Writing for the Workplace

Preface

For many, writing comes naturally. For others, it is a dreaded chore. Even if you enjoy writing, however, you may never have learned to write effective e-mails, memos, letters, or business reports. In many cases, the way you may have written in the past—using inflated language and long, rambling sentences to sound smart, or padding your work by repeating points to eke out a predetermined number of pages—is the exact opposite of the kind of writing valued in the professional world.

Many of us enter the workplace clueless about the right way to frame a request or compose a routine e-mail. We may wonder about issues such as how the document should look, what tone to adopt, or which organizational strategy to use. This book is designed to ...