Hang on, hang on. Stick with me. I'm not advocating for rudeness, meanness, or disrespect. But I think the emphasis on nice (over, say, kind or clear) can get in the way of effective communication--and reinforce some pretty awful power systems in the process. For instance, one of my current clients has explicitly asked me … Continue reading Let’s Be Less nice in the Workplace
Tag: clean and clear
Let’s be More Un-just
Welp, it's the new year and I'm just now getting to just my first blog, because it's been just a whirlwind so far. I just wanted to say just a couple of things about just the start of the year, and just move on to the part where I just crank these out on my … Continue reading Let’s be More Un-just
CTrl-F, Then What?
Ok, you've identified some comfort words and developed a habit of searching for them as part of your revision and cleanup process. So you can find them. Now what? Like most strong writing habits, shifting the reliance on the same old thought placeholders depends on your understanding your own contexts a bit more fully. But … Continue reading CTrl-F, Then What?
Ding Ding
Most of us know we'll lose readers with a single big block of undifferentiated text: one of the many reasons legalese is so hard to sift through. Fewer of us know that we're just as likely to lose readers with rapid-fire single sentences featuring repeated double line breaks and strategic emoji: think those obnoxious marketing … Continue reading Ding Ding
Business writing at its best
Look, I know this guy can write: I picked up Fix This Next at a mentor's suggestion and immediately started reading two of his other books. I also know that the manpower and time put into a book is going to wildly differ from what's invested in weekly or daily email marketing bids. But look … Continue reading Business writing at its best
Something Polished 