Business%20Writing%20for%20Project%20Managers

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Business Writing for Project Managers

• Vigor Industrial CLIMB Center for Advancement
• Portland Community College
• Facilitated by George Knox

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Overview of Workshop Modules

• Document Development (Formats, Styles
  Strategies)
• Proofreading, Revising Editing
• Effective E-mail Electronic Delivery
• Note-taking, Agendas Minutes

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Diction (Word Choice and Order)

• Diction affects
• Meaning
• Tone
• Emphasis

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Diction Barriers to Meaning

• Misused words
• See Commonly Confused Words
• Nonspecific nouns
• Area, factor, issue, problem, thing
• Slang, regional expressions, figures of speech,
  inappropriate jargon
• Euphemisms, pretentious language
• Adult language, collateral damage, disadvantaged,
  economic downturn, pre-owned, rightsizing
• Sexist language

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Diction Barriers to Tone

• Inappropriate level of formality
• Contractions and acronyms
• Slang, jargon, figures of speech
• Proper or strict language
• Id like to get that info youve got posted on
  your web page. VS. I would like a copy of the
  information posted on your web site.
• Improper connotation
• Images and emotions associated with a word or
  phrase
• The details he gave were fictional. VS. The
  details he gave were not factual. VS. The details
  he gave were incorrect.
• Figures of speech, clichés

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Diction Barriers to Emphasis

• Multiple terms for same subject
• First term has emphasis and sets tone
• My client is innocent. I am confident that the
  jury will find him not guilty due to insufficient
  evidence.
• Active vs. passive voice
• Focus on actor or result
• The company laid off 300 workers. VS. Three
  hundred workers were laid off by the company.
• Front load vs. back load

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Diction Editing and Revising

• Consider PAT
• Proof for meaning, tone and emphasis
• Default to direct meaning and formal tone (unless
  writing personal narratives and correspondence)
• Generally avoid jargon and slang
• Check a dictionary and/or thesaurus

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Diction Editing and Revising

• Consider the following statements
• Your client is responsible for the accident.
• Your client caused the accident.
• Your client is liable for the accident.
• What is the meaning of each sentence?
• What is the connotation for each sentence?
• Where is the emphasis in each sentence?

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ProofreadingPurpose Locate and mark errors and
needed changes in a document.

• Proof at least twice
• Content (purpose, meaning, accuracy, emphasis,
  tone)
• Mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, style,
  document design)
• Mark errors, dont fix them
• Organize your approach to proofing
• Proof in chunks
• Read silently and aloud
• Checklist?

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Proofreading Tips

• Accept that most drafts are not perfect
• Plan/schedule for proofreading
• Proof electronically AND hard copy
• Proofread multiple times
• Read your document aloud
• Have someone else proofread
• Practice proofreading
• AND

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Proofreading Tips (Cont.)

• Organize your proofreading
• Proof in sections. Complete a section before
  moving on.
• Proof for revision first. Make revisions. Then
  proof for editing.
• Proof general to specific (Paragraph Sentence
  Word Punctuation)
• Read backwards (especially for editing)

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Proofreading for RevisionPurpose Check content
and order for clarification or restatement

• Read for overview
• Determine purpose of the document
• Find the main point or thesis
• Find the evidence or details
• Check paragraph order and weight
• Proof paragraphs for relevance and flow
• Repeat as necessary

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Proofreading for EditingPurpose Find
sentence-level problems and mechanical errors

• Proofread again after revising content
• Check your problem areas first
• Find topic sentences before supports
• Ensure 1 topic sentence per paragraph
• Check spelling separate from grammar
• Use but dont trust writing assistants

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Proofreading for Grammar (Sentence Level)

• When proofing and editing, focus on meaning and
  clarity
• Know your grammatical weaknesses, and check
  those first
• Read a sentence aloud to confirm verbal
  grammar
• Look for shifts in voice, person and tense
• Identify subject, predicate, clauses and phrases
  within a sentence
• Quickly cover the basics
• Complete sentences (and ideas)
• Agreement between elements
• Clear and appropriate modifying phrases
• Correct punctuation
• Use the writing assistants to find likely errors
  (but check again for yourself)
• Keep a good grammar guide handy

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Revising Strategies

• Focus
• Clarify introduction of main thesis
• Check for competing ideas
• Delete unnecessary text
• Content
• Emphasize main ideas
• Add facts, details, examples, definitions
• Rethink central argument/insight
• Point of View
• Maintain consistency
• Change POV?

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Revising Strategies (Cont.)

• Organization
• Add/sharpen topic sentences
• Move blocks of text
• Re-paragraph
• Audience Appeal
• Use appropriate tone/language
• Let the readers know why they are reading
• Motivate the readers to read on
• The Rule of Ones

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Editing Strategies Movement

• Check paragraphs
• Topic sentence followed by support sentences
• Transitional sentences/phrases
• Arrange paragraphs appropriately
• Time (chronological, narrative, process)
• Space (descriptive, setting)
• Dramatic (build to climax, back load)
• Logic (argument, essay)
• Link ideas

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Editing Strategies Linking Ideas

• Use key words
• Repetition
• Variety
• Maintain parallel structures
• Similar info presented in similar ways
• Visual balance
• Check for consistent style
• Between paragraphs/chapters/sections
• Subject identity
• Perspective

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Editing Strategies Transitions

• Use roadmap sentences/paragraphs
• Choose appropriate phrases
• Addition (and, also, further, in addition to,
  moreover, next, too)
• Compare (also, in the same manner, in this way,
  like, likewise, similarly)
• Contrast (although, but, even though, however, in
  contrast, nevertheless, still)
• Summary (In conclusion, in other words, in short,
  therefore, to sum up)
• Relation time, order, place (after, as, during,
  finally, later, when, first, second, next, last,
  above, beyond, farther on, near, opposite)
• Logic (as a result, consequently, if, since, so,
  therefore, thus)

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Editing Strategies Sentence Level

• Correct grammar
• Sentence fragments
• Run-on sentence (fused, comma splice)
• Subject-Verb agreement
• Pronoun references and agreement
• Misused modifiers
• Active vs. passive voice
• Correct spelling and punctuation

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Also Consider

• Utilizing a peer review
• Testing documents on sample audiences
• Requesting feedback from target audience(s)
• Developing measurements of effectiveness
• Rotating assignments to assess strengths and
  weaknesses of writing staff
• Group writing for projects

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On-line Materials

• Course Website http//puck.topcities.com/workshop
  /vigor/
• The American Heritage Book of English Usage
• The Elements of Style, William StrunkOn-line at
  http//www.bartleby.com/141/index.html
• Merriam-Webster Dictionary ThesaurusOn-line at
  http//www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm
• Common Errors in EnglishOn-line at
  http//www.wsu.edu/brians/errors/
• Better English GrammarOn-line at
  http//www.better-english.com/grammar.htm
• Proofreading, Revising and Editing Checklist, G.
  KnoxOn-line at http//puck.topcities.com/workshop
  /cheklist.pdf