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Tools of the Trade
A Monthly Guide to Communicating Effectively at Work
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Dear Melanie,
Happy
New Year and welcome to the January edition of Write It Well's
newsletter. Each month we'll offer our time-tested tools and strategies
that will make writing at work easier for you. Feel free to forward
this to friends and co-workers who are also interested in learning to
write more efficiently.
Best Wishes,
Natasha
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Proofreading Well
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The Error Hunt Simplified
by Melanie Wise, Director of Services
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At Write It Well, we often hear this from our training clients: "I read over my work, but I just don't see my proofreading errors! What am I doing wrong?".
Well,
let's start with what they're doing right. Making the effort to present
error-free documents is the first step. As research shows, written
communications that are full of typos, misspellings and usage errors
leave readers with a poor impression of the writer and the
organization. But proofreading well is challenging.
Before you
begin proofreading, make sure your document is reader-focused--with a
clearly stated main point, clear organization, easy-to-read formatting
and concise language. If you or your staff are struggling with any of
these issues, visit our website, where you can learn more about our books and training programs.
If
proofreading is your challenge, then don't despair. Most workplace
writers already have the knowledge they need to fix their mistakes
after they find them. The trick is to find them before you send the
document out. Here are some guidelines for finding errors in your own
documents. Follow these and you'll present a consistent professional
image every time:
1. The best proofreading is done when you have distance from a document--take a break between writing and proofreading.
2.
Use the spell-checker and grammar-checker slowly and carefully to help
you catch your typos. When used mindfully, both are helpful tools. When
used carelessly, they will lead you to make new errors almost as often
as they help correct existing ones.
3. Whenever possible, proofread from a printed page. Errors are easier to see on paper than on a screen.
4.
If you have to proofread on a screen, zoom in so that the text is very
large. This will allow you to see errors you might otherwise miss.
5.
Read your work aloud. By slowing down and articulating each word,
you'll catch most of your mistakes. And remember, if it doesn't sound
right, it probably isn't.
6. Use your word processing program's
Find feature to catch your writing demons, those pesky little mistakes
you frequently make. For example if you tend to confuse accept with except, then type those words into Find so you don't have to hunt for them.
7.
Proofread several times, taking breaks in between. You can multi-task
while you proofread. Proofread once, make a phone call or get some
coffee; then, proofread a second time.
8. If the document carries a lot of weight, give it to a trusted co-worker to proofread after you've given it your best shot.
For more information about how Write It Well can help you or your staff write more effectively at work, visit us at writeitwell.com.
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Just a Bit About Us
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It Well was founded in 1980 to help people in the workplace communicate
clearly and work together effectively. We develop and deliver online
and on-site programs, publish a line of popular business writing texts
and facilitator kits, and provide writing and editing services for
organizations large and small.
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Natasha Terk, President
Write It Well
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Training
is more affordable than you may think. Our two-day workshop, Business
Writing (for up to 25 participants), costs between $3,500 and $4,700 to
customize and deliver. Materials cost $45 per participant. If your
organization books a workshop before July 1, 2009, we'll provide the
materials for free. That's a savings of up to $1,125!
Contact Natasha Terk at 510-655-6477 or natashaterk@writeitwell.com for more information or to book a workshop.
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