EFFECTIVE WRITING
COURSE OUTLINE
I.
GENERAL WRITING
A.
Introduction
B.
Meeting Summaries and Minutes
1.
Purpose and formats
2.
Why you volunteer to write them
3.
Using an agenda
C.
Field Trip Reports
D.
Outside Letters vs. Inside Memos
1.
Types of letters
2.
The "form letter" approach
3.
Answering service complaints
4.
How to say no
5.
Writing CYA memos
6.
When not to write
E.
Rules for E-mail
II. PROGRESS REPORTS
A.
Determining Purpose and Format
1.
Internal status vs. outside public reports
2.
Writing to different levels
B.
What Management Wants to Know
1.
How to tell it as it is
C.
Frequency of Reports
1.
Why to write progress reports before they are requested
III. MANAGEMENT REPORTS
A.
Purpose and Types of Reports
1.
Proposal formats
2.
Feasibility and requirements writing
3.
Developing a cost benefits analysis
B.
What Top Management Wants to Know
1.
What they don't want to read
C.
Organizing the Content
1.
Using cover letters and attachments
2.
Executive summaries
3.
Ten critical checkpoints
4.
How to discuss the unknown
5.
Quoting User savings
D. Gaining Acceptance in Advance
IV.
IMPROVING WRITING SKILLS
A.
Writing Drafts - Getting Started
1.
Collecting data before you have to write
2.
Using an outline for approval
B.
Styles and Formats of Writing
C.
Adapting to Your Audience
D.
Editing and Revising
1.
Supervisory editing
E.
Proofreading
F.
Using the Computer's Capabilities
1. What spell check and grammar check don't catch
G.
Using Recording Devices - Dictation Skills
H.
Talking to Your Computer
V.
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION
A.
The Impact of Poor Grammar
B.
Common Grammar Errors
1.
What they are and how to find them
2.
Learning to avoid the common misused words
C.
Common Punctuation Errors
1.
How punctuation can change your meaning
2.
Learning punctuation rules
D.
Active vs. Passive Voice
1.
When to use each type
E.
Using Effective Words
1.
Avoiding sexist language
2.
Communicating rather than impressing with words
F.
Packaging and Presenting Your Writing
VI. DISCUSSION OF
ATTENDEES' PROBLEMS