The Importance of Writing Skills in the Workplace
What are the words you write revealing about you? Are they saying I am a well educated and smart business person or are they screaming that I am an ignoramus? The way you write reveals so much about you and your business skills. Your writing tells the reader about your educational background, whether you have pride in your work and your level of business expertise. Any company with employees who write clearly and concisely has a competitive edge over other companies whose employees are still struggling to communicate. The lack of good writing skills in the business place can lead to excessive turnovers, loss of profits and high costs unless remedies are established.
In our fast-paced workplace, precision and conciseness are essential. It is crucial with any documents or presentations that we don’t send the wrong message. One report states in Employers urge workers to improve writing from Madlen Read concludes, “majority of U.S. employers say about one-third of workers don’t meet the writing skills required in their positions”(25 ). In another report E-mail exposes the Literacy Gap from Mary Anne Donovan concludes, “E-mail is propelling most organizations to move from oral to written communications with their customers and clients. But managers are discovering many of their employees don’t have the writing skills for the job”(15). By those results it is coming to be a major concern with all U.S. businesses. We are failing to communicate properly through electronic e-mails, office memos, and letters. We are sending messages that are not clear and concise and we are losing our credibility among our colleagues.
Some of the problems that we encounter as writers...
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Wardle, Elizabeth. "Identity, Authority, and Learning to Write in New Workplaces." Wardle, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing A College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. 520-537. Print.
Sam Dillion wrote “What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence” for an audience of college students, employees and corporate people. In his article, Sam points out that companies are spending a lot of money annually on remedial training. According to Sam, the writing problem appears in e-mails, reports and texts. He is informing his audience to brush up on writing skills before entering the corporate world, in order to avoid remedial training. Companies like to hire employees with excellent writing skills but many of employees and applicants fall short of that standard.
...eading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2008. 709. Print
Writing with Readings and Handbook. 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2013. 52-57. Print.
Shipley,David, Schwalbe, Will. “How to Write (the Perfect) Email” The Norton Mix: The Global University. A Custom Publication. W.W Norton, 2013.273-282. Print.
Although numerous internal writing techniques remain evident, some of the major points that Hamill illustrates in his article prove very effective.
I have explored some of the elements I think are present in good business writing and result in good usage. Through this exploration, I see that there are other elements of good usage I could have examined, but chose not to. A variety of advice on writing is available, but there is not one definitive rule or even one handbook to which a writer must strictly adhere. There are guidelines a writer might consider, but ultimately, the writer must adapt his or her writing according to each writing situation. Rules are guidelines meant to be helpful. When rules cease to be helpful or become too dogmatic, disregard.
The lack of basic skills is financially a problem, too. The government and employers are also spending too much money on basic writing skills. A 2003 survey of managers shows that employers are spending $1.3 billion a year on basic writing. (Begley, Sh...
Writing can be a very difficult process for those who do not know how to go about constructing
Knowing correct formats, styles, and linguistics can ensure a company that a person will be professional and effective at work. Having exceptional writing skills will assist in getting a job because when a person has those skills they can create a well thought out resume and cover letter. An outstanding resume and cover letter is the first impression a person leaves for an employer. The way a person writes shows who they are and what they can accomplish. When a person has a deficient resume it makes employers unsure of who the person they are considering is. It will make an employer wonder if they are making the right decision and question if the person applying for the position will be able to do the tasks needed to fulfil the job. It is also important to have good writing skills when applying for a job or trying to advance in a job because most jobs require communication through e-mail. Not only does one want to sound professional in a work e-mail but then verbal communication takes place. In the work field a person wanting to advance in their job is most likely going to have to step up and not only answer telephones but they may need to speak in meetings, and write business letters. An article by Timothy Roufa on thebalance.com gives an example that shows the importance of verbal and written communication skills
Why is professional writing declining in America’s workforce? In Sam Dillon’s “What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence”, Dillon blames this decline on the American education system. Dillon writes to administrators and educators in the “Higher Education” section of the New York Times to convince them to increase the teaching of professional writing in schools. Dillon displays to his audience the current business world that students going into the workforce are creating. This initiative is being created so students are prepared when they graduate and go into the workforce and millions of dollars aren’t spent trying to teach students things that they should already know. Dillon persuades educators and administrators to improve professional
Such frustrating scenarios are not uncommon in the learning center. Developing and practicing effective personal writing skills is crucial for recording individual expression and communication, logging personal experiences and preserving a culture’s civilization (Powell, Harms and Barry, 2006). Successful Americans in all walks of life depend on producing clear oral and written communication. A survey of one hundred and twenty major American corporations (Powell, Harms and Barry, 2006) finds that approximately eight million employees must demonstrate strong writing skills for employee retention and promotion. Two-thirds of salaried employees in large American companies have some writing responsibility; effective communications via e-mail and PowerPoint are often job requirements (Needles & Knapp, 2004).
...thletic director “will also have to make explanations, educate, do public speaking, and inform others via the written form”. (Hoch, 2007) To emphasize the importance of written communication in a paper by Griffin and Kaleba college graduates were ranked as being below par in written communication by more than a quarter of employers. (Griffin & Kaleba, 2006). To give a specific example Bank of America seeks employees who have both written and spoken skills in communication. (Wilson, 2006)
Communication is the top quality that employers look for. Effective business communication starts by asking the right questions to understand the customer’s needs and wants to be able to recommend a product or service customized to the customer. One good tip would be to speak, pause, and listen. Communicate what you need and then pause to let the recipient process and respond to the information. With an average of 1800 messages being sent by workers through memos, telephone, email, faxes, and face to face, it is important to listen and pay attention to the recipient and send your information clearly. All in all, to be effective in business communication you need to be clear, brief, focused, and comm...
Angell, David, and Brent Heslop. The Elements of E-Mail Style: Communication Effectively Via Electronic Mail. Canada: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1994.