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...
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...
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...
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...
“Why can’t I just send her an email?” asks Vonda as she prepares to tell a colleague that she hasn’t finished some promised work. “I want to email my boss and tell her that I can’t come in tomorrow – what’s wrong with that?” from Endora. Ronan...
Are you a good listener? Most people answer “Yes” to this question and then wonder if they know what it means to be a good listener. Many speakers think good listening means taking turns, and during the other guy’s turn you can plan your clever retorts,...