One ploy that even the most naïve of listeners or readers can detect is following a positive comment with the word but, as in:
You’re doing a good job as a writer, but you need to improve as a speaker.
The full force of the words following but usually nullifies the weaker positive phrase that preceded it. Instead of but, try and. Example:
You’re doing a good job as a writer. Your e-mails are purposeful and respectful, and your technical reports are detailed and organized. And if you want your oral presentations to be just as purposeful, respectful, detailed, and structured, you need to work on improving them.
The second draft not only sounds more positive, but it suggests to the reader an approach for improvement. Wherever I lead seminars, participants agree that the and sounds more real and sincere than the but—no but about it.
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Constructive Criticism, Part 1: Positively Critical!
At one of my recent training seminars on writing performance appraisals, a participant asked, “When focusing on employees’ positive qualities, aren’t we skirting around the issue that they’re weak in other areas?”
The answer is yes and no. Yes, if you’re dealing with an employee who needs to reverse negative habits by taking immediate corrective actions. No, if you realize that people often overcome their weaknesses by building on their strengths. I agree with Deborah Bright, who writes in her book The Official Criticism Manual: Perfecting the Art of Giving and Receiving Criticism:
Criticism is negative. To try to hide that fact only results in deception. However, when used properly and when sometimes mixed with praise, criticism is an important ingredient in creating fine-tuned performance and maintaining consistently high levels of productivity.
With that thought in mind, I will offer a couple pointers on positive criticism in the coming installments of WORDS ON THE LINE.
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
The answer is yes and no. Yes, if you’re dealing with an employee who needs to reverse negative habits by taking immediate corrective actions. No, if you realize that people often overcome their weaknesses by building on their strengths. I agree with Deborah Bright, who writes in her book The Official Criticism Manual: Perfecting the Art of Giving and Receiving Criticism:
Criticism is negative. To try to hide that fact only results in deception. However, when used properly and when sometimes mixed with praise, criticism is an important ingredient in creating fine-tuned performance and maintaining consistently high levels of productivity.
With that thought in mind, I will offer a couple pointers on positive criticism in the coming installments of WORDS ON THE LINE.
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Unlink That Noun Chain!
Noun chains (i.e., a succession of nouns in a sentence) create confusion even for the most informed of readers. Nearly every technical field is guilty of perpetuating noun chains. Three examples from different fields appear below. Notice how the second drafts of each improve the original by either (1) deleting unnecessary words or (2) adding clarifying phrases.
FROM BANKING
Confusing: The Firm has instituted a customer service department monitoring initiative pilot project.
Clearer: The Firm has instituted a pilot project for the monitoring initiative created by the customer service department.
FROM ENGINEERING
Confusing: This is the Quality Assurance asbestos exposure risk analysis completion report.
Clearer: The Quality Assurance group presents this risk analysis completion report on asbestos exposure.
FROM LAW
Confusing: Judge Judy recommended that we provide a public service community information dissemination program.
Clearer: Judge Judy recommended that we provide a public service by establishing a program to disseminate community information.
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
FROM BANKING
Confusing: The Firm has instituted a customer service department monitoring initiative pilot project.
Clearer: The Firm has instituted a pilot project for the monitoring initiative created by the customer service department.
FROM ENGINEERING
Confusing: This is the Quality Assurance asbestos exposure risk analysis completion report.
Clearer: The Quality Assurance group presents this risk analysis completion report on asbestos exposure.
FROM LAW
Confusing: Judge Judy recommended that we provide a public service community information dissemination program.
Clearer: Judge Judy recommended that we provide a public service by establishing a program to disseminate community information.
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Thinking Out Loud about LearnOutLoud.com
If you are an online or podcast learner who has not tried LearnOutLoud.com, then I would suggest that you check it out. This resource (http://www.learnoutloud.com/), self-described as “your one-stop destination for audio and video learning,” offers diverse audio books and lectures on diverse topics, including business, education, history, literature, philosophy, politics, science, social sciences, and technology. Many of its resources are free, so why not give it a try? If you ever catch me listening to my iPod, I most probably will be tuned into a podcast I downloaded from LearnOutLoud.com!
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
To purchase your copy of The Art of On-the-Job Writing by Philip Vassallo, click here: http://firstbooks.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=144
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