Teaching Business Communication

"It's easy to fall into bad writing habits at work. Sometimes it's because we are racing. Sometimes it's because we have read enough swollen sentences, obscure acronyms, and endless messages to lower our standards. And sometimes we write on autopilot," writes Lynn Gaertner-Johnston (photo, left) in a piece at at her blog – BusinessWritingBlog.com.

"Let's find out if your writing passes a test."

"The standards of writing change. What was once correct in business messages now comes across as old-fashioned–or does it? Take this true-false test to check your knowledge of basic formatting standards for business letters and emails."

"A man recently contacted me about wanting to be successful in his new job. He realized his writing was not what it needed to be," writes Lynn Gaertner-Johnston (photo, left).

"If you have a new job, congratulations! Being successful in a new position requires learning and doing new things and accomplishing old things new ways. To write successfully in your new position, take the practical steps below."

"A lot of writing for business is sloppy, poorly written, disorganized, littered with jargon, and incomplete. Often it is either too long or too short. All these attributes contribute to ineffective business writing."

"Whether you are writing a sales proposal, an email to your boss, or an instruction manual for a software package, there are certain steps you must follow to be effective.  Follow these five steps: . . ."