Description
Learn in a classroom environment with your peers, virtually, with an instructor online.
Course Length: 2 Days
Target Audience: General
Goal:
To develop participant skills and capacity to write concise, clear and context appropriate communications that achieve their intended purpose and desired impact.
Learning Objectives:
This course focuses on training the participant to write effective written communication for a wide variety of applications. The participants will:
Learn the elements and structure of an effective written communication.
- Understand the importance of planning a written communication and how apply a simple planning framework to ensure it is appropriate for the purpose, context and audience for which the report is created.
- Review basic writing and formatting skills for readability and professionalism.
- Consider the tone and formality of different written communications
- Explore different kinds of written communications used by participants and specific requirements.
- Practice developing a written communication for feedback.
- Have the opportunity to network with and learn from other professionals.
Course Content:
This is a highly participatory and interactive course which addresses the following and more through content presentation, structured exercises, small and large group discussion and constructive feedback.
1. Business Writing Foundations
1. Understand Context and Goals of the Participants.
2. Sharing Experiences – Successes and challenges with business writing
3. Why it is important to develop effective business writing skills.
4. Common elements and structure of written communication.
5. Distinctions between formal and informal written communications – mood, formality.
6. Tips for effective writing
7. Formatting and readability of written communication
2. Plan Your Communication
1. Introduction to a holistic planning framework for business writing.
a) Determine the purpose
b) Identify the “sponsor” and the expectations and conditions of satisfaction (e.g. timelines, length, style)
c) Clarify the intended outcome or impact of the communication
d) Identify the audience and how to create value for the audience
e) Identify data sources and location.
f) Create an outline for your communication
g) Collect, analyze and organize the data
h) Write the document
i) Edit, edit, edit
j) Format and structure
2. Application of the framework to a real-life report writing scenario.
3. Writing for Specific Purposes (the content of this section will be customized to the participants goals and contexts and the request of the sponsor).
1. Review distinctions and different expectations for correspondence
a) Letters
b) Memos
c) Emails
d) Other kinds of written communication relevant to the participants
2. Review distinctions and different expectations for a variety of common reports that may include:
a) Informal Reports
(i.) Briefing notes
b) Formal reports
(i.) Technical Reports
(ii.) Scientific Reports
(iii.) Project Summary Reports
(iv.) Research Reports
(v.) Informational Reports
(vi.) Business Reports
(vii.) Analytical reports
(viii.) Recommendation reports
4. Practice
1. Work on a written for which they would like co-learners to provide feedback
2. Remaining questions about business writing.
3. Course evaluation.
Participants are requested to bring 3 or 4 copies of emails or memos that they have created and one longer formal or informal report.
Individuals will be invited to work on actual reports that they need or are preparing or bring draft reports for feedback.
Course Evaluation
A course evaluation will be completed by the learners once the course is finished.
Note: The course outline may be subject to change.
