Words at Work: The "How to" Book of Wri ng Skills

(Improve your English report, email or business

wri ng skills)
Author
J H Hood

ISBN
978-0-9875575-0-6

Copyright
Copyright 2013 J H Hood

Dedica on

To all those people who have and are s ll walking the learning journey
with me—thank you a thousand mes over.

May we con nue the journey with joy in the challenges.

Published by
WordCra Global Pty Ltd
Introduc on

“It is be er to light a candle than curse the darkness”

Chinese proverb

We can all write well

For many of us, the simple act of si ng down at a keyboard or a blank

page changes us from a vital and competent person into a novice. We
freeze, drag our feet, struggle—yet s ll end up turning in a job we’re
not happy with.

It doesn't need to be like that!

Most of the ways we have been taught to write lock us into pa erns
that don’t work well for everyday business wri ng. These are pa erns
that we’ve learned at school, college or university—very effec ve for
their purposes there...but not what you need for good wri ng in the
workplace!

In this guide you will discover ways to counter those pa erns as well as
techniques to write well and quickly.
Contents
Introduc on
Plain English—also called Plain Language
Checklists
Basics of good wri ng
Planning for Wri ng
Mind Maps
Plain English & How to Make it Work for You
Punctua on & Spelling—Some Simple Rules
More Hints to Get Your Message Across
Wri ng le ers and memos
The Report
Job Applica ons, Covering Le ers and Resumes
The Seven Secrets to Good Email
Checklist 1—Planning for wri ng
Checklist 2—Improving your wri ng
Checklist 3—Wri ng good reports
Annex A: Confusing Words Exercise
Annex B: Email Subject Lines
Annex C: Example of a Good Email
Author Profile
Plain English—also called Plain Language
The first pa ern—we o en think that when we write, we should use
different, longer and more complex words than when we speak.
No, No, NO!

The Plain English—or Plain Language—Movement is a direct result of

people being sick of complicated and formal wri ng, especially
contracts and insurance documents. Plain English has now spread
across the English speaking world, and the Movement is now into its
thir es!

Business wri ng is about clarity, simplicity and good techniques—not

about fancy or lengthy words. Tell me what you want me to know or do,
don’t be long winded about it—and make it easy on the eye!

Your reader will get your message clearly when you use Plain English
techniques, those that focus on the audience and where you:
use everyday English whenever possible
use simple sentence structure—2 lines is long enough
use headings and lists—direct the reader’s eye and lead them
through the document
use tables—a picture tells a 1000 words
explain technical terms if necessary
use the ac ve voice—‘we did it’, not ‘it was done by us’
use direct speech—‘we will’ not ‘the organiza on shall’
use lots of white space—the body language of the document
are concise
are posi ve—‘when you send us the form we will…’ not ‘we
cannot assist un l you return the form’

One simple counter to the use of complex language is to read

something aloud, and then ask yourself this ques on: “If the person
was si ng opposite me, would I say this to them?” If the answer is
“No”—then don’t write it!

Another way to approach this and to stop yourself ge ng caught up in

complex and confusing language is to imagine you had the person
si ng with you, and then to write what you would say to them.

The key is not to translate the clear thoughts and words you have into
gooblydook, usually because you think good wri ng must use long and
complicated words.
You will get your message across when you understand that simple is
best.

Reverse the Triangle

The second pa ern—at school and during further formal study, we

have been taught specific types of wri ng which are not the best ways
of wri ng business le ers, memos, reports or even emails.

There are four broad types of wri ng and each type requires different
skills from us:
Academic: to demonstrate knowledge, skills in analysis and
reasoning
Eviden ary: to tell the exact story as I experienced it—what I
saw, heard, smelled
Literary: Shakespeare, Milton, Dan Brown, Bryce Courtney, Tara
Moss
Workplace: to get things done

Most of us have been taught or learned the first three types—at

school, at college or tech school or university, or through life’s
experience. But, and this is a big but, Workplace Wri ng requires
different techniques…
In the two following pictures you can see a key difference between the
type of wri ng most of us have learned—Academic—and what is
required for good Workplace wri ng.
Academic wri ng has this structure:

What you as the writer want from Day to Day wri ng is for someone
to know or do something.

This is quite different from the usual outcomes required of academic

wri ng, i.e. to demonstrate or describe new knowledge. So, in day to
day wri ng, we need to reverse the triangle:

In this book, you will learn how to turn your wri en communica on
into a fluent, effec ve and sa sfying process. You will understand how
to:
reverse the triangle
plan what you want to say
be clear about what you want your reader to know or do
take less me to write your documents
use Plain English
Checklists

There are checklists and examples included at the end of this tool—
designed to help you improve the way you write.

You can use them in a variety of ways:

when star ng to write
to understand your audience
as you write

They are a powerful means of improving your wri ng skills—if you use
them regularly.

Checklist 1—Planning for wri ng

Checklist 2—Improving your wri ng
Checklist 3—Report Wri ng
Example A—Email subject lines
Example B—Good email
Example C—Confusing words
Basics of good wri ng
“Say all you have to say in the fewest possible words,
or your reader will be sure to skip them;
and in the plainest possible words
or he will certainly misunderstand them”.
John Ruskin 1818–1900

All Good Wri ng starts well before your fingers reach the keyboard - it:

is planned
is wri en for the needs of the audience
connects with and orientates the reader
is appropriate for the context in which it will be read
looks good - invites the reader to con nue
uses simple, ac ve and posi ve language

And all effec ve wri ng has three major elements: purpose; audience;
context.

Purpose

What do you want your readers to know or do? Tell them! Make it
clear—don’t make them work hard to find out. Beware the ‘so what?’
response.

Audience
It is not the writer’s job to make things plain to everyone. It is the
writer’s job to make things plain to the specifically iden fied audience.

Consider:
what does your audience already know?
don’t assume knowledge, but don’t tell them again and again!
how much do they need to know?
don’t give them detail they don’t need—it will confuse them and
add bulk to the text. But give them enough informa on to make
a decision
what will they understand? This is your area of exper se; is it
theirs? Think about language: jargon, acronyms, tech-speak
how will they respond to this sentence, paragraph or idea?

Context

There are two parts to Context:

1. People make sense of what they are reading by what comes

before and what comes a er, and what they already know
about something; and
2. The environment in which the piece of wri ng will be read.

People look for pa erns and logical flows in the way informa on is
presented to them, and they look for links to informa on they already
know.

The environment in which a document is read will affect the meaning

the reader will take from it. For example, consider the impact if your
document is read:
with many other complex, possibly unrelated, reports
with li le or lots of me available
briefly for general informa on
thoroughly for detail
 to generate discussion
with or without you there to provide suppor ng informa on or
fill in gaps

We will explore each of these elements in the following chapters.

Pack your parachute and let’s get started.
Planning for Wri ng

“Words are like spears: once they leave your lips

they can never come back”
Benin proverb

Wri ng is like any other task—good planning improves your chances of

succeeding.

The planning ques ons to ask yourself are:

Why are you wri ng—what do you want to happen as a result of
this interac on?
Who is your audience?
How will you communicate—for example a le er, an email a
memo, a report?
If appropriate, who should write, and who should sign, the
communica on?

The answers to these ques ons will start to shape your task.

Here are some other key issues to think of before you start wri ng…

Move Your Thinking

We o en sit down to write with the focus of our thoughts on the
document itself, and with words in our head like:
I have to write this!
How am I going to fit it in between all my other tasks?
The boss always changes everything I write!
What do I have to say?

We are concentra ng on the immediate task of wri ng and the shape

of the document in our own minds. What we need to do is to move
our thinking to “what do I want my reader to know or do?”

People have many ways of planning the content—wri ng a list of key

points or headings, doing a mind map, talking with colleagues—it
doesn’t ma er how you plan…as long as you do plan.
Mind Maps
A Mind Map is a simple and effec ve way to start the process of
wri ng le ers, memos, job applica ons, manuals, policies or reports.
It gets your informa on out of your head, to come up with other
relevant details and to put it all together ready to write your
document.

As you try the technique a few mes, you will find it to be simple—it is
as simple as it seems—quick and effec ve.

Tony Buzan, the inventor of the mind map calls the technique of mind
mapping: ”The Swiss Army Knife for the brain”.

A mind map:
is a way to capture ideas and informa on
follows the way the brain works: links, jumps, connec ons,
color, pictures
should take only about 15 minutes

A mind map uses:

associa ons and connec ons—you think of one thing that then
makes you think of something else and so on...
color and pictures
curved lines
a quick way of ge ng thoughts down - you don’t lose them!
Then you can organize them…

Get the words down without edi ng – do that once you have the first
dra done

Crea ng a mind map is simple:

 1. Draw a shape at the centre of a plain, unlined piece of paper.
This can be just a circle or it can be a representa on of the
topic. Write the central idea or topic in the centre.

2. As you think of a main point, draw a branch from the centre.

3. Con nue adding main points as you think of them. Iden fy each
main branch with one or two words to give the main point—write
the words horizontally, so that they can be read without needing to
turn the paper.

4. Write quickly, without judging, edi ng or censoring—there will be

me later to do that.

5. As you add each main branch, you will find that it helps you to think
of other points—put them in... they can be new main points, or
minor points.

6. Draw minor branches from the main branches. These are the minor
points that need to be considered as part of each main point.
Iden fy these branches with one or two words—also wri en
horizontally.

7. You can add more main branches and minor branches at any point
—as your thinking progresses.

8. If you are able to, draw in pictures represen ng the points—this

helps with free thinking and crea vity.

9. Now, sit back and look at the map. Are there any common points
that could be regrouped together, or are there other points or
obvious gaps?

10. Make the changes—then start wri ng your document!

Here are some examples of mind maps:

This one is analyzing a problem, and the main branches are: cause,
prevention, impact.

This next mind map is exploring love, with the main branches being
dating, sex, romantic, family and wedding.
Here is another example!

Here is a mind map of a le er I wanted to write to a local college

where I had a ended a short course, and that I was unhappy about.
The course content had not been as adver sed, the lecturer was very
poor, the room was badly set up and the handouts were dreadful. I
wanted my money back!

PS: you don’t need to be an ar st!

So, this is the first mind map I drew:

Then, I sat back and looked at it. I realized that I had le some points
out, and maybe there was a wider solu on than just: “my money
back”, so I re–drew the map:

As you look at the second map, you will no ce:

I have changed what I had wri en in the centre
the range of possible outcomes has widened
more details are added into several of the branches: the college
would need those
the unrealis c op on of going to a lawyer has been changed to
check out the college’s grievance procedures
The whole process took me about 15 minutes.

Now I have a very clear plan of the le er I want to write, as well as the
structure of the le er:
each of the main branches is a heading
each of the minor branches is a point to be made under its
heading
it is much simpler to decide what order each heading and point
should go in
Another advantage of using a mind map is that it encourages you to
start researching, thinking and wri ng at any point—rather than
star ng at the beginning, regardless.

You can also show your mind map to others for comment and input—
it can be:
a par cularly useful way of making sure you have all the
informa on you need
a good way to get agreement from your boss about your
document
If you are not sure what your main branches or headings might be, you
can start with: Who, What, Where, When, Cost and Risk

Here is the le er I finally wrote based on my mind map:

My address
Date
Dear College Administrator,

Unsa sfactory Short Course—‘WR 102: Wri ng for Online’

I a ended your course ‘WR 102: Wri ng for Online” in February this
year, and found the course to be most unsa sfactory.

I request that you provide me with:

either a full refund of the course fees and my parking expenses,
or
a replacement course of a much be er standard, at no cost to
me

The problems with the course were:

the content was not as had been adver sed
the handouts were very poor
the room was crowded and stuffy
the lecturer had poor skills

My details are:
Student number: XT 123456
I a ended all sessions: 5, 8 and 12 February
fees paid: $135
parking costs: $30

Please respond to me by (a date two weeks from this le er).

 Yours sincerely,

As you can see, the le er is very straigh orward—the mind map has
given me all the details and the order in which to put them.

There is a great deal of informa on about mind maps on the Internet,

and some excellent free so ware if you prefer not to do your own
drawings.

Use Checklist 1 to Plan your Wri ng

Plain English & How to Make it Work for You
“Rule 17: Omit needless rules”
“The Elements of Style” William Strunk

Good writers have been suppor ng the Plain English movement—in

some countries also known as Plain Language—over the past 30 years.
You may have seen some of the benefits yourself in the form of vastly
improved contracts, insurance documents and the various levels of
government communica ons.

Plain English (or Plain Language)

Plain English is wri ng that works at communica ng with the reader. It

is wri ng that:
uses everyday English whenever possible
uses simple sentence structure—2 lines is long enough
uses headings and lists—directs the reader’s eye and leads them
through the document
uses tables—a picture tells a 1000 words
explains technical terms if necessary
uses the ac ve voice—‘we did it’, not ‘it was done by us’
uses direct speech—‘we will’ not ‘the organiza on shall’
uses lots of white space—the body language of the document
is concise
is posi ve—‘... when you send us the form we will…’ not ‘...we
cannot assist un l you return the form...’

Using Plain English demonstrates a respect for your audience and for
yourself. Most importantly, it is not difficult to do—it just takes
prac ce.

Start to unlock the secrets of good wri ng by using Plain English from
now on!
 For the reader, every document begins as a mystery.

What Do I Have To Do?

Your audience comes to your document asking ‘Do I have to do

anything? ‘

You must answer this ques on for the reader as early as possible—if
you don’t, then your reader will scan your document rather than read
it—skipping your carefully organized ideas or arguments.

Asking this ques on is also an extremely good way of keeping yourself

focused on what you really want—and need—to communicate. It is a
good technique to write the answer to this ques on on a piece of
paper and keep it visible as you write.

Regularly ask yourself: Does this piece of informa on progress the

reader’s understanding about what I want them to do?

You will find that it helps you to keep your wri ng simple and to leave
out irrelevant informa on.

As you reveal the content, your reader will make sense of each item
based on:
what comes before
what follows, and
what they already know about the subject
Write your document to unfold your wri ng so that your reader has a
context from which to read and understand. Find links with the
reader’s previous knowledge and experience, or with previous
correspondence.

Give your reader sign posts. You can do this by using headings from
the start of the document, or, if there has been previous
communica on—make reference to that up front, for example
‘Following on from… ‘or ‘In reference to… ‘

Ge ng Started

So how do you get started on your document?

First—se le these points:

are there any organiza onal conven ons about layout, wording
or tone that you need to follow? How will you find them?
what do you know about the topic? Do you have all the
informa on you need? Where and how will you get it?
how will you plan the content? Will you start with a list of key
points, or a mind map?
how will you structure the document? Will it be a memo, le er,
report, email, or …?
what point or topic will you start with? What next? (You don’t
have to start at the beginning—it’s okay to start anywhere and
write in any order—just make sure you pull it all together at the
end to make sense)
People have many ways of planning the content—wri ng a list of key
points or headings, doing a mind map, talking with colleagues—it
doesn’t ma er how you plan…as long as you plan.

Use your mind map.

Now, get wri ng! Don’t try for perfec on—just get some words down.

Don’t just sit there staring at a blank screen or piece of paper. Don’t
try and get the perfect words down at once.
Don’t concentrate on how much you have yet to write and build
mountains in your mind.

Try some of these techniques:

jot down some dot points
allow yourself to write rough notes or a dra
write what you can right now for the sec on you are working on,
then move to another
give yourself short breaks between sec ons— me to think. This
will enable you to review and rewrite

You can always change it…most people do…just get something down
and the rest will follow.

Good writers usually write a dra the first me they work with a
par cular topic or for complex documents. This is very sensible—not
an admission of failure!

What Would You Say?

If words are hard to find, then imagine that you are si ng opposite
the person you are wri ng to, and ask yourself “What would I say to
them?” This will usually force you to be clearer in what you write.
How Readers Read

There is a natural rhythm to reading.

Your reader will usually:

pay more a en on to the first part of the document
pay less a en on to the middle of the document
refocus toward the end

Readers scan or skim the document, looking for what you want them
to do, for key points and summaries, or for the specific pieces of
informa on that are relevant to them. They will become bogged down
in long paragraphs and long sentences.

They may be confused if the flow doesn’t follow a natural order, such
as chronological, levels of importance or themes.

A good technique for tes ng readability is to read it out aloud. If it

flows well in speech, this is a good sign. It does not mean that you
should write as you speak! Rather, as you read, listen for the flow and
sound of the document—is it clear and easy to read?

If, as you read aloud, you find yourself using words and technical terms
that you would not say to someone si ng beside you, then don’t write
them!

Body Language

The way the message is delivered is as important as the words.

In face to face communica on, people take only about 10% of the
meaning from the words that are used. Over 50% is read from body
language, while the remaining 30% to 40% comes from the tone of
voice.

We believe the body language, not the words!

Any wri en communica on has its own body language. The look of
the document can either:
encourage the reader to read on, or
set up blocks to successful communica on

Factors such as layout, spelling, punctua on, grammar and tone are
part of the body language of the document.

Imagine a densely wri en page, with long paragraphs, complex words,

and with no headings or lists…this document is saying ‘I’m a
complicated, difficult, hard document…and I’m not interested in sharing
my content with you… ‘

Now imagine a document with short paragraphs, headings, lists and

plenty of white space…this document is saying ‘I want you to read me,
I’m open and comprehensible and I want to share my informa on with
you… ‘

Similarly, a document filled with unfamiliar jargon is immediately

saying to your reader ‘I’m not really interested in you understanding this
document…’

Direct the Reader’s Eye

A document will be easier to read if you direct the reader’s eye. You
can do this by:
having plenty of white space in the document—use good
margins, bulleted lists, spacing between paragraphs and a
variety of forma ng techniques
using short sentences and paragraphs
using sign posts—headings and sub-headings
using consistent fonts and font sizes except for emphasis
leaving the right margin uneven rather than jus fied—it is easier
for the eye to follow an uneven margin

Use Tables

Tables are a good forma ng technique—and you can use them in

formal as well as informal documents. They are useful when you:
present complex informa on
give instruc ons
make comparisons

Here are two examples of using a table:

Example 1. Instruc ons to change a password

On 15 April, everyone will need to do the following:

Example 2: Instruc ons about using so ware

If you need to acquire new so ware:

Use Lists

Lists, both bulleted and numbered, make informa on easier to work

with.

Read the following paragraph:

‘When wri ng a report, consider what, why, how, who and where: why
you are wri ng it, what the topic is about; what you already know about
it; who else might know about it; where might you find informa on
about it and how you make sure you are covering all the informa on. ‘

Now, look at the same informa on shown in a list:

‘When wri ng a report, consider why, what, who, where and how:
Why are you wri ng it?
What is the topic about?
What do you already know about it?
Who else might know about it?
Where might there be informa on about it?
How do you make sure you are covering all the informa on? ‘

The list is much easier to read—and to remember!

Try Different Fonts

Use different fonts and forma ng to make something important stand

out:
make it bigger
use italics
put extra space around it
use a different font or color
use bold
use an indent or a separate line

But—beware—like any technique, overuse defeats the original

inten on.

Used well, these techniques will lead the eye gently across the page—
but too many tables or lists make the eye jump from space to space,
and make the page look busy.

Ac ve Voice

Wherever possible, bring your wri ng to life by using the ac ve voice.

The passive voice distracts your reader and slows them down, and it
can lead to ambiguity and confusion.
 In the following table you can see the improvement when the ac ve
voice is used.

Use “You”

Your communica on will be far more effec ve if you use:

the first person: I and you, rather than

The third person, disembodied voice: it is recommended… the preferred

approach is…

Which of the following would you prefer to read?

And which of those examples would you actually say to someone?

‘You‘ reinforces the message that the document is intended for your
reader. Similarly, using ‘we‘ to refer to your organiza on brings you
closer to your reader and improves the communica on.

One Idea per Sentence

Express only one idea in each sentence.

Long, complicated sentences o en mean that you aren’t clear about

what you want to say. Shorter sentences show clear thinking.

Shorter sentences are also be er for conveying complex informa on—

they break the informa on up into smaller, easier-to-process units.

Try and keep your sentences down to two lines!

Simplify, Simplify, Simplify

“Never use a long word where a short one will do...

…If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out…
… Never use the passive where you can use the ac ve…”
"Poli cs and the English Language”, 1946 George Orwell

Focus on the key points—keep the language and style simple and
straigh orward.
It is very easy to slip into using highly technical or formal language—
especially if you know the topic well, or it is highly complex. This can
o en be an indicator that you are really wri ng for yourself rather
than your audience.

The challenge is to simplify your language—cut out formal, complex

and unnecessary words and phrases. For example, look in the
following lists:

Unnecessary Words & Phrases

Instead of:
A survey of volunteers in regional loca ons was conducted
Try:
We surveyed regional volunteers

Instead of:
They came to the conclusion that
Try:
They concluded

Instead of:
We made the decision to
Try:
We decided

Instead of:
in considera on of the fact that
in light of the fact that
in view of the fact that
Try:
because

Instead of:
henceforth
Try:
from now on

Instead of:
herein enclosed is
Try:
I have enclosed

Instead of:
pursuant
Try:
as we agreed, as a follow up

Instead of:
Wri en no fica on shall be made to this office in the event that
ownership has been transferred
Try:
You must no fy us in wri ng if you transfer ownership

Note: Look at how much clearer the above list would be if set out in a
table! (Kindle doesn’t handle tables very well).

Unnecessary Words & Phrases

Instead of: Try:
A survey of volunteers
We surveyed
in regional loca ons
regional volunteers
was conducted
They came to the
They concluded
conclusion that

Jargon
Unless you are certain that your audience will understand the jargon
and technical terms you are using—don’t use them!

It is very easy to slip into bad habits around jargon, and to make
assump ons about what your reader will know. Another trap we can
fall into by using unnecessary jargon is that we can lose sight of the
real meaning and create meaningless euphemisms.

Consider the following examples:

Instead of: Try

Please execute this document Please sign this document

We had a nega ve pa ent care outcome The pa ent died

We need to gain trac on on this project We need get moving on this project
We are going through a down–sizing opera on We are reducing the number of
employees

Instead of
We need to make sure of the social inclusion aspects of this program
Try:
We need to make sure that this program improves client’s ability to
take part in the community

Instead of:
Grading ac vity required by new development would have associated
short-term erosion impacts.
Try:
Grading would cause soil to erode.

Instead of:
We must have measurable milestones for this plan
Try:
We must have targets iden fied in advance as part of this plan so that
we can measure its success

Acronyms

Acronyms are abbrevia ons, made up from the ini al le ers or

phrases of a descrip ve phrase, which form words usually able to be
pronounced.

Many acronyms are well known, for example:

CEO—Chief Execu ve Officer
AA—Alcoholics Anonymous
NATO—North Atlan c Treaty Organiza on
BBC—Bri sh Broadcas ng Corpora on
NASA—Na onal Aeronau cs and Space Administra on
ICS—Indian Civil Service
Laser—light amplifica on by the s mulated emission of radia on
DNA—deoxyribonucleic acid
AIDS—Acquired Immune Defini on Syndrome
Aka—Also known as

Acronyms can be a useful means of simplifying your wri ng—provided

that:

1. You explain them the first me you use them in your

document, i.e. South Australia (SA), one of seven regions
of Australia , and
2. You are certain that your reader will understand them, i.e.
ABS (an -lock braking system).

While many acronyms are in common use and understood by most

readers, this is not always the case. Here are just a few of the possible
meanings of DA:
Use acronyms with care!

Use Inclusive Language

It is a poor communicator who excludes a part of their audience by

the language or communica on methods they use.

Does your language exclude anyone or any group such as older people,
people from a par cular culture or loca on, people with a disability or
people from one gender?

When you iden fy your audience and their needs, you will become
aware of any par cular sensi vi es and issues. This will give you the
opportunity to address these early in your communica on process.

For example, ‘Every staff member must bring his ID to the mee ng ‘
could become:
‘Every staff member must bring their ID to the mee ng ‘

or, much be er
‘Please bring your ID to the next staff mee ng ‘

Other techniques are:

describing what the person does instead of using the tle, e.g.
the person chairing the mee ng
using neutral terms like ‘police officer’ instead of ‘policeman’
Ques ons & Answers

Each document is a mystery to your reader—the reader comes to your

document with ques ons.

For some types of document, an cipa ng these ques ons and using a
ques on and answer format can be very effec ve. This can be in the
form of an FAQ—Frequently Asked Ques ons—sec on.

This is par cularly so:

when you are advising the reader of changes to a process or
program
for instruc ons
to make possible consequences crystal clear

Tables are par cularly good for this, for example:

Punctua on & Spelling—Some Simple Rules
“When I use a word, it means what I chose it
to mean—neither more nor less”
Humpty Dumpty–Lewis Carroll

Rule 1—Less is best—read aloud

Rule 2—Use a Style Manual or Guide
Rule 3—Be careful when using spelling so ware

Punctua on and Spelling have ways of confusing all of us at some

me. The path to success is:
prac ce and observa on
co–opt a good proof reader to help you: spell checking so ware
will tell you the word is spelled right, but not if it is the right
word—‘ewe' & ’you’; ‘the n’ & ‘then’
use a good Dic onary or Style Guide
learn to use the AutoFormat func on on your word-processing
so ware

Punctua on

Keep it simple.

Commas (,):

indicate a brief pause

separate a statement from a ques on
 can replace and, or, yet or but in a sentence
separate contras ng parts of a sentence or separate items

Colons (:):

introduce a word, a phrase, a sentence, a quota on or a list

can emphasize whatever is placed a er them

Semicolons (;):

separate items in a list where the items already contain commas

connect to separate, but related sentences where an adjoining
word has been le out

Brackets ( ):

iden fy the abbrevia on of a term that is going to be used o en

in a document, the first me it is used, i.e. “Australian Tax Office
(ATO)” Then use ‘ATO’ throughout the rest of the document
define the meaning of an acronym, e.g. NASA (Na onal
Aeronau cs and Space Administra on)
enclose informa on that expands on a statement you have just
wri en, but is not essen al, i.e. “The football team has won
several recent premierships (in 2002, 2003 and 2005) and could be
well worth sponsorship”. The ques on to ask yourself as you
write is “How does this piece of informa on add value? If it
doesn’t, then leave it out!! “The football team has won several
recent premierships and could be well worth sponsorship” is
simpler and conveys the same meaning

Spelling or ‘spelink’

Unfortunately first impressions do count and we do judge by

appearance. So, it is important that you get your spelling correct.
It is also important that you don’t allow spelling problems to stop you
wri ng.
You can sort the spelling out once you have got your ideas down.

So what are some ways to improve your spelling? Well, there are a
number of ways to try:
get and use a dic onary
read, read, read—the more you read, the be er your spelling
will get. Read anything that interests you—newspapers,
magazines, fic on or non-fic on—and if possible, write down
and memorize words that interest you
make a deal with someone else who is a good speller to proof
read your wri ng—you will surely be able to find something you
are good at to do for them in exchange
if you use a word processing so ware package, find out how to
use the AutoFormat func on, and put the common words you
misspell or mistype into it
don’t get discouraged!

English changes over me: words are added, words fall out of favor
and different countries spell words differently, for example:
a new word - ‘googled’ meaning to search for something
a changed word - ‘an invite” instead of ‘an invita on’
different countries - ‘favoured’ (Australian/English) and ‘favored’
(American/English)
unused words - ‘quoth’ is now ‘said’
the whole new language of tex ng or SMS - ‘ur lat8’ for ‘you are
late’

Apostrophes (‘)

Many people are not sure where and when to use apostrophes.

Basically, there are two places when an apostrophe is appropriate:

 1. When two words have been joined together and some le ers
have been le out, i.e. “It’s me to go” for “It is me to go”;
“You’re late today” for “You are late today”; They’re too late
to enter” for “They are too late to enter”.

2. Where you need to show the possessive—to show who owns

what, i.e. “The cat scratched the dog’s nose” for “The cat scratched
the nose of the dog”

Confusing Words

Along with Apostrophes, there are some words in English that are easy
to confuse. Here are some of them:

To, Too, Two

To: part of a doing word: “They went to the garden to dig”.

Too: very, as well: “I was too late to get in. I was red, too“.
Two: the number 2: “Two dogs chased the ball“.

Your, You're

Your: is a belonging word: “Your shoes are un ed”, i.e. the shoes
belong to you.
You’re: short form of you are: “You're walking around with your
shoes un ed.

Their, There
 Their: is a belonging word: “They put on their shoes”, i.e. the
shoes belong to them.
There: shows place: “My shoes are over there in the cupboard “.

“Their” has also changed its meaning in the past ten years. It used to
be used only as a plural word, for more than one person, but it is now
used instead of His or Her, i.e. we used to write “Everyone must bring
his or her notebook” now we generally write “Everyone must bring their
notebooks”.

Accept, Except

accept: a doing word, to receive or to agree: “He accepted their

praise graciously”.
except: Preposi ons are words that specify place, direc on, and
me, meaning all but, other than:” Everyone went to the party
except Jo”.

Affect, Effect

affect: a doing word meaning to influence:” Will lack of sleep

affect your exam results”?
effect: a noun meaning consequence:” Will wearing poorly fi ng
shoes have an effect on your game?”, and
effect: a doing word meaning to bring about, to accomplish:”
Our complaints have effected a change in the way the company
does business”.

Advise, Advice

advise: a doing word that means to recommend, suggest, or

encourage:” I advise you to be careful”.
advice: noun that means an opinion or recommenda on about
what could or should be done:” I’d like to ask for your advice
about this offer”.
Split Infini ves

Some people fiercely dislike split infini ves; many others find them
merely slightly distrac ng.

Split infini ves occur when addi onal words are included between to
and the verb in an infini ve.

They may lead to confusion in what is actually meant. For example,

from “He decided to promptly return the money he found”, you could
draw each of the following meanings:
He promptly decided to return the money he found.
He decided to return the money he found promptly.

They also can lead to cumbersome or awkward wri ng, for example:

On the other hand, they can add color and emphasis to a phrase “...to
boldly go where no-one has gone before…”

Use Checklist 2—Improving Your Wri ng

Try the Confusing Words Exercise at Annex A
More Hints to Get Your Message Across

If you are wri ng for an organiza on, or to a large audience, it is worth

considering these other factors that can impact on your wri ng.

Checkout the Filters

We all filter messages through our own percep ons, contexts and
needs, and these affect the ways in which we send and receive all
communica on.

You need to take this filtering into account. Ways to do this are to
develop your skills in:
listening and clarifying
an cipa ng problems and difficul es
understanding the other person—sharing percep ons and needs
keeping your message simple
se ng up ways of ge ng open feedback

Which Medium?

The kind of wri ng—or medium—you use, such as a le er, report,

email, minutes of a mee ng or a presenta on, affects the way in which
the message is received.

Each has its own impact—both advantages and disadvantages—on

your audience. Your audience’s access to, and use of, the medium is
crucial, for example:
the informality of a note or memo may change the percep on of
the importance you intended for a topic
sending a me-urgent email is pointless if the audience has only
limited access to computers
formal mee ng minutes or presenta ons may be less likely to
produce crea ve input or open feedback
a casual le er may be effec ve in some situa ons or cultures,
while in others it may be inappropriate

Who Needs the Informa on?

It is okay for people to receive informa on in different forms, and in

differing detail—according to their needs. But—all the people don’t
need all of the informa on!

Don’t tell everyone everything! We only need to receive the

informa on that is relevant to us at that moment. Not only are many
people simply overloaded with informa on, but o en we get lost in
too much unnecessary informa on.

Similarly, a complex technical report may be appropriate for a project

leader, while a ghtly wri en execu ve summary may be more useful
to a busy manager—and more likely to be read.

A verbal update might be appropriate for your team; a community

group could need a presenta on of the issues and op ons.

In the same way, each audience may have quite different needs as to
when, and how o en, they receive your communica on.

The key is to understand the needs of each of your audiences and then
to be consistent in how you communicate with them.

Repeat Key Messages

People o en need to receive your message a number of mes and in a
range of ways before they understand, or before they are ready to pay
a en on. Take some me to work out the essence of your message,
and then repeat it.

It is useful to integrate important messages into regular and rou ne

communica on channels— using different ways and forums, and
different ming.

For example, a message about security or a new priority might appear

on staff mee ng agendas, at managers’ mee ngs, as well as in staff
newsle ers and on internal emails.

Keep the Chain Short

The more people involved in the communica on chain, the higher the
likelihood of confusion and errors—keep the communica on chain
short.

Choose types of communica on that will bring you as close as possible

to your audience.

This may mean that you need to use more than one way or forum for
communica ng, for example, a memo, a newsle er ar cle and a
mee ng, or a large presenta on—each for different audiences.

Use Exis ng Means

People regularly use the communica on channels that work for them,
and the way you usually communicate might not be how your
audience communicates.

Your communica on will work be er if you can discover and use the
natural communica on flows of your audience rather than cu ng
across them. In most instances, you will find that using exis ng
communica on means is most effec ve.

A good example of this is wri ng an ar cle for a group’s newsle er

rather than sending them a formal le er.
Wri ng le ers and memos

“I didn’t have me to write a short le er,

so I wrote a long one instead”
Mark Twain

Le ers

There are three key points to understand about wri ng le ers:

1. People dislike long le ers
2. You must give me a reason to read your le er!
3. Use Plain English

It is good prac ce to plan your le er; make a short list of your points,
or use a mind map.

As part of your plan, always write yourself a statement of “What I

want the reader to know or do as a result of this le er”. This will:
keep your wri ng focused, and
enable you to decide what to keep in and what to leave out, i.e.
‘how does this piece of informa on add value?’

The Gree ng will depend on your rela onship with the reader:
if you are on ‘first name’ terms with the reader, use 'Dear Anne'
otherwise use 'Dear Mr Purple', 'Dear Miss Green'
if you are wri ng to a woman and don't know which tle she
prefers, use 'Dear Ms Green'
 if you don't know the person's name, use 'Dear Sir', 'Dear
Madam' or occasionally 'Dear Sir or Madam'

You need to orientate your reader, to give them a context to read from
—the reason for wri ng. You can do this in a number of ways, for
example, start your le er with:

1. A heading, for example:

“Request for Renewal of License” or
“Refund of Fees” or
“Diabetes Tes ng”

2. An introductory sentence, for example:

“Regarding your request for renewal of license…”,

or
“Thank you for your le er of 30 July, about refund of fees”
or
“Free diabetes tes ng is now available

Your first paragraph must then tell your reader what you want them to
know or do. If you don’t, then:
the reader will simply skim the le er un l they find that
informa on, ignoring the detail or points you have wri en, or
if the le er is too long, or your wri ng is too complex—they will
stop reading

Here are some examples of first paragraphs that fit the headings and
introductory sentences in the previous paragraph:

“To renew your license, you must fill in the form 123 and return it,
with the fee of $25 to your nearest Office”,
or
“We can refund your fees if you provide your receipt, and a doctor’s
le er covering the period of the course you missed”
 or
“To book your place on the free Diabetes tes ng on 3 March, please
call...”

As soon as your reader reads those words, they can see what it is you
want them to know or do. You can now go onto the middle—with the
a en on of your reader.

The middle will be your points, answers and ques ons in a logical
order. It is okay to use headings (not all capitals), bold text, bullet
points and tables.

Keep your le er short and simple—people prefer to read le ers that

are less than two pages long. And they won’t read them at all if you
don’t tell them in the first paragraph what you want them to know and
do!

Each paragraph should address just one issue, and be no more than
three or four sentences long.

If you need to include complex informa on, addi onal documents or

legal technicali es, then put it in an Enclosure or A achment—the
name varies, but basically it is a place to put detailed informa on
instead of clu ering up the body of your le er.

Give each Enclosure or A achment a tle, and if there is more than

one, number them. You must make it easy for the reader to find the
informa on.

The end does not normally need to be a summary. A suitable final

sentence might be 'I hope this has answered your ques ons', 'Thank you
for your help' or 'If you have any ques ons, please ring...’

Make sure that your le er clearly says who the reader should contact
and how, and what they need to do next, usually with telephone
number and email and a date.
The Sign off can be:
Yours faithfully—if you don't know the name of the person
you're wri ng to
Yours sincerely—if you know the name of the person you're
wri ng to
Regards—if the person is a close business contact or friend

Some organiza ons and companies will have a standard format that
you need to discover and use.

Collect copies of good le ers and use them as star ng points for your
le ers.

Memos (Memoranda)

Memos are basically le ers wri en in a specific format for an

organiza on or company.

Usually, they are internal documents, although some mes they may be
passed between various parts of large organiza ons such as mul –
na onal companies, Government bodies and Local Councils.

The main difference between a le er and a memo is that for a memo

there will be a range of specific formats that must be used. You need
to discover the formats—or templates, and the internal rules for using
them. You can find them on files in your Office, and every good
Personal Assistant will have them.

O en, a memo will be used to provide informa on to staff, or to

request an ac on, as well as to provide approval for an ac on or
expenditure.
All the same Plain English principles for good wri ng apply to memos.

Collect copies of good memos and use them as star ng points for your
own memos.
The Report
“What is wri en without effort is read without pleasure”
Samuel Johnson 1709–1784

The report is a dis nc ve kind of wri en communica on.

More than any other form of wri en communica on, the report is
designed to provide informa on that will lead to some kind of
decision by the reader.

It requires more prepara on, has a broader range of external factors to

consider, needs more follow up and demands be er me management
than do most other forms of wri en communica on.

Reports fail for two main reasons:

they provide informa on only, and
the writer has not considered their audience

The writer who produces an effec ve report:

is clear about their audience and what they want to them to do
or know as a result of reading the report
considers possible impacts or implica ons
offers op ons or draws conclusions
makes recommenda ons, (where to from here)
communicates all these through the report
Good report writers apply the principles of Plain English described in
the earlier chapter, but they also need to take some extra things into
account.

Plan, Plan, Plan

A report is a project and needs to be planned and managed as you

would any project.
Planning is crucial in producing a good report, and will always repay
the me and energy you put into it.

You need to iden fy how you will make sure that you have all the
informa on you need.
When wri ng a report, consider why, what, who, where and how:
Why are you wri ng it?
What is the topic about?
What do you already know about it?
Who else might know about it?
Where might there be informa on about it?
How do you make sure you are covering all the informa on?

Mind maps are excellent tools for the report writer:

1. To plan the project itself
2. To check with your boss or other key person that you are
covering what is required
3. Once you have started your research, to plan your report
itself

Cast your net wide when researching informa on. This can include
people, libraries, the internet, other media, catalogues to find books,
indexes to find periodical ar cles, bibliographies, search engines,
interviews and focus groups, photographs, audio and video tapes or
blogs.
Using a Dra

The dra is a valuable tool in gathering both informa on and support.

It can be used to assess and sharpen your wri ng, to improve the
range and quality of your informa on and op ons, and to gather
support for your conclusions or recommenda ons.

Use a mind map to plan your dra .

You will need to consider the following:

will you put out a dra for comment, before submission of your
final report? Why? Who to? When?
what if there are major challenges to your dra ? What will you
do with that informa on?
have you addressed all the requirements of your brief or terms
of reference?
how will you organize your informa on and ideas?

The dra is also the me to check your spelling, grammar, layout and
overall presenta on.

While you need to do a proofing check of the dra yourself, it is good

prac ce to ask someone to look at the document with fresh eyes. If
you have been working on a report for some me, it will be so familiar
that you can easily miss minor mistakes—or even the occasional glaring
error or gap!

The Execu ve Summary

An Execu ve Summary can significantly improve your report. It may be
the only part of your carefully cra ed report that a busy person reads
—so you need to make the best use of it.

In fact, research suggests that only 10 to 15 percent of reports are read

in full—most people will only read the Execu ve Summary!

Your Execu ve Summary must engage and interest your reader—using

all the Plain English principles. It is a concise descrip on of the why,
how and what of the Report.

Don’t assume that your reader is familiar with your topic—you have
spent some me researching, thinking and wri ng—others may not
have had that opportunity.
Your summary must engage and interest your reader.

Depending on the size of your report, the Summary could be between

one and three pages long. It should include:
key informa on
possible impacts
conclusions or op ons
recommenda ons (where to from here)

As well, make sure you sign post your full report with clear headings,
so that the reader of the Execu ve Summary can easily find their way if
they need to follow up a point in the full report.

Plan the Finished Product

You need to think about the finished product early—the final format
and presenta on of the report is important.

Check your organiza on’s conven ons and report templates:

what format will you use, for example will it be published in a
booklet or online?
 how many copies? Distribu on? Color? Cover? Binding?
lead me for prin ng? Printed internally or externally?
will there be a launch?
do you need to make any formal acknowledgements?
will you use appendices and a achments?
how will you manage your bibliography, or sources consulted, or
references?
how will you present data such as tables, graphs, spreadsheets?

Doing the Wri ng

When you are wri ng a report, there is some mes a tempta on to fall
back into the way you learned to write an essay or paper at school or
university, i.e. academic wri ng.

Remember, day to day wri ng is about ge ng things done—you want

your audience to know or do something.

If you don’t want your report to be one that just sits on the shelf,
gathering dust—then use all the Plain English techniques. This applies
to all kinds of reports, including technical reports.

A useful technique is to structure your report in layers or ers, for

example:
 the Execu ve Summary—brief, one or two pages
the main body of your report—the key points and discussion
only
A achments—suppor ng details, par cularly if you have a lot of
technical data

A final point about report wri ng. Some mes—because a report is

o en longer than le ers or memos—we can tend to just keep on
wri ng, and to put every piece of informa on we have discovered into
it. Resist that tempta on!

Checklist 3 will take you through each of the components of:

What to consider
Where to Start
Scoping the Topic
Finding the Informa on
Pu ng the Informa on Together
Implementa on, Evalua on & Reflec on
Job Applica ons, Covering Le ers and Resumes

There are three parts to a job applica on:

Resume
Covering Le er
Applica on

The essen al principles in wri ng each of these start with the same
ones for a good le er wri ng:
people dislike long resumes and applica ons
you must give me a reason to read your resume or applica on—
you must market yourself
use Plain English

To these, you must add:

1. Study the organiza on that you want to work with—who are
they, what do they do, what are their values, what kind of
people do they employ now?
2. Find out what they want the successful applicant to actually
do—get a job descrip on if at all possible
3. Prepare some ques ons and then speak to the contact
person
4. Be realis c—apply for jobs that you can do and that your
background supports

Now you can start to prepare your job applica on and your
customized resume!
Resume
The Resume is:
a marke ng document to get an interview
your 15 second chance to impress the reader
two to four pages of informa on relevant to the job
a means of emphasizing relevant achievements, skills, abili es
and experience
a summary of the main elements of employment history,
qualifica ons and personal details

It must be a document that reflects your own personal style. It must:

make it easy for the reader to find informa on
be 100% accurate in both the informa on supplied and the
presenta on and layout
be concise

Keep your Resume short—think about your audience.

A good resume—that will be read and understood—will be no more

than two to four pages long. Any longer and you run the very real risk
that the reader will simply skim pages, or even skip most of them!

Wherever possible, you should make sure that your Resume is relevant
to the job you are applying for. This does mean a li le more work, but
making sure that you are highligh ng the experience and knowledge
you bring to this par cular job improves your chances of ge ng an
interview.

Use Plain English, use lists and tables, focus on the key points and not
on all the details. Remember—your resume needs to be interes ng,
short and easy to read.

Ask yourself:
Who is my audience?
 What do I want them to know or do?
Am I using Plain English?

Always tell the truth.

There is an example of a simple Resume format at the end of this

book.

Note: Some mes you will hear the term Curriculum Vitae or CV—this
is another term for a Resume.

Covering Le er

The covering le er of your applica on is very important, as it may be

the first informa on about you that the selec on panel read. It is your
first chance to market yourself!

Make sure that the covering le er clearly and concisely summaries

your asser on that you are the right person for the posi on.

The le er should include the following:

a reference to the adver sement for the job, including the
posi on or job tle
a short statement that indicates that you are applying for the
posi on, and that your applica on and resume are a ached
a short statement—no more than 10 to 15 lines—which tells
them why you are the person for the job
Your Job Applica on
Your Applica on is a more detailed document, which specifically
addresses the details of the job you are applying for. A good
applica on will not be more than 4 to 6 pages long!

This is where you must demonstrate where you meet the job
requirements with examples proving your competence in carrying out
the specified du es.

One of the most effec ve ways to prepare your applica on is to use a

Mind Map. Each of the selec on criteria become the main branches,
and the minor branches are how you can demonstrate your relevant
experience, skills and knowledge.

It is vital that you consider your audience, and write for them. Most
people interviewing for a job are busy, they have their usual everyday
tasks to do. They want:
something that is easy to read
where they can quickly see how you might be able to meet each
of the selec on criteria—and that means you do NOT write ‘see
above’

Most job applica ons are really just to get you to the interview—and it
is at the interview you must then persuade the employer that you are
just the person for them.

In the interview you can add in all the extra details—put the flesh on
your applica on.

And don’t forget—your body language will be one of the most

important components of whether your interview is successful or not.
Make sure your appearance, your language, the way you look at the
selec on panel and so on work for you. This is something you should
check out before your interview.

As with your resume, use all the Plain English techniques. Use lists and
tables, focus on the key points and don’t use jargon.

Example of a Resume Layout

Remember—your resume needs to be interes ng, short and easy to
read.
Ask yourself:
Who is my audience?
What do I want them to know or do?
Have I made this resume relevant to the job I am applying for?
Am I using Plain English?
The Seven Secrets to Good Email
“Everyone gets so much informa on all day long
that they lose their common sense”
Gertrude Stein 1874–1946

The Good and Bad of Email

It is hard now to envisage a world without email—yet for many people

it is only in the past few years that it has become an important means
of communica on.
Email has brought about extraordinary changes in working processes
and habits, as well as how we communicate with family and friends.

It makes passing informa on around so easy—from a massive

document sent across the world to a two line message sent to the
person in the next desk or the next house.

It gives us access to people who in the past have been carefully

guarded by secretaries and systems. It makes quick communica on
with large numbers of people possible.
And as technology—such as mobile phones and tablets—becomes
more affordable and simpler to operate, it allows a person to keep in
contact—any me and from any where.
But it has its drawbacks as well:
person to person communica on can some mes suffer
it is es mated that between 25% to 40% of people’s me at work
can be taken up reading and answering emails
there can be legal problems—from issues around formal
contracts, industrial sabotage, conflict of interest, privacy and
spamming through to harassment and discrimina on
security issues for Informa on Technology systems through
introduced computer viruses
your email can end up with anyone!

Email is a very specific form of communica on—it is a quick,

inexpensive and convenient way of communica ng with a small or
large audience, who may be next door or across the world.

It is great way to make arrangements—provided that they are not

urgent. Instant delivery does NOT mean the recipient will read it
immediately.

It is an excellent way to get informa on to a wide range of people—as

long as your subject line is relevant or interes ng enough to get them
to read it.
It is a simple way of asking for a response—as a follow up, not as a
long explana on and request for ac on.

It is a wonderful way to send informa on—as a achments not in the

body of the email.

An email is not a le er, a report or the minutes of a mee ng—but it is

an excellent way of sending informa on to an audience, or asking for a
response.

A crucial point to be aware of is: any email can end up anywhere with
anyone! It is so easy:
to put in the incorrect addressee
to accidentally hit ‘Reply to All”
for the person who receives your email to send it to anyone

And it stays on the server, even if you delete it from your machine.

Remember: an email is a business document.

The 1st secret is: KEEP IT SIMPLE

Don’t try and do too much with email.

Emails that are effec ve are those that keep it simple in the:
subject line
content—addressing only one topic
language—using Plain English

If your email is longer than 3 or 4 paragraphs, then reconsider the

format you are using. Would this communica on be be er sent as, for
example, a le er or memo a ached to the email?
And if you are using an a achment, then remember to actually a ach
it! A simple way to do this is to make the a achment as soon as you
have wri en the Subject Line, before you start on the text of the email.

Clarify why you are wri ng the email, and who your audience is, as you
would for any other form of communica on.

Don’t let it take the place of a face to face conversa on.

So, don’t write long, complex emails—not many people will read them!

Don’t use fancy fonts, colored backgrounds, smileys and other

distrac ons...they tend to make you look unprofessional.

The 2nd secret is: MAKE YOUR SUBJECT LINE RELEVANT & INTERESTING

People will read an email because of two things:

1. The addressee is one they want, need or expect to hear
from
2. The subject line is relevant or interes ng

We tend to consistently open only emails from a very select group of

people—usually the boss, specific colleagues, par cular friends,
familiar businesses or accounts.

Otherwise, we will only open an email if the subject line persuades us

to—it quickly tells us what it is about and why we should open it.
The first things your reader sees are who the email is from, and then
the subject line.

Your subject line must be simple and clear, and make the reader want
to read the email. If it doesn’t, then the odds are that they will either
delete it straight away, or leave it unread…”I’ll look at that one later
when I have me”…and of course, never get around to reading it.

The subject line needs to:

tell you exactly what the email is about
encourage you to make a quick decision about taking the next
step and actually reading the email

Consider the following subject lines:

Which would you most probably open at once?

There are some more examples of Subject Headings at Annex B.

As an exercise, look at the emails you receive over the next week or
so. Examine the subject lines and observe which ones:
capture your interest, and why
you probably wouldn’t open and why not

Prac ce wri ng some yourself that quickly tell your audience what your
email is about and why they should open it.
A good way to do this is to jot down, in dot point form, the answer to
this ques on:
What do I want the reader to know or do?

Can the reader tell at once ‘what’s in it for them’? If the answer is yes
—then you have your good subject line!

The 3rd secret is: THE TEXT SHOULD BE ONLY ONE SCREEN LONG

Generally, people prefer to read short sec ons of text on a screen.

Once an email starts to roll over onto a second screen, your reader is
less likely to con nue to read on—o en they will scan ahead, and if
the email looks as if it is a long one, they will simply delete it.

If you have more informa on than will fit on one screen, then send it
as an a achment.

Use your email as the vehicle for sending the following kinds of
document as a achments: DO NOT put the informa on in the body of
the email:
a le er
a report
the agenda and minutes of a mee ng
an applica on
a discussion paper
a presenta on
An excep on to this rule is the ‘series’ email. Some mes, a group of
people with common interests or who work together will reply to each
other in a series of emails. Each one includes all the previous emails—
there may be a dozen emails in the chain.

This can be a useful technique if a group of people are exploring an

issue or offering ideas or op ons as everyone can:
follow the history of the topic
see everyone else’s input and comments

It can also lead to long, boring and confusing emails—use this

technique sparingly.

If you have a message to send to the same addressees BUT it is on a

new topic, then start a new email…don’t add it to the chain.

The 4th secret is: STYLE & CONTENT

When you send an email from work, you must realize that it is a
business document, in the same way as any business le er, memo or
report. So—it should not be a casual document, full of personal
comments.

Your email audience comes to your document asking “Do I have to do

anything?” Good emails use a style and content that answers that
ques on quickly and simply.

Use Plain English.

All good wri ng uses Plain English or Plain Language—clear wri ng

which communicates as simply and effec vely as possible. It:
is wri en for the reader
 uses everyday English whenever possible
uses a simple sentence structure—keep the sentence length
down to an average of 15 to 20 words; one main idea in a
sentence
explains technical terms if necessary
uses the ac ve voice—‘We did it’, not ‘It was done by us’
uses direct speech—‘We will’ not ‘The Company shall’ This
formal, disembodied voice talks past the reader
directs the reader’s eye: tables, lists, headings
is concise
uses words carefully and avoids unnecessary repe on or
irrelevant words
is posi ve—‘We can pay you once you have signed the form’ gets
a much be er response than ‘We can’t pay you unless you sign
the form’

Keep your layout simple and clean—fancy fonts, colored backgrounds

and bouncy graphics have their place—but it is NOT in emails.

Tables and dot points are a wonderful way of conveying informa on in

an email—especially details of mee ngs, answers to queries and
requests for informa on.

An email is not private. Your reader is able to broadcast an email

widely, at the click of a bu on. Your email may end up being read by
anyone or everyone. Are you prepared to have ANYONE, ANYWHERE,
read what you have wri en?

As well, email is accessible on an organiza on’s servers and on your

ISP’s servers if you use the Internet from home—in most cases even
a er you have deleted it from your computer.

Many places have rules about what can and can’t be sent as email, i.e.
bullying, harassment, pornography, incitements to violence, and
regularly audit emails on servers.
Find out and comply with your company’s policies on:
security, privacy and confiden ality requirements
virus checking requirements
the use of disclaimers
storage requirements
the size of a achments
dele on of emails
record keeping requirements
download limita ons

The 5th secret is: TIME

Some people seem to assume that the speed of their email’s

transmission to someone else’s computer should be matched by a
lightning-like response me.

They don’t consider:

that the people they’ve emailed have their own lives and
commitments other than checking for their emails
the different me zones that the other person may live in

These days, many people manage their me by only reading their

emails twice a day...consider the implica ons this habit has for your
emails.

While it is important to answer email correspondence promptly—be

realis c about deadlines…if you need an immediate answer, pick up
the phone or physically visit the person.

The 6th secret is: MANAGE

Turn your email no fica on off, and set aside two or three periods
during the day to deal with emails. The constant ‘ ng’ of arriving
emails breaks concentra on, distracts your a en on and it is just poor
me management.

Set up folders in your email program, and regularly and o en file

emails into them.

Regularly delete emails that are no longer relevant.

As well, if you use electronic data management and filing systems, you
will probably find that you will need to start filing emails onto the
electronic system—in the same way that a piece of paper is filed in a
file or cardboard folder.

The 7th secret is: EMOTION

When we write a le er or talk to someone on the telephone, we tend
to be more careful about what we say, and how we say it, than when
we write an email.

Email by its nature seems to encourage an immediate, ins nc ve,

emo onal response.

When this is combined with our tendency to be very informal in wri ng

emails, then poor or even disastrous communica on can happen.

If an email has upset you, made you angry or simply annoyed you,
then certainly dra your answer. But don’t send it yet. Follow these
steps:

GET UP, WALK AWAY for at least 10 minutes, then, re–read what
you’ve wri en
Ask yourself: ‘What would be the impact if I said what I have
wri en in this email to the addressee in person?”

If the answer is that you wouldn’t say it, or it may make the situa on
worse—then redra your email, or if you can, don’t send the email but
rather talk to the addressee directly.

Legal Issues

An email has the same legal status as a le er on your organiza on’s

le erhead.

Although an email appears to be an informal document, and in some

people’s minds is a ‘virtual’ document, in reality an email is a legal,
business document.

Discussions, views, offers for contracts or work by email can be

interpreted as represen ng the company or organiza on, and can be
legally binding.

Don’t harass or bully: don’t send offensive material using email. The
same rules that apply to speech and wri en communica on regarding
harassment, bullying and racial vilifica on apply to email. It is illegal.

SPAM is illegal in many countries.

Spam is the computer equivalent of junk mail and refers to unwanted
email. Spam is o en used to adver se products because of its low cost
and poten al to reach a large number of people.

It is mass email which is usually sent indiscriminately to hundreds or

even hundreds of thousands of inboxes simultaneously.

Some SPAM is also sent maliciously, to annoy or harass the recipient—

it can overload the recipient’s inbox and even crash their computer.

There are two examples of good emails at Annex C

Checklist 1—Planning for wri ng

1. Why am I communica ng—what do I want to happen?

2. What do I want my audience to know or do as a result of my
communica on?
3. Who is my audience?
4. Is it a single audience, or several audiences?
5. Who needs to know what? How and when do they need to
know? How o en?
6. What filters are opera ng? Mine, other people’s?
7. How will I work with them?
8. What has been wri en before, can I learn from it? What form
will I use—le er, memo, report, email?
9. How will I plan this—a mind map, a list
10. How will I check that the informa on has been received and
understood?

Now, review some of your own wri ng—how might you have wri en
them in the light of the ques ons in this Checklist?
What changes could you make? Try doing a redra of your document.
Checklist 2—Improving your wri ng
1. Have I answered the ques on for the reader: What do they
have to know or do and is that addressed early in the
document?
2. How did I plan the content of my document? Did I start with a
list of key points, or a mind map, or what else? What worked?
What might I try next me?
3. Did I use appropriate headings? Did I use tables and lists? What
could I try next me?
4. Did I keep to one idea in each sentence? Could I have put the
points or headings in a different order?
5. Will the reader have enough informa on—too much?
6. Is all the informa on relevant? Is the material wri en in a logical
flow? What could be moved to make be er sense? What could
have been le out?
7. Will I do a dra ? Who will I get to look at it?
8. Does the body language of the document encourage reading and
comprehension?
9. Do the forma ng, layout, headings, white space, lists and tables
direct the reader’s eye?
10. Does the document give a context and encourage the reader to
read the en re document? Will the audience have to ask for
more informa on?
11. Am I using the ac ve voice? Am I using ‘you ‘? Am I using
inclusive language?
12. What about jargon and simplicity? Is the wri ng clear and at an
appropriate level?
13. If a decision is required, is it clear?
 14. Have I used Plain English?

Now, review some of your own wri ng—how might you have wri en
them in the light of the ques ons in this Checklist?
Checklist 3—Wri ng good reports
Part 1–Where to Start

1. Why am I wri ng this report?

is it to iden fy new approaches and ideas?
is it to assess a current project or program?
is it to recommend a new course of ac on?
is it to recommend a con nua on?
2. Do I have a brief, or terms of reference? How do I clarify them?
3. Do I understand my audience(s)?
4. Who is my primary client or customer? Who are the stakeholders?
5. Who might be affected by the informa on I gain?
6. Who might support the report? Who might block the report? Why?
7. What are my meframes?
8. What are my skills? Do I know how to write a report, make a
presenta on, etc?
9. Who can coach or mentor me?
10. How will I evaluate the project? What will the measures of success
be?

Part 2—Scoping the report

1. What is this topic about? What? Why? How? Who? Where?

2. What do I already know about it? Who else might know about
it?
3. Where might there be informa on about it?
4. Who has done some similar work before me?
 5. Who can I talk to—or read, or listen to—to get an overview of
the topic?
6. What form might the report be submi ed in—a document,
online, a presenta on, etc?
7. How detailed a project plan do I need to set up?
8. Is there a budget that I need to manage?

Part 3—Finding the informa on

1. How might I structure the topic? Are there any immediately

obvious headings?
2. Would a mind map help?
3. How do my terms of reference or brief define my structure?
4. How do I make sure I am covering all the appropriate ground?
5. How do I make sure I cover a range of opinions and approaches?
6. How do I look outside my own, individual, frame of reference?
7. Where do I find informa on? People, libraries, the internet,
other media, etc.
8. What data collec on methods will I use? e.g. interviews -
structured or unstructured; group interviews and seminars;
ques ons -- open-ended, closed or fixed choice; surveys;
brainstorming, mind mapping; etc.
9. Issues to consider: sample size, ques onnaire design, ques on
design, language and cultural issues.
10. How will I document references and sources? e.g. professional
associa on or discipline requirements; using footnotes and
endnotes; Internet sources; etc).
Part 4—Pu ng the informa on together

1. How will I collect and manage my material (notes, informa on,

keeping a running list of references and sources—where, from
whom did informa on come from.
2. What filing system will I use? e.g. alphabe cally, in a 2 ring
folder; in a shoe box, etc.
3. What so ware will I use? e.g. Access, Excel, etc.
4. How will I organize my informa on and ideas?
5. How do I build the report? What will it look like, sound like, etc?
6. Dra s—will I put out a dra for comment, before submission of
my final report? Why? Who to? When? What if there are major
challenges? What will I do with that informa on?
7. Do I understand any Copyright, Privacy and Freedom of
Informa on issues?

Part 5—Delivering the report

1. How will the report be delivered? To whom? Who needs copies?

2. Who will champion it?
3. Do I have the skills to present the report if necessary?
4. Where can I find out what I need to know about making a
presenta on?

Part 6— Implementa on, Evalua on and Reflec on

1. Where does the final product rest? Who else might want it?
2. How do I learn any lessons from this exercise? Reflec ng,
feedback, outcomes of implementa on, etc.
3. What do I do with the ‘lessons learned’ informa on? e.g. new
projects, training.
Annex A: Confusing Words Exercise
Find the words that are incorrectly used in this paragraph…there are
about 16—yes 16—items to find…

“Its me you got some advise”, the boss said, “their are too of you and
the devise is star ng to effect moral. In principal, all sta onary should
be kept over there, using the cabinet key’s, not in that strange
container”.

I said “I thought its ge ng a bit personnel, and I will brake into it, and its
they’re fault if their’s trouble”.

PS: The answers are on the next page…

”It’s me you got some advice”, the boss said, ”there are two of you and
the device is star ng to affect morale. In principle all sta onery should
be kept over there, using the cabinet keys, not in that strange
container”.
I said ”I thought it’s ge ng a bit personal, I will break into it, and it’s
their fault if there’s trouble”.

(“Its me you got some advise”, the boss said, “their are too of you and the devise is star ng
to effect moral. In principal, all sta onary should be kept over there, using the cabinet
key’s, not in that strange container”.

I said “I thought its ge ng a bit personnel, and I will brake into it, and its they’re fault if
their’s trouble”).

Explana on

Advice is the noun (I will give you advice), advise is the verb (I
will advise you)
There means the place (Stand there, beside the desk), there’s
means the words have been shortened from there is (there’s no
need to do that right now), their means belonging to (their eyes
are a lovely blue), they’re means they are (with those lovely
eyes, they’re going to be beau ful when they grow up)
Too – also, two – 2, to – toward (the two children are going to
work a er school too, as well as doing their homework, so that
they can put some money to their school excursion fees next
term)
Device is the noun (a toaster is a device to toast bread), devise is
the verb (I will devise a way to toast the bread even though our
toaster is broken)
Effect is the noun (tell us what effect the performance had on
you), affect is the verb (the new policy will affect the everyday
life of everyone)
Moral means good or honorable (we expect moral behavior
from our poli cians), morale is the spirit or a tude (when
poli cians are dishonest, the community’s morale plummets,
and we feel bad)
Principal means main or chief (the Principal of the school’s
principal interest is maintaining the high morals of the school),
principle means rule, standard or the idea behind (the principle
behind the school’s rules is ‘do as you would be done to’)
Sta onary means standing s ll (if the ant stays sta onary and
doesn’t get out of the anteater’s way , it will be eaten),
sta onery means pens and paper and other similar office
supplies (I will use my best sta onery to write the obituary of
the sta onary ant)
Adding the ‘s to a noun means that the word owns the subject,
or that the words have been shortened (the cabinet’s keys open
only that par cular cabinet; there’s no way that we can do that),
adding the s to a noun makes the noun plural (one cabinet, two
cabinets)
Its means belongs to (the cabinet has its own unique keys), it’s
means the words have been shortened from it is (it’s a real
nuisance when someone misplaces the keys to the cabinet)
Personnel means a group of workers (the Unit’s personnel are all
employed under the same working condi ons), personal means
private (my medical records are personal, and I don’t want
anyone else to see them)
Brake means stop – it can be either a noun or a verb (I pulled on
the brake in my car to try and brake the mo on of the car),
break means to split or smash or the result of smashing – it too
can be a noun or verb (I used a stone to break the windscreen of
the car, and it caused a jagged break right down the middle)
Annex B: Email Subject Lines
Poor Subject Lines Good Subject Lines

Computer System Virus New computer virus alert

Informa on

Goods supplied Urgent invoice a ached for

payment
Instruc on in Sales Nominate NOW for the new Sales
workshop
An cipated changes in technical When to obtain your new voice
innova ons to complex voice recogni on dicta on equipment
recogni on equipment
availability

Poor Subject Lines Good Subject Lines

Re: Roster Revised roster for April

Invita on Lunch invita on for next week

Next mee ng Guest speaker for next mee ng

Comments needed on updated Last chance to comment on

procedure by Monday updated procedure

Discount period finishes soon You s ll have a chance to get the

discount, but only un l noon
TODAY
Annex C: Example of a Good Email
Here are two op ons of an email telling a team about changes to a
piece of so ware they all use. You want them to know:
what they must do and when
that everyone has had input
that the system meets legisla ve requirements
training is available

Each Op on uses Plain English techniques, i.e.:

it tells the audience :’what’s in it for me’
uses an interes ng subject line
uses tables
uses dot points
uses posi ve language

Note: While both Op ons are very clear, you can see how much
simpler it is to read and use the first Op on—with its table and dot
points!

Op on 1

To: All Staff Members

Subject Line: IMS: Start Date and Requirement for New Password

The upgrade of the Department’s Informa on Management System

(IMS) is complete, and the new system will go live on 1 July.

On 1 July, everyone will need to the following:

We strongly recommend that you make sure to log onto IMS as the first
computer applica on you open each me you turn your computer on
—this will speed your computer up.

Two hour training sessions are available. Please contact the IMS team:
ims@..... to arrange a session.

Your input was important in the upgrade process, and we hope you
enjoy the improved System.

IMS Team

Op on 2

To: All Staff Members

Subject Line: IMS: Start Date and Requirement for New Password

The upgrade of the Department’s Informa on Management System

(IMS) is complete, and the new system will go live on 1 July.

The new system meets the legisla ve requirements, and as well, your
comments were taken into account as the system was updated.

You are required to enter a new password to access any data. The
password must contain at least 8 characters— consis ng of six le ers
and 2 numbers. Once you have entered this password, you will be able
to access your documents.

For ease of use, we strongly recommend that you make sure to log
onto IMS as the first computer applica on you open each me you
turn your computer on.

Two hour training sessions are available. Please contact the IMS team:
ims@..... to arrange a session.
We hope you enjoy the improved System.

IMS Team
Author Profile
J H Hood has a Bachelor of Arts, a Diploma in Educa on and the
Na onal Medal. She has extensive experience across government, the
private sector and community organiza ons: as a senior manager as well
as training adults in the workplace in a wide range of management and
personal skills.

She has worked with many thousands of people, helping them to build
the skills to survive and thrive in the workplace. Feedback on her
training and coaching focuses on how prac cal her material is, and how
quickly posi ve outcomes come from using it.

The ‘How To” series comes from her love of wri ng and her experience
helping people build their skills and knowledge.

She and her partner live in the foothills of Adelaide, South Australia,
where they can watch koalas climbing the tree outside her study
window. Their two cats don’t even s r!

The deligh ul graphics are by Mal Briggs, Canberra.

You might find others in this “How to” series useful:

The "How to" Book of Mee ngs: Conduc ng Effec ve Mee ngs Learn
How to Write Minutes for Mee ngs Using Samples (How to Books)

Have you just been asked to chair a mee ng, or take the minutes, or set
up a mee ng agenda? Need some help? Would samples of an agenda or
minutes be useful? What about some techniques for chairing a mee ng
or dealing with difficult people? Then this 60 page “How to” book is for
you.
Turn your mee ngs into ones that:

are packed with all the right informa on

make excellent decisions
foster good team work

How to Book of Interpersonal Communica on: Improve Your

Rela onships (interpersonal skills, asser on skills at work, dealing with
conflict)

Why are some people just so difficult to get on with? Why do some
people have to argue or sulk? And they get away with being difficult!

Does it some mes feel as if you are having to fit into what other people
want to do? That your needs and rights are being ignored or run over?

It doesn’t have to always be like that! And while it’s not easy to deal
with the most difficult of people, you can learn a range of skills and
techniques that can significantly improve your life.

Would you like to give yourself more op ons to deal with problem
people?
Would you like to improve all your communica on skills?
Would you like to learn how to stand up for yourself be er?

If your answer is yes, then this “How to” book will give you the skills you
need. In it you will find prac cal day to day advice—with examples—of
ways to improve your rela onships at work and at home.