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08 Sep 2016

Language Lady runs into a Professional Acquaintance, and they have the following conversation: LL:  Are you spending a lot of time getting ready for your conference? PA:  I mean, so soon!  I’m like really, you know, sort of like worried that….I mean, we have great people who...

01 Aug 2016

Here’s how Hector started his last staff meeting: “I finished these prints last week and you guys never sent them out. Get this fixed. I should have done it myself.” Later that day Daisy, a member of Hector’s staff, spoke about the climate in their department. “Hector speaks...

01 Jul 2016

In a recent interview, Sebastian Junger, author of “The Perfect Storm” and “Tribe”, describes the kind of writer he admires: “I look for someone who is…..hard-working in their prose.  By that I mean they take the time to choose words that surprise me; they use metaphors...

02 May 2016

In a recent email writing class, someone mentioned the problem of partially-answered emails, and wondered if he needs to send separate emails for each question he wants to ask. Here is the email he sent to Aspen: “The meeting has been scheduled for 10, and we’ll review...

05 Apr 2016

Presentation Skills are not just for dress-up. We can trot them out for any communication event. In fact, putting those skills to use can elevate just about any speaking opportunity to near greatness, and your listeners will be grateful. Let’s consider the first, and most important...

23 Mar 2016

Morton and Lee are getting instructions for completing their assignment. Instructions begin with, “Make sure the DPR is turned on before you collect the forms.” Lee doesn’t know what the DPR is but he thinks they’ll figure it out when they get started. Morton: “What’s the DPR?” The answer...