Communication skills Archives

Designing Instructional Text

June 26, 2009 by Roy Johnson

how to create effective documentation

This is a practical guide for designing instructional texts. It describes each stage in the process very thoroughly – from the selection of paper size and page layout, through composition of clear text, to the use of diagrams and illustrations. Although a number of these issues might seem straightforward, what makes James Hartley’s treatment of them interesting is the persuasive psychological reasons given for making one choice rather than another on vocabulary, line length, or paragraph spacing.

The third edition has been produced with the advances in word-processors in mind, and Web users might be particularly interested in the section dealing with electronic text and some of the tips for producing screen layouts which people will actually read. There is a comprehensive analysis of the visual presentation of information – with subtle distinctions noted between pie charts and bar charts.

A couple of chapters dealing with writing for the elderly and those with impaired sight reinforce the psychological importance of good layout and spatial coherence in writing. There are also some interesting details offered en passant – such as the fact that most readers ignore questions posed after instructions, the psychological advantage of the bulleted list, and the fallibility of Flesch Reading Ease scores.

On questionnaire design, it deals with the danger of ambiguity, citing the example of a job application with the question ‘Give previous experience with dates’ which was answered by ‘Moderately successful in the past, but I am now happily married.’ Each chapter has a full bibliography and suggestions for further reading, and on the whole it bears all the hallmarks of work which is now a standard text. No wonder it’s in its third edition.

Buy the book at Amazon UK

Buy the book at Amazon US

James Hartley, Designing Instructional Text, London: Kogan Page, (3rd edn) 1994, pp.183 ISBN: 074941037X

More on information design
More on design
More on media
More on web design

Effective Writing and Speaking

July 17, 2009 by Roy Johnson

skills for speaking, writing, and presenting

John Seely is something of a specialist in writing guides to clear, efficient communication skills. This is one of a number of books he has published with Oxford University Press, and it’s a much-expanded version of his earlier Oxford Guide to Writing and Speaking. It covers how to structure a business letter and how to strike the right tone; how to format and follow the protocols of emailing; how to write a persuasive curriculum vitae, structure a job application, and prepare for the interview; how to prepare and deliver a PowerPoint presentation; how to organise and write a report; and how to prepare a press release when dealing with the media. Each chapter follows the same structure.

First there’s a summary of its main points; then the guidance is spelled out in short, clear paragraphs and bulleted lists. There are occasional self-assessment exercises; and then comes a numbered list of general guidance notes on the topic. After form, he deals withe the next two important features of efficient communication – audience and context. This involves adjusting your language and tone to suit your readership, plus keeping your subject and your purpose in mind. He also shows you how the same piece of information can be transmitted in a number of different ways.

The next part of the book focuses on the basics of English language – its vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and even how it is spoken.

In the final section of the book he deals with writing as a process. This starts from the generation of ideas, goes through planning and writing drafts, then shows you how to revise and edit what you produce. The most valuable lesson which many people can learn is that writing is a process, not something you do at one pass.

If you want something shorter or pitched at a simpler level, try his other books on the same subject — Words, Writing Reports, or The A—Z of Grammar & Punctuation. This one will give you everything you need for everyday practical communication skills.

Buy the book at Amazon UK

Buy the book at Amazon US

John Seely, Oxford Guide to Effective Writing and Speaking, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005, pp.310. ISBN: 0192806130

More on writing skills
More on language
More on grammar

How to publish your writing

October 31, 2009 by Roy Johnson

guidance and resources for writers

If you wish to publish your writing, you need to learn about the publishing process, marketing your work, and targetting your audience. The web pages listed here deal with all those topics – and more besides.

The writer’s marketplace
This is a selection of best-selling writer’s guides. These list all the information you need for contacting publishers, agents, and editors. They cover book publishing, magazines, newspapers, and specialist outlets for photographers and illustrators. Most of them provide mini-essays and tutorials featuring advice from professional writers.

Editing your writing
Guidance snotes on editing, re-writing, and creating structure – plus basic advice on topics such as sentences, paragraphs, headings, titles, punctuation, and spelling.

Publishing on the Internet
A selection of guidance manuals on writing for the Web – showing the special skills for creating readable web pages, plus writers’ groups and specialist outlets for creative online writing.

ePublishing and eBooks
Guidance manuals on how to create eBooks on a budget, using email as a marketing tool, plus writing in other digital formats. This approach takes the cumbersome and expensive printing costs out of publishing your work.

Writing for the Web
Three excellent guidance manuals on crafting what you write so that it can be effective when read on line. Writing for the screen is different than writing for print publication: these books explain the differences.

Writing for magazines
Writing for magazines is probably the most profitable form of authorship in terms of payment-per-word. But weekly, monthly, and specialist publications are often neglected as a possibile outlet by aspiring writers. This selection of guidance manuals show what markets are available, and how to break into them.

Writing for newspapers
Newspapers are the most difficult form of journalism for beginners to break into. And if you manage to get a foot in the door, you will need more than just writing skills. These manuals provide the basics of law, copyright, plagiarism, privacy, and the relationship between the proess and the public.

Publish your academic writing
Lecturers in further and higher education are obliged to publish their work if they wish to be promoted. It’s a very competetive environment. These manuals will show you how to convert a piece of academic work into something that can be commercially published. They also show the new possibilities of online publishing – or ‘open access’ as it is starting to be known.

Blogging – publish your writing
Blogging is a form of publishing open to everyone – no matter what the level of your writing skills. But if you want readers to come back to your blog pages, it will help if you know some of the protocols of good blog behaviour. These guidance manuals will show you how to set up a blog: it’s easy – takes two minutes. More importantly, they will show you how to craft even a short piece of writing so that visitors will want to come back for more.

How to write book reviews
One way to break into publishing is to review the books you read. You can post the results on Amazon or on book fan sites. It’s good practice at showing engagement with your subject. These guidance notes show you what’s required.

More on publishing
More on journalism
More on creative writing
More on writing skills

How to write a letter of complaint

November 24, 2010 by Roy Johnson

guidelines for effective business communications

If you have received bad service, faulty goods, or unfair treatment, it’s often a good idea to write a formal letter of complaint.

It is perfectly within your rights to register a genuine complaint.

Modern business practice is to put the customer first, and a letter of complaint will register the fact that you have a serious grievance.

A letter of complaint can be more effective than a verbal response because –

you are less likely to become angry
it avoids a heated argument
the letter is a permanent record
your complaint is more difficult to ignore

Writing the letter of complaint

First decide what specific outcome you want from your letter.

Choose one or more of these outcomes:

action to rectify a problem
compensation in goods or services
your money returned
the goods replaced
a written or spoken apology

If you don’t know, then don’t bother writing.

Step Two

Decide where you are going to direct your complaint.

If it is a small business, you should address your remarks to the manager.

If it is a large company, you might do better addressing your letter to its customer services department at the firm’s head office. They have good reasons to help you:

it’s their job
protecting their reputation
monitoring their staff

The size or ‘cost’ of your complaint will be a much smaller matter to a head office than to a local branch – so you have a better chance of success.

In both cases you need the full postal address.

Step three

You need to make the letter of complaint look as business-like as possible.

It needs to contain a number of key items as a minimum

your name and address
the name and address of the recipient
the date
a title announcing the subject
the body of the letter
your signature

Use A4 sized paper, not a notepad or lined writing paper.

If you are writing by hand, write as neatly and clearly as possible.

If you are typewriting or using a word processor, select a legible font.

If you are using email this will put you to less trouble, but make sure the letter contains all the basic minimum requirements.

In all cases, follow the layout shown in the example that follows.

Example

The Manager
Polly’s Boutique
Market Hall Street
Stockport SK3 1BU

Mrs C Bailey
24 Westleigh
Clifton Road
Stockport SK4 6RT

14 December 2009

To whom it may concern

Complaint about faulty goods purchased at ‘Polly’s Boutique’

I write to ask for a full refund on the handbag I bought in your Stockport branch on 12 December this year.

I took the handbag back to the store but the shop assistant was most rude in telling me that I wasn’t entitled to a refund as I had used the handbag.

This is not a case of my having changed my mind but one of goods not being fit for purpose. The stitching has come apart and this shouldn’t happen as a result of normal wear.

Please contact me immediately and assure me that you will give me a refund. I do not want a replacement as this model of handbag is obviously flawed in its design.

You can contact me at the address shown above or by phone on 0161 432 9763

Yours sincerely

Christine Bailey

Step four

When writing the letter of complaint it’s important to keep these things in mind

don’t get angry or abusive
stick clearly to the facts
keep calm and respectful
don’t make any threats

If you vent your anger on the person reading the letter, you are less likely to gain their sympathy or a positive response.

If you make any sort of threat, they could classify your letter as abuse and call in their lawyers.

If you get the facts wrong, they are entitled to challenge your claims.

Step five

Always keep a copy of your letter.

More on How-To
More on literary studies
More on writing skills

Organising and Participating in Meetings

July 3, 2009 by Roy Johnson

how to run meetings and produce the paperwork

Oxford University Press have just brought out a series of short beginners’ guides on communication skills. The emphasis is on compact, no-nonsense advice directly related to issues of everyday life. In this case it’s organising and running meetings, creating the documents which support them, and participating in them to best effect. Judith Leigh usefully starts off Organising and Participating in Meetings with the language of meetings and the roles of key figures such as minutes secretary, chair, and observers.

She then describes how to recruit suitable people to participate in a meeting and serve on a committee, and how to arrange the practicalities of booking venues and travel arrangements so as to maximise the chances of a successful outcome. She then covers the key documentation of meetings – discussion papers, agendas, and reports. This includes the order in which items should be tabled and recorded, plus tips on dealing with documents in paper and electronic form.

There’s a chapter on participation which includes both the ‘rules’ of debate and argument, as well as advice on doing Powerpoint presentations. Then comes the most unpopular task of all – taking the minutes. You’ll be lucky if you can get anybody to volunteer for this job.

Then comes a real gem I haven’t seen in books of this kind before – how to participate in meetings conducted by telephone, email, and video conferencing. She finishes with a checklist of steps to be taken, a glossary of Latin terms and financial jargon, and some templates for meeting papers and agendas.

The chapters of this book are short, but almost every page is rich in hints and tips. The strength of this approach is that it avoids the encyclopedic volume of advice which in some manuals can be quite frightening. This is a book which will reassure those who need it.

If you’ve never run a meeting before, this tells you everything you need to know. And it’s all presented in a clear and simple manner, with the emphasis on achieving a positive outcome. That’s a long way from some of the farcical, corrupt, and often pointless meetings which I’ve had to sit through in the world of education in the last thirty years.

Buy the book at Amazon UK

Buy the book at Amazon US

Judith Leigh, Organising and Participating in Meetings, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003, pp.144, ISBN: 019866284X

More on study skills
More on writing skills
More on online learning

how to create effective documentation

skills for speaking, writing, and presenting

guidance and resources for writers

guidelines for effective business communications

Writing the letter of complaint

Step Two

Step three

Example

Step four

Step five

how to run meetings and produce the paperwork

Get in touch