Welcome to the blog – advice, opinions and musings on how to make words work
Organisations are full of documents that don't work. The CEO of a London bank recently told me that he'd spent 20 minutes of his last board meeting arguing over the meaning of a single paragraph in a report. And the board had to get through ten other similar reports...
If you're putting off writing a tricky email or text right now, you're not alone. According to a recent poll by YouGov, almost one in three adults...
Getting someone to read a document is often a bit like pushing a car that won't start. You have to overcome a ton of inertia at first. But it then...
People read your documents until they can stop. Then they do. But that's not because we have limited attention spans. The truth is that we can focus...
One of the biggest business-writing myths has to be that shorter is always better. 'Less is more,' say those who claim to be in the know. Keep it...
Imagine you've just got a text from a friend. Which of these two messages would you react to more strongly? A: 'The forecast doesn't look great...
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Have you ever written what you thought was a perfectly clear email, only to get a reply ten minutes later that left you scratching your head?...
Have you ever missed an obvious typo and wondered how? Maybe it was even in a title in bold, 24-point type. Or perhaps you overlooked a howler in a...
Have you ever noticed how something strange happens whenever we sit down to write a document? In person, we might be able to explain even the most...
When most people set out to write something like a report or proposal, they make one fundamental error. They might adapt a similar one that they...
Microsoft has announced it's to open its own shops, in a clear bid to grab a slice of the Apple retail action. Apple trades on its image as the...
Kill the fatted calf: it seems we do now have a definition of the word 'Depression'. (See 'What's in a word?', below.) According to the Economist,...
There is a corner of Emphasis Towers dedicated solely to the behind-the-scenes team known as Operations. We are the stage-hands to the...
Gordon Brown mentioned the word 'Depression' for the first time yesterday at Prime Minister's Questions. Everyone jumped except David Cameron, who...
Here in the southeast snow all-but brought normal business life to a standstill yesterday. And it’s not much better today. Here in Emphasis...
For most actuaries, it’s a love of maths, statistics, probabilities and risk analysis that draws them into the profession. However, once...
Whether you’re setting up a new business venture or want the go-ahead for a project, there’s one essential document you need. Robert...
Managers are failing to update their staff just when they need to most, it seems. The training manager of a blue-chip multinational was telling us...
Look out for the latest innocent-sounding financial buzz-phrase that hides some very big news indeed. This one sounds more benign than...
As a solicitor, it’s likely that you’re a skilled oral communicator. But if you’re less than confident when it comes to writing,...
If you’re struggling to read the latest lengthy management report, it could be worse. Take a look at this. It’s the original manuscript scroll for...
Your words could say more about you than you realise. New research suggests that changes in vocabulary could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s...
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