Language changes over time and so must we. Millions of e-mails travel through cyberspace every minute. In order to help our readers understand our messages, we must stay in shape by stretching, bending and toning the “old school” grammar rules. In IWCC’s effective business writing workshops, we encourage our participants to apply a little Yoga to tone up the “old school” grammar rules. Today’s effective business writers have learned to bend and stretch to let go of the old rules and move on with new business writing techniques.

IWCC supports Yoga for grammar rules – even though a few academics might disagree. Here are three examples of how you can bend and stretch three “old school” grammar rules.

1.  You can end a sentence with a preposition.

Everyone is doing it! Not only is it accepted in today’s business writing, you make your sentences easier to read and understand. Which version below do you find easier to read?

You will need safety tools to work with.
You will need safety tools with which to work.

Can you bend this rule right out of shape? Of course you can! Just like overstretching your muscles before a work out, you do not want to overstretch this rule by ending a sentence with an unnecessary preposition. For example, you wouldn’t say: “Where are the safety tools at?” You would simply say:  “Where are the safety tools?”

2.  Feel free to start a sentence with and, but or because.

Old grammar rules forbid us to start sentences with and, but or because. Why? We think the answer is simply “because”. IWCC discovered that this rule has been passed through the ages – that’s as grammatical as it gets. Our advice for business writers…"Let go and start stretching!"

3.  You can use contractions and still sound professional.

When used in moderation, contractions can make you sound friendly and approachable in your business writing. IWCC’s advice…feel free to bend a little…use the occasional contraction such as, “I’m looking forward to meeting you.”, or “We’ve provided you with a new software program.” Just remember not to over bend this old grammar rule.  If contractions take over, your writing will sound ridiculous.

Did you interact with anyone in anyway today? Did you choose to avoid anyone today? Did you:
•    Cut someone off on the highway this morning?
•    Not bother to hold the elevator for a stranger because you were in a rush?
•    Ignore the people around you on whatever public transit you took to work today?
•    Forget to change your voice mail this morning?
•    Smile at anyone today?

All these situations are touchpoints that you encounter every day and you can choose to ignore them, bungle them or take advantage of them. It’s all up to you.

What is a Touchpoint?
Here is a textbook definition of a touchpoint:
“the point of contact, especially when products or services come into contact with a customer”

At IWCC, we think a touchpoint is every opportunity you have to interact with – touch - another human being through thoughts, words and deeds.  Examples include phone calls, video conference calls, voice mail messages, feedback to a colleague, how you behave in a meeting, how you conduct yourself during a training workshop/webinar, e-mails, passing a stranger in the hall at work, volunteering (or not) to help.

In our communication skills training workshops, we help people make the most of every possible opportunity to strengthen their personal brand through their interactions with others every day.

The textbook definition above sounds cold and impersonal. IWCC believes that touchpoints are anything but impersonal. When you think about touchpoints in relation to your own personal brand…the Brand called YOU…you need to dig a little deeper into the human psyche to understand why touchpoints are so overwhelmingly important and PERSONAL. 

Just how powerful are “touchpoints” in establishing or strengthening your personal brand? Every interaction or lack of interaction you have creates an emotional reaction in other people. These emotional reactions can be positive or negative and they are seared into our memory. For example, have you ever disliked someone just because they had a bad habit that reminded you of someone you’re not fond of?

Touchpoints are so powerful that they happen whether you want them to or not…whether you are aware of them or not…whether you choose to ignore them or take advantage of them. Through touchpoints, you leave an imprint of who you are every time you communicate, or choose not to communicate with others. Remember that short, curt, angry e-mail you wrote…touchpoint! This BLOG is a “touchpoint” for IWCC with you.

Again we ask you: “How many opportunities have you ignored already today that could have established or strengthened the Brand called  YOU?"

Time to stop ignoring! Here is an exercise out of one of IWCC’s Communication Skills workshops that can help you start capitalizing on the “touchpoints” in your world.

Identifying Your Branding Touchpoints
Your Individual Task — Identify as many communication “touchpoints” as possible where you have the opportunity to establish or strengthen your desired brand.

The Brand called YOU is up to YOU! You can choose it or ignore it, but you are always building it. As Tom Peters says:
 “Everything you do — and everything you choose NOT to do — communicates the value and character of the Brand called You!”

We make New Year’s resolutions about things we feel are important…losing weight, exercising, saving money, planning effectively, etc. What about communication? In order to accomplish anything, we have to be good communicators. Have you made resolutions about that? Maybe you should. Here are some ideas to get you started.

”I vow to stop taking communication for granted and give it the respect it deserves. I will no longer make excuses that I don’t have time to apply the techniques that I know will help my readers, my listeners and me – no matter how busy I am.”

Some “I will stop” Resolutions…
Here are three habits you can vow to stop in 2012:
•    I will stop frivolously sending e-mail without thought or planning.
•    I will stop thinking about what I want and consider what my readers and listeners need.
•    I will stop allowing meetings to just happen without thought or planning.

Some “I will start” Resolutions…
Below are suggestions of habits you can vow to start in 2012:

For Writing E-mail

• I will write descriptive subject lines that tell my reader the topic and the urgency (or non-urgency) so they can decide when to open and read.
• I will take the time to change the subject line of an e-mail as I forward or reply, as the subject changes.
• I will tell the reader exactly what I want them to do, feel, learn, understand or know – in the first paragraph.

For Presenting/Speaking

• I will take care to keep my words, voice & tone and body language in sync so they are all sending the same message.
• I will plan questions ahead of time to ensure I involve my audience.
• I will listen respectfully and actively to others - even when I don’t agree with them.

For Facilitating Meetings

• I will only have a meeting when it is necessary and always ask myself: “Is a meeting the best way to accomplish this task and spend the time we have?”
• I will prepare for every meeting by creating an agenda and sharing it with the meeting members.
• I will ask for help to keep the meeting on time by assigning a timekeeper – and respecting their input.

Let’s make 2012 the year of clear communication. You know what you need to do to improve your communications at work. So stop procrastinating and do it! Or stop doing it!

Are you the person at your Company’s holiday party surrounded by awkward silence? Someone’s beside you, but you just don’t know what to say. So you both stand there in silence with the cheese and cracker tray as your only common interest. If you have trouble breaking the ice and starting conversations with people, here are three creative tips:
 
1.    Ask your boss/colleague if there is anyone you should meet and ask him/her to introduce you.
If you are the person whining that you don’t know anyone, hiding by the punch bowl or sticking closely to a colleague, then this is a great tip for you. Stop whining and start meeting. Once introduced, try the next two tips to get that conversation going.

2.    Take clichés and tack them together to build a relationship and a conversation.
Don’t be predictable – don’t state the obvious or the expected cliché. For instance, everyone tends to say things like: "Isn’t the weather awful today?" "Christmas is almost here." "Nice tie." Try combining two cliché-type statements together like this: "That’s a great Christmas tie you are wearing; it makes me smile and think about our family Christmas."  These statements sound like you put some thought into them. You just handed out some praise (everyone likes praise), started to build a relationship and hopefully a conversation.

3.    Use the power of three: Ask a question – state a fact – offer an opinion.
People need to warm up to you before they will engage in a meaningful conversation. Don’t expect a conversation to build from you shaking hands and saying, "Nice to meet you Abbas"; you will still be standing there in awkward silence. Try these three steps in succession to lay the groundwork.

1. Ask a question. ("How long have you worked here?" or "How do you know my boss?")
2. State a fact about yourself. ("I just started in my position last week." or "I work in the downtown office.")
3. State an opinion. ("These shrimp are fantastic!" or "I think 2012 will be a great year.")

Conversation faux pas…
Now, if you want to be known as the person to avoid at the party, start conversations about politics, religion, money or sex. These topics should keep you standing alone at the cheese and cracker tray for the entire party!

One final thought…Silence can be golden – don’t be afraid of it.

This BLOG is adapted from the Hamilton Spectator article, “How to Break the Ice”, December 5, 2011.

Governments are charged with knowing and promoting what is best for us all. IWCC is charged with knowing and promoting communication techniques that are best for us all. And when it comes to effective written communication techniques, IWCC and President Barack Obama are promoting the same message. Last year, we let our readers know that President Obama signed the Plain Writing Act on October 13, 2010. The Act emphasizes the importance of using plain language in all written documents.

Using plain language in written documents is still as important as it was a year ago. As the tools and technology we use to write evolve, it is important for writers to write clear and succinct messages that can be easily read and understood.

The Act is simply defined as guidelines that help produce clear, concise, well-organized writing that is focused on the appropriate audience. Did they take that definition right out of IWCC’s effective business writing workshops? IWCC Training’s mantra has always been to teach others to focus on the needs of their audience and communicate clearly and concisely when speaking, writing or meeting.

Plain language, or as we like to call it, High Impact Writing style, is the BEST way to get your message across clearly and get work done right the first time! We were surprised and delighted to see that our effective business writing fundamentals echo the US Government’s newly released list of Federal Plain Writing Guidelines.

So, what are the overriding guidelines that IWCC Training and the American Federal Government suggest you follow to be an effective writer? The answer is simple, go back to basics by following three steps for every document you write:

Step 1: Know your audience

Step 2: Organize your message to meet your reader’s needs

Step 3: Write your document in a High Impact style - use plain language

Remember to follow these basic steps next time you write an e-mail, report, letter or any other type of written document. Your readers will thank you!

IWCC Training’s Tips for Writing

US Federal Government’s Plain Writing Guidelines