On-Demand Webinars

WRITING FOR PROFESSIONALS: PART 1:
How to Get Started, Keep Going,
and Make Things Happen

Face it, one of the biggest problems in our industry is poor writing skills. One hurdle is some people are in denial they can improve and another is lack of meaningful mentoring designed for environmental and engineering professionals.

So ask yourself: What are the consequences of poorly written reports, proposals, work plans and even emails?

The answer is your credibility and efficiency erodes resulting in financial losses because of questionable text, re-work, and/or failure to retain the technical trust of your colleagues and clients.

Even when your work is an "A+" product, you can diminish both your quality and credibility with either sloppy or poorly written results.

This 2-part webinar will both empower you with some simple suggestions to help you easily write with consistency, efficiently and correctly according to your own writing style.

Learn to produce effective results about what you want to say and how to say it. Anyone can write well if they know and apply fundamentals.

Participants will learn simple writing tips to
immediately make their words work better.

Individuals: When trying to write an email, memorandum, or report, do you sometimes have trouble getting started -- encounter writer's block? Maybe the blank monitor or paper intimidates you. Are you beginning to notice how colleagues and others, who have similar technical capabilities but greater writing knowledge and skill, have more opportunities while you are missing out? You have a worthy message that deserves to be communicated. This two-session webinar will suggest many ways to overcome writer's block and produce effective results by helping you decide what you want to say and how to say it. Anyone can write well if they know and apply fundamentals.

Managers/Executives: If you have personnel who need help in writing, this webinar will be helpful. The quality of their writing ought to match the quality of their work. Why do "A+" work and, because of poor writing, have it graded as "C" work by those you serve?

The short and long impacts of your writing

Writing can have a short term-impact in the sense that what we write today may influence co-workers, clients, and stakeholders tomorrow. In the long term, what we write today, especially major reports, articles, papers, and books, may influence others years from now.

Besides the potential to influence others, effective writing can also help each of us determine what we really know and think about professional and other topics. As noted by playwright Edward Albee, "I write to find out what I'm thinking."

Act now

If you are dissatisfied with your writing effectiveness or that of colleagues, please recognize that improving it can benefit you, those you work with, your organization, and your clients.

This two-session webinar offers many specific and pragmatic tips to immediately help you and others write more effectively. Most tips are applicable to the full range of writing including major reports, memoranda, letters, email, and professional papers. Participants receive a detailed handout on which the webinar will draw. The handout includes references to articles, books, e-newsletters, websites, and other self-study materials.

YOU WILL LEARN TO:

• Become more aware of what you really think and know
• Appreciate the one-way, single-channel challenge of writing
• Learn 32 writing tips most of which are widely applicable
• Obtain the names of over 50 writing resources
• Engage your subconscious to help you write more effectively
• Increase your writing efficiency – use fewer words to say more
• Improve your writing effectiveness – convey your message
• Produce documents that are more reader-friendly
• Expand your influence within and outside of your organization
• Communicate more effectively with those you serve

TOPICS:

• The complete communicator
• Speaking versus writing
• Types of written products
• Profiling the audience
• Defining the message
• Style guides
• Writing starts on Day 1
• Brainstorming, listing, outlining, and incubating
• Retaining the outline
• Writing the "easy parts" first
• Selecting the "person"
• Gender neutral, active – not passive
• Less is more
• Rhetorical techniques
• Tin ear
• Trimming hedges
• Flexible format
• Lists
• Standard maps/diagrams
• Format writing
• Writing milestones
• Appearance
• Citing sources
• One more time
• Resources for additional study