Make It Concise

Even if you're writing something as quick as a 2-sentence email, there's no need to be sloppy. Here's how to make your tiny blurbs earn their keep.

Before:
Team Members: Please see the attached document, post at all positions’, (Guidelines for values). 

After:

Team Members: New "Guidelines" document is attached. Please post.

Before: 

Please if anyone has any issues, questions, or concerns please ask me, if I cannot answer I will ask my mentors, and use resources’ to answer anyone’s questions.

I advise against asking your co -worker Please come directly to me, I have 4 or 5 different ways of being reached if not in the office.    This will eliminate any misunderstandings you may encounter.

After:

Let me know if you have any concerns.

Before:

My goal is to keep everyone working together.  ( I will be delegating each team member , a department responsibility).  Since we are a team this will unite our department.

Some members of our staff asked for a job specific responsibility, I agree it will promote a united front.     ("A house divided will fall"). 

After:

I will be giving each team member a specific responsibility.

(c)2014 Suzann Kale

Tags: business writing, technical writing, verbage, punctuation, grammar, syntax