General Communication Archives

General Communication

When Your Audience Is International

With some business audiences, it's easy to know exactly what to say and how to say it. We do it almost without thinking, following the usual rules. But with a global audience of non-native English speakers, the usual rules get tossed aside. We need to take a fresh… continue reading

General Communication

Where Is WA? A Lesson About Communication

I've been writing here about dates and times, but today I got a good laugh about places. A psychologist who lives in Redmond, Washington, shared a story of an Australian consultant who was trying to track him down. Only when she realized that Redmond, WA… continue reading

General Communication

“Subordinates”–a Word to Avoid

I recently led a business communications class for a group of global executives in Seattle, Washington. Many of them spoke English as a second, third, or fourth language. When I asked them about their learning goals, several mentioned wanting to communicate more effectively with subordinates. Here… continue reading

graphic showing alternatives to "have a blessed day" and "bang for your buck"

Avoid “Blessed” and “Bang for the Buck”

In yesterday’s Better Business Writing class, participants shared two examples of language to avoid: “blessed” and “bang for the buck.” I think their cautions are worth passing on. In the first example, an employee has been sending email with “Have a blessed day,” and her… continue reading

How to Capitalize Qi Gong

Susan wrote with this capitalization question: "I work for a man who does Chinese energy work called ‘qigong.’ When that word is used in writing (on our web site, for instance), people tend to capitalize it. My contention is that it should be treated like… continue reading

General Communication

Alternatives to ASAP

In a Better Business Writing class last week, a maintenance manager was looking for alternatives to “ASAP” (as soon as possible). As someone constantly on the receiving end of ASAP requests, she wanted a different phrase to use when she was requesting. She was tired… continue reading

General Communication

Pursue Peace

Today is a national holiday in the United States: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King was a peace activist and a passionate advocate for social justice and racial equality. He was born on January 15, 1929, and assassinated on April 4, 1968. The holiday… continue reading