10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees' Writing
10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees' Writing
1. Use action verbs and avoid the verb “to be” whenever possible.
Initial: Roughly two million U.S. children have a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
Revised: Roughly two million U.S. children suffer from a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
2. Avoid the passive tense.
Initial: Local and national elections were disrupted with violence and fraud by political partisans.
Revised: Political partisans disrupted national elections with violence and fraud.
3. Use as few words as possible to convey your meaning.
Initial: In 2005, GSL offered its program in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to teach 26 students.
Revised: In 2005, GSL joined with the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to teach 26 students.
4. Avoid subordinating your main ideas.
Initial: It’s important that those of us in government continue to…
Revised: As elected officials, we must continue to….
5. Avoid negative constructions whenever possible.
Initial: Unlike many of our colleagues, he does not deal in raucous vulgarity.
Revised: Unlike many of our colleagues, he avoids raucous vulgarity.
6. Use primary verbs without auxiliary qualifications such as hope to, want to, and help to.
Initial: We hope to design special courses to involve students…
Revised: We will design special courses to involve students…
7. Avoid using the word "I" too often. Substitute the word “my” instead.
Initial: As a minority, I am also very interested in the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
Revised: As a minority, my personal interests include the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
8. Avoid gender prejudice or awkward constructions by using the plural tense.
Initial: Each team member contributes his/her talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
Revised: Our team members contribute their talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
9. Avoid word repetition.
Initial: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and conserve natural resources.
Revised: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and preserve natural resources.
10. Avoid vague or weak constructions such as "there is" or "this means."
Initial: By 1902, there were 18 buildings adjacent to a new farmhouse.
Revised: By 1902, 18 buildings adjoined a new farmhouse.
Of course, high-level editing requires years of experience. But a strict adherence to the rules above will result in crisp documents written in a concise, direct and engaging style.
10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees Writing - To learn more about this author, visit William Gissen's Website.
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Top executives must review documents from subordinates for crucial business presentations, pitches to prospects and training for new employees or programs. Here are ten easy rules to create succinct, well-written articles for nearly any purpose. The examples represent actual editing provided by my firm.
1. Use action verbs and avoid the verb “to be” whenever possible.
Initial: Roughly two million U.S. children have a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
Revised: Roughly two million U.S. children suffer from a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity.
2. Avoid the passive tense.
Initial: Local and national elections were disrupted with violence and fraud by political partisans.
Revised: Political partisans disrupted national elections with violence and fraud.
3. Use as few words as possible to convey your meaning.
Initial: In 2005, GSL offered its program in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to teach 26 students.
Revised: In 2005, GSL joined with the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to teach 26 students.
4. Avoid subordinating your main ideas.
Initial: It’s important that those of us in government continue to…
Revised: As elected officials, we must continue to….
5. Avoid negative constructions whenever possible.
Initial: Unlike many of our colleagues, he does not deal in raucous vulgarity.
Revised: Unlike many of our colleagues, he avoids raucous vulgarity.
6. Use primary verbs without auxiliary qualifications such as hope to, want to, and help to.
Initial: We hope to design special courses to involve students…
Revised: We will design special courses to involve students…
7. Avoid using the word "I" too often. Substitute the word “my” instead.
Initial: As a minority, I am also very interested in the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
Revised: As a minority, my personal interests include the impact and effectiveness of community integration.
8. Avoid gender prejudice or awkward constructions by using the plural tense.
Initial: Each team member contributes his/her talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
Revised: Our team members contribute their talents and expertise to the customized needs of each client.
9. Avoid word repetition.
Initial: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and conserve natural resources.
Revised: Innovative construction strategies will conserve energy, use environmentally sustainable business materials, reduce operational costs and preserve natural resources.
10. Avoid vague or weak constructions such as "there is" or "this means."
Initial: By 1902, there were 18 buildings adjacent to a new farmhouse.
Revised: By 1902, 18 buildings adjoined a new farmhouse.
Of course, high-level editing requires years of experience. But a strict adherence to the rules above will result in crisp documents written in a concise, direct and engaging style.
10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees Writing - To learn more about this author, visit William Gissen's Website.
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) Jay Kubassek is a Canadian born entrepreneur, internet marketing genius, professional speaker, international real estate developer/investor, executive film producer, extreme sport enthusiast and a passionate supporter of several charities worldwide. In 2007, Jay's vision and dedication to help other entrepreneurs and business owners duplicate his marketing success led to the creation of his fourth company CarbonCopyPRO, an internet marketing firm already worth over 15 million dollars that has over 20 employees and contract workers with clients is 12 different countries. Jay resides in NYC with his girlfriend Jamie, three year old son Milo and dog Cooper. As executive producer he recently premiered his first film in the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. As an adventurist he is racing the 2008 Baja 1000 off-road race and is a member of the 2008 U.S. National Elephant Polo Team, The New York Blue who will be representing the US in the 2008 World Championships in Nepal. Visit Jay's Blog: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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Bernard ReberBack in late 1992, MS Access hit the streets. About that time the company I managed needed new software to handle their growing client base and I decided to try this new product. I had little difficulty writing and adapting a database to suit us and discovered a hidden talent for programming. A business was born. With business studies and 25 years of management experience in three different countries under my belt, I could offer a unique combination of skills and my customers agreed. From these humble beginnings my software 'invoiceit' emerged in 1999 and has since been taken to 49 states (hello Wyoming, won't you join us?), all across Canada and more than 70 other countries. From the very beginning the program included cashbook accounting, the simplest form of keeping financial business records. The Dictionary.com defines 'cashbook' as "A 'book' in which to record money received and paid out". For 'book' substitute 'simple software' and that's what I'm about. Now I have published Simple Accounting, an inexpensive spreadsheet solution which even you can master. For just $14.95 it costs less than a takeout meal! More at http://www.scrambled-card.com/simple_accounting_main.htm - Visit Bernard Reber's Website |
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 William Gissen (Visit William's Website) Willy Gissen founded Cut-It-Out Communications (www.cioed iting.com), a full-service public relations agency, in 2003. Previously, he served as Vice President for a PR firm with international clients and on a gubernatorial communications staff. A Harvard graduate, he has published many articles on PR (see www.cioediting.com/cont ent).
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