Vague Thinking = Vague Writing

I could not agree more with the sentiments from a Philadelphia Inquirer article written by David Woods.

“Imprecise language occurs when people don’t think first about exactly what it is they want to say. Either that, or they are attempting to paper over their lack of vocabulary by such excrescences as the prevalent and ubiquitous “like” – as in, “I’m not – like – into reading.”

“The vocabulary-challenged are not the only ones who can be imprecise. Scientists often sprinkle their language with jargon in trying to show that they’re doing something important. And politicians – who should be masters of oratory – contribute to the decline of eloquence as well.”

“Why this decline in eloquence? In part, it’s the failure of schools to teach reading and language skills; it’s also the lowest-common-denominator language of television and, increasingly, of newspapers. It might also have to do with notions of egalitarianism: to speak with clarity and verve is somehow seen as elitist or effete.”

I’ll go a bit further, particularly in the business world. We don’t spend enough time thinking about what we write. And too often, there’s not enough reason and judgment exercised whether it’s a proposal, a policy or a strategic decision being communicated.

 

Leaders > Managers

A good business manager is a great asset. However a business “leader” is rare and priceless.

Whitney Houston: Legend?

Legend- a person whose fame or notoriety makes him a source of exaggerated or romanticized tales or exploits.

I’ve heard the term “legend” thrown around Whitney Houston since her death last week. She was a great singer. Her singing of the National Anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl gives me chills when I hear it. I like a lot of her songs.

But legend? I don’t think so.

I also don’t agree with my governor, Chris Christie of New Jersey that flags should be at half mast in her honor. Like I said, she was a great singer, great entertainer. Legend, no.

Too often I hear a lot of hyperbole. Someone gets called a “hero”, or a “great American,”often with little justification.

What’s in a Name? Rowan vs. Rutgers Brand

In Southern New Jersey, there is a small furor about Governor Christie’s plan to merge Rowan University with Rutgers University-Camden. With any merger, sensitivities need to be addressed as to how people, in particular, and traditions are handled. Rutgers has an outstanding academic brand throughout the country. Rowan’s reputation is less stellar and largely confined within Southern New Jersey.

It is perfectly understandable that current and former Rutgers-Camden students are not happy with plans to change the name of the law school and college to Rowan. Mergers are intended to make the two institutions stronger and bigger. In this case, just in name alone, that won’t happen. Maybe this is a bad example and I apologize to Rowan students and alumni, but if you merge Lord and Taylor stores with Kohl’s, you don’t name the new store Kohl’s.

Costa Concordia Disaster: Some Passengers Offered 30% Off Next Cruise

I picked up this article from the Huffington Post. No “write moves” from the Costa cruise line here. What an insulting offer and so poorly timed! There are still recovery activities going on. Families of missing passengers are holding out very slim hopes there may be survivors.

There needs to be a grieving period for those passengers who lost loved ones and for those who survived a horrendous experience.

There are situations in business where a quick resolution is appropriate, but certainly not in this case. An apology (written to each passenger) by the Corporate CEO along with an explanation as to what happened is the first step.

The story also notes that Costa is reviewing safety procedures. All cruise lines and other companies responsible for transporting passengers should be doing the same.

Four Procedures (to be written and/or reinforced) for the Costa Cruise Line

The sinking of the cruise ship Costa Concordia seems almost unthinkable to routine cruise travelers like myself. Costa put out the following statement on the incident.

“The route of the vessel appears to have been too close to the shore, and in handling the emergency, the captain appears not to have followed standard Costa procedures.”

I’m not familiar with Costa’s procedures but I am recommending the following if they don’t exist already:

1. The Captain and executive crew are the last to leave a sinking ship. The Captain is expected to handle the evacuation from the ship.

2. Communicate “Mayday” as soon as the severe nature of the accident or incident is known.

3. All crew members are to be trained thoroughly on ship evacuation procedures and what their responsibilities are. Crew members unfamiliar with their roles should not be employed on a ship.

4. The safety of passengers is paramount. Communicate honestly and timely to passengers during an emergency. The Captain should generally handle this responsibility.

 

Descriptive vs. Prescriptive Procedures Writing

“There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why… I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”

Robert F. Kennedy

Granted one can do a good service to a business or department by accurately documenting their existing process and procedures. Most managers and regulators would be satisfied with that type of effort. 

The art of procedures writing involves not only a descriptive element but also provides a prescriptive element. How can you perform, service and operate more efficiently and productively? Prescriptive procedures writing adds the elements of creativity and sound business judgment to a documentation  effort.

Thanks but No Thanks

I received an email from Barnes and Noble  sent at 8:17 p.m today offering me a a 30% off coupon on a book. The email was sent to former Borders customers to promote business for Barnes and Noble. Wow, I like that kind of offer. However when I opened link to the coupon, I noticed a slight problem. Check the expiration date. I noticed that the expiration date gave me less than an hour to take advantage of their offer.

Time is Money—What Do Your Business Documents Cost?

Challenges for a Policy Writer

Writing credit policy for a bank may be the biggest communications challenge in my career. A policy document of three to four pages can take months to finalize before it can be published and communicated. It needs to be vetted and agreed by a wide range of employees and departmental interests. That means a lot of meetings and emails. Every word in the policy document is important.

A policy writer must be an excellent wordsmith with superb judgment and language precision. They need to communicate simply but clearly. They must continually evaluate the intent communicated to those expected to follow the policy.

Policy writing is mentally exhausting, from the writing and business ends. A lot of meetings, discussions, drafts, edits, phone calls and negotiation before the policy content is agreed.