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If You Love Your Words, Set Them Free
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Posted Fri, Mar 19, 2010 |
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The harsh reality is that sometimes even the good, clever stuff needs to get cut from our work. If we want to write well, we can’t be too precious about our words. Barbara Govednik cuts to the chase.
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10 Ways to Celebrate National Grammar Day
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Posted Thu, Mar 04, 2010 |
Didn't get your National Grammar Day decorations up on time? Forgot to bake National Grammar Day cookies? No worries. Barbara Govednik's got you covered. Here are ten ways to celebrate the holiday without ever leaving your computer.
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Communicator Wanted: Must Be Courageous
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Posted Tue, Jan 12, 2010 |
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When I think of “courageous professionals,” the first thing that comes to mind is the men and women who willingly put their lives at risk for the safety of others. But communicators -- the right kind of communicators -- might also fit the bill.
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How "Social" is Social Media?
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Posted Wed, Jan 06, 2010 |
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Are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools effective ways to build a real sense of community--or an addictive substitute for personal contact?
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Take the tools and figure it out
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Posted Thu, Dec 10, 2009 |
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Communicators must use critical thinking skills to put communication tools to work for their organization and situation. Communicators cannot depend upon others to do this thinking for them.
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Persuasion: It takes more than words
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Posted Mon, Nov 16, 2009 |
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Being persuasive means more than crafting a convincing message. An audience sometimes decides how to respond to your request based not on your message but on whether they view you favorably. Credibility is critical.
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Trying new things
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Posted Wed, Sep 30, 2009 |
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Trying new things leads to great discoveries. We should always be ready to try new things, but especially in how we communicate. Especially now.
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Rules to Write by: the Misplaced Passion Theory
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Posted Sun, Sep 27, 2009 |
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What begins as our passion for a topic can end with us alienating the people we want to reach. Here's a checklist you can use to make sure the subject you love gets a warm reception--and helps you reach your goals.
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Writing better links
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Posted Wed, Sep 16, 2009 |
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Putting as much effort into writing good links as into your content pays off in better usability. Check out these examples and start writing better links today.
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Is Networking WORKING for You?
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Posted Wed, Sep 02, 2009 |
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Do your palms sweat as you enter a room of people you don't know? Are you there because your SHOULD be -- not because you WANT to be? Here are three tips for making yourself the most attractive networker in the room, while getting what you want.
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Taking on Tough Messages
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Posted Fri, Aug 28, 2009 |
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When the news is bad, what is the right tone of the message? Can we hit straightforward honesty without veering to "overwrought drama" or "naive happy talk?"
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The Power of 140 Characters
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Posted Fri, Aug 14, 2009 |
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Love it or hate it, Twitter presents a useful exercise in powerful writing by forcing economy of language, as Barbara Govednik observes.
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The Illusion of Control
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Posted Fri, Jul 31, 2009 |
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Generally, I can empathize with the control freaks out there, because I am one so much of the time. But communication control freaks, it’s time to let go. The latest example of this reality popped up in my hometown of Chicago this week.
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Tough conversations – the planning, pain & results
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Posted Tue, Jul 21, 2009 |
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Difficult conversations – bearing the bad news – can be had productively with the right planning and angle. Use these tips next time you have to sit down with your internal or external client for a tough discussion.
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Don't Know Your Audience
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Posted Fri, Jul 17, 2009 |
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"Know your audience" has been a basic piece of communication advice since the dawn of time, but it just might be time to give it a rest.
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What a Murder Trial Teaches You about Communications
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Posted Mon, Jun 29, 2009 |
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It's definitely not "Law and Order." But there's nothing like a jury trial to teach you the importance of good communication under pressure. Here's what I learned--and why I'll go back the next time a summons arrives. (But it better not be soon ...)
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Being a process analyzer
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Posted Mon, Jun 29, 2009 |
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Being able to analyze processes is an important communication skill and important to being a great internal consultant. These tips will help you get started.
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Hey Conference Attendee: Your Hash Tag Is Showing
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Posted Sun, Jun 21, 2009 |
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Last week, I was one of numerous folks twittering the Employee Engagement and Social Media conference in Chicago. We were among the people who generally are for this practice, but there are also those against it. Where do you stand?
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Sting and Change
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Posted Fri, Jun 05, 2009 |
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How willing am I to take a skill that I have and adapt it to make it work in a different venue?
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How to make expressive photographs in “bad” light
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Posted Tue, May 26, 2009 |
I often try to make use of the harsh light itself to tell part of my story. I underexpose many of these images to avoid burning out highlights, and in the process, I create shadows that can abstract the subject and imply meaning.
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Confessions of a Word Geek
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Posted Fri, May 22, 2009 |
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An extensive vocabulary scores big points with language arts teachers and the folks who create the SAT. But in real-life, it can be off-putting and confounding.
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Courage = success in difficult conversations
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Posted Mon, May 18, 2009 |
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One of the most important skills we can employ is giving unsought counsel – having difficult conversations with executives and clients where you disagree or offer an alternate view from theirs. Consider these questions.
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Rules to Write by: The "It's Not About You" Theory
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Posted Thu, Apr 02, 2009 |
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Too often we write as though WE are the target audience--which alienates those we're trying to reach and get to take a positive action. Here are three steps we can take to avoid this problem, along with a request for you to share what works for you.
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Rules to Write by: The World Is Screening its Calls Theory
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Posted Thu, Mar 12, 2009 |
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People are looking for reasons NOT to read what you send! Don't give them any ammo. Here are four tricks you can use immediately to reduce the errors in and improve the quality of your communications--so people see your ideas and not their red pens!
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