Business Writing for the Digital Era

Writing proper business-related documents in today's workplace requires a solid understanding of the fundamentals behind how specific documents should be approached, designed and edited. Written communications in the workplace should be concise, yet thorough and well laid out.

Technology enabled communications (emails and texts) should also be well thought out and designed to get the correct message across, while avoiding any potential misinterpretation.

This newly designed course teaches how to create business documents in the modern workplace, which takes into account the many forms that modern communication can take, and teaches participants how to best align their message with the appropriate documentation and device.

Learning Outcomes

Understand Basic Writing Principles
Know Common Forms of Business Communication
Review Personality Types When Communicating
Identify and Understand Your Audience
Understand the Writing Process
Review English Language Fundamentals
How to Write With Clarity
Write Within Workplace Constraints
Choose Most Effective Wording
Use Effective Editing and Proofreading
Create Useful References and Appendices
Understand Email Etiquette
Effective Report Writing
Create an Action Plan

Course Outline

Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 1
From Texting to Boardroom Paper
Everyone is a Business Writer
Universal Principles of Good Writing
Forms and Formats
Common Forms of Business Writing
The Principle of ‘Purpose’
Reflection
Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 2
Who am I Writing For?
The Principle of ‘Audience’
REACH Review – Communication Preferences
Understanding the Audience
Writing for a Global Audience
Reflection
Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 3
The Blank Page
The Principle of ‘Structure’
The Writing Process
Starting
Writing
Finishing
Reflection
Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 4
English Still Matters
Texting – a Legitimate Form of Language
Write it Once. Make it Count
English Fundamentals
The ‘Plain’ Truth
The Principle of Clarity
Reflection
Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 5
Writing within Constraints
The Space-Time Continuum
The Principle of ‘Concision’
Word Choice
Reflection
Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 6
Click with Confidence
Wait! The Pressure to Hit ‘send’
Edit, Edit, Edit
The Principle of Proofing
Reflections
Business Writing for the Digital Era - Lesson 7
Reflections
Create an Action Plan
References
Appendix
Commonly Confused Words
Punctuation
Email Etiquette
Using MS Word Readability Score
Structuring a Business Report
Add Your Own Writing Tips