worded emails, letters and documents, our studies will suffer, our job applications will fail, our business fortunes will wane, our promotion prospects will fade, and our overall level of success will almost certainly prove disappointing. We swell the ranks of under-achievers. Returning to our original question, the answer is that it pays to bother. We may be clever, we may be sharp - but if we are unable to effectively communicate our ideas and information in writing, our efforts and contributions, of whatever kind, may pass unheeded, unappreciated and unwanted. In school, college, university, industry,

commerce, medicine, government, the need is the same - effective communication techniques are a powerful tool in every sphere of human activity. Used properly, the pen (or word processor) is truly mightier than the sword.

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