Tweet

10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees' Writing

Written by: William Gissen

Article Overview: This article provides an overall framework for editing business documents drafted by subordinates or colleagues.

10 Easy Rules for Editing Your Employees' Writing

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.

Related Articles
  Editing the Easy Way
  Want to Write Better? Strengthen Your Writing with Three Self-Editing Tips
  5 Simple Self-Editing Tips
  Self-Editing Success; How to Edit Your Own Writing
  Writing Tips and Articles rules:

Article Tags: effective business writing, how to edit



Related Forum Posts
Different Hats - CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company Strategic Vision 10 Alliances & Growth Strategies 10 Hiring & Managing People 8 Mentoring 8-9 Strategic Planning for Clients 10 Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty) Financial Management 9 Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0 Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff) Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!) Speaking 10 (so I have been told) Self Promotion 9-10 Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+) Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have) Great topic Kevin!! Jude
Re: e-Commerce and e-Payment providers - When I came back to Japan in 1999 I sometimes used to ask my students if they would buy anything on the Internet and at that time most thought it was too risky. I'd encourage them to try by using well known sites such as Amazon.co.jp and also pointed out that using a credit card on a reputable site was safer than using it at a restaurant. I can't remember the last time I had that discussion or when the "tipping point" occurred in Japan. To answer your other question, I use Paypal for several reasons: 1. Brand familiarity 2. Easy to use 3. Free to withdraw 50,000yen+ to my Japanese bank account - a huge benefit (but maybe other systems also offer that...?) 4. Easy to cancel subscriptions On the down side, their transaction fees are quite costly, they are difficult to contact and when disputes arise you can sometimes lose even when you can prove via your tracking service that the disputed item was "delivered" to the customer's address!
Re: Domain name sugestion - Hi Anelly, Support-Box.com sounds very good to me. Easy and catchy.
Re: Ways to Boost Productivity - 1. Give Employees More Than a Paycheck 2. Provide Better eSupport Channels to Promote Self-Service 3. Complete your most dreaded tasks first thing in the morning. 4. Outsource as much as possible 5. . Turn off the TV.
Re: What Do You Outsource Mostly? - Writing, Article Spinning, Backlinking.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

The Importance of Master Data Management (MDM)

Fear Factors in Small Business: Sales & Marketing

Sales Training – Top Salespeople Are Not Dunces

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.