A paper to the board can be incredibly powerful. But you have to tell them what you want and make sure they actually read it.
The board want insights as well as facts
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Writing Matters
Welcome to the blog – advice, opinions and musings on how to make words work
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The report-writing secret that most of us miss
Organisations are full of documents that don't work. The CEO of a London bank recently told me that he'd spent 20 minutes of his last board meeting...
Use this structure for tricky emails
If you're putting off writing a tricky email or text right now, you're not alone. According to a recent poll by YouGov, almost one in three adults...
Are your reports grinding readers down?
Getting someone to read a document is often a bit like pushing a car that won't start. You have to overcome a ton of inertia at first. But it then...
This Netflix technique works for documents too
People read your documents until they can stop. Then they do. But that's not because we have limited attention spans. The truth is that we can focus...
Shorter is not always better
One of the biggest business-writing myths has to be that shorter is always better. 'Less is more,' say those who claim to be in the know. Keep it...
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Don’t let data drag down your documents
Imagine you've just got a text from a friend. Which of these two messages would you react to more strongly? A: 'The forecast doesn't look great...
Why people misread your messages
Have you ever written what you thought was a perfectly clear email, only to get a reply ten minutes later that left you scratching your head?...
Why you miss your biggest typos
Have you ever missed an obvious typo and wondered how? Maybe it was even in a title in bold, 24-point type. Or perhaps you overlooked a howler in a...
Even big topics need small words
Have you ever noticed how something strange happens whenever we sit down to write a document? In person, we might be able to explain even the most...
Don’t fall into this common document-writing trap
When most people set out to write something like a report or proposal, they make one fundamental error. They might adapt a similar one that they...
Are you allowing your team to be great business writers?
Once, in pre-Emphasis days, I found myself in a training room full of people whose body language told me that they really did not want to be there....
How better communication can reduce your team’s stress
It's one thing when stress intrudes on your own working day. But when you're responsible for a team, their stress is your stress too. If you're...
Will ChatGPT silence human writers?
If you're ever feeling down about what you've achieved in life, this surprising fact might cheer you up. You managed to rewire your own brain before...
Are you driving readers to distraction?
As you read this, a miracle is happening. Your eye is detecting dots and squiggles on the screen in front of you and your brain is...
How to get what you want by changing how you write
A while ago (OK, quite a while ago), I announced that I was starting a research project on the science of written communication, with a view to...
Writing to engage – for learning and development leaders [webinar recording]
As a learning and development professional, you'll know only too well the wide range of documents, updates, posts and messages you have to write in...
Everything you need to know about our bespoke in-company business-writing training
You may or may not be tempted to visit a tailor the next time you want to buy a suit. But you probably know that if you did, you'd end up with...
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