· Evaluate your own business writing in terms of the eight areas outlined by Adams (2013). Where do you need to focus to improve your business reports?
The type of writing that I do at my job is more memos and emails, though those are just as important as reports. Out of the eight areas outlined, I feel that I do well at most that are listed. I write emails both internally and externally, so I need to understand my readers. I try to be clear the first time I send an email to limit the amount of replies asking for clarification.
The areas I need to focus on, as listed in the article are writing my first draft quickly and not wasting words (Adams, 2013). When I write I try to get it right the first time, so I spend too much time thinking about what I want to write and I am too stubborn to move on to the next part. I also know that I waste words when writing. I think I use filler terms to flesh out my writing as sometimes it feels too short. This article has made me think more about how to improve my writing in all areas.
· Do the same type of evaluation for the writing of others in your company or industry. Where do you think others need to focus to improve business reports?
Working within a big organization, everyone I communicate with has a different business background. I work in HR in the healthcare field, so I tend to get plenty of memos and emails with business-speak. They try to be motivational and current with certain terms, but it would be easier to be simple sometimes. Other communication I receive is from hiring managers. I realize that they are busy, but I wish that they would spend some time on revising and editing their memos/emails. It is almost as if they write their first and only draft quickly and don’t go back through to edit. This could create confusion and unnecessary replies to figure out what they want.
· React to Julie Sweet's decision to ban corporate memos at Accenture. Do you think this is something that would work at your place of business? Explain.
I think Julie Sweet had a good plan to improve employee participation. We live in a digital age where videos are everywhere in our life. I think it is more accessible because instead of requiring someone to read a memo, you can observe audio and visual cues of the speaker. Being mostly unscripted, you know that it is the CEO saying that comment, and not someone writing on behalf of the CEO.
My workplace currently has a quarterly “Message from the President”, where she addresses any issues concerning the organization's past, present and future. It is always recorded, so it is scripted. She does offer to send any questions or concerns to her office, but I am unaware how many of the employees do that. I don’t think that they would consider doing away with memos completely. There would be too many memos and emails that need to be referenced back to and easily searchable which a video is unable to provide.
References
Adams, S. (2013, January 18). 8 Keys to better business writing. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/01/18/8-keys-to-better-business-writing/#34356e13261e
Ward, M. (2016, November 28). The CEO of a $16 billion business explains why she banned corporate memos. Retrieved November 20, 2019, from https://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/28/ceo-of-a-14-billion-business-banned-corporate-memos.html
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