Conveying a message clearly – and projecting an image of competence – takes time and effort. It’s been said that there really isn’t any great writing – but great re-writing. From experience, I can tell you that smacks of truth just like water is wet. Re-reading, proofreading, rewriting, editing – whatever you call it – is the lifeblood of good communication. Once bitten by typos, spelling errors or unclear statements, you realize how much better your message could have been said if only … By then, it’s too late. It’s like tripping with the wedding cake – your misstep is splattered all over the floor for...
Read MoreI sneaked out of my Hendricks County office late this afternoon – around 4 – to get some bruncher (you know, breakfast+lunch+dinner) because I hadn’t eaten anything all day. As unusual as it was, I left without my computer. For anyone who knows me, that’s a rare event, however, I figured I’d have a nice relaxing salad and just let the spinning in my head slow a bit. That lasted long enough for me to get out of the line, fill a cup with ice and unsweetened tea and sit down at a corner table. Immediately I wanted to write and share what happened. No computer – I am reduced to pen (not even my signature Pentel mechanical pencil) and paper...
Read MoreOne of the things I like about Dan Rockwell’s Leadership Freak blog is that he is just so darn positive – and that he encourages others to be positive with words and his actions. He put forth a challenge called the 4 to 1 Challenge. He explains that for every one negative, four positives should be given as well. Whether you accept that philosphy or the bucket theory (How Full is Your Bucket?) or any other ideology for personal and professional interactions, I don’t think it really matters. We all KNOW that it feels better to hear positives than negatives and we spend a great deal of time and energy listening for them. When heard, we get a good feeling,...
Read MoreBeing of a “certain age,” I receive the monthly AARP magazine. And being a bit of a word-aholic and information junkie, I read it – all. In the section where readers get the publication to resolve financial complaints, Ron Burley wrote this about company they were investigating: Shoddy presentations “The handouts were full of misspellings,” she remembers, and she sent us the proof. The firm’s website also has careless errors. The obvious connotation was that the company was unprofessional and schlocky – and careless. Hmm. All that from the words offered to potential clients and every onlooker that accesses its website. As a young person growing up in a...
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