Grammar Matters – Especially in Business Communications

Grammar Matters – Especially in Business Communications

by Jane B. Fraser

In this time of text messaging and what I call ‘textspeak’ (shortened forms of communication such as ‘ware u at?’ and ‘tryn 2 reech u’), correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar are more important than ever. Why? Too many times the writer assumes too much, and the reader is left in the dark (or at least in the twilight). I’ve worked for people who gave me instructions that would have baffled an archaeologist. One of my favorites was this gem:

“Jane you need revise the follow copy add direct specs see eng head for the write info. And when I need his spredsheet that show numbers times dates.”

So--can you figure out what this person wanted? Neither could I, which meant wasting valuable time to track him down to decipher his message. (By the way, the author of that last message was stunned that I couldn’t understand what he wanted!)

The message that comes through loud and clear when you don’t bother to use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar is that you don’t care enough about your audience to make your message clear.  If you don’t care enough about that, then it’s a relatively short jump to assume that you probably don’t care much about your business either.

If you think that taking the time to use words correctly does NOT count, think again. Unless you have that truly one-of-a-kind service or product that absolutely everyone must have, then you are among hundreds of thousands of people and companies vying for the public dollar. It’s easier than ever now to research products and services, so potential customers and readers will just pass you by if your message is not crystal clear and crafted professionally.

Here’s a case in point: restaurant menus. The following are some examples I’ve seen printed in actual menus over the years:

• cramberry sauce (translation: cranberry sauce)
• super juice (translation: soup or juice)
• paste with all oil (translation: pasta with aioli [garlic-flavored mayonnaise])
• chocolate buzzard (translation: chocolate blizzard [ice cream concoction])
• mice pie (translation: mince pie)

I used to correct things like this and pass them in to the owners, but most owners weren’t all that appreciative. Maybe it’s just me, but I have to wonder: if the menu is looks this bad, what’s going on in the kitchen?

Although it’s fairly easy to spot spelling and even grammatical errors (especially if you have someone as picky as I am reviewing it), punctuation is often a tricky minefield. If you do not present your text punctuated in a way that makes it absolutely clear, you can miss the point entirely, and in fact can completely misrepresent yourself.

Please do not assume that Spell/Grammar Check is going to unilaterally bail you out, either. It is a help, but it’s like anything else—you can’t rely on it to do your thinking for you. You still need to know how to spell. Just as a calculator can help you with math, you should still know the basics yourself.

Of course, sloppy spelling, poor punctuation, and ghastly grammar do not always mean inferior merchandise, service, etc. But sadly, over the years I’ve come to realize that this is often exactly what it means. There’s an old saying: “the devil is in the details,” meaning that whatever you do should be done thoroughly. Details are important. Whether it’s a cake, a software product, a custom-built motorcycle, or a document, the details should reflect your own commitment to excellence and professionalism. Remember that there are plenty of potential readers/customers out there who have vast resources from which to choose. Spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors can easily take dollars out of your pockets. Be vigilant, and never turn down another pair of eyes to review your work. It is so much easier to take the time to do things right the FIRST time instead of having to work through a massive do-over.

Instructions – SKIS (Seriously, Keep It Simple

Instructions – SKIS (Seriously, Keep It Simple

By Jane B. Fraser

I’m a technical writer, and whenever I write instructions, I keep them as simple as possible. We have all experienced frustration in trying to decipher a technical manual that comes with our iPod, DVR, cell phone, etc. that assumes we know more than we do. It’s either that, or the information is listed in some arcane way so that you really can’t find the answers you need.

Case in point: my parents drive a KIA van. They had it for years and never had a flat. Sure enough, one day they got a flat tire, and Dad asked Mom to read him the instructions in case there were any special instructions. She looked up “flat,” “tire,” “tire jack,” and so on, and could find nothing in the index about how to change a flat tire. Frustrated, she went through the index line by line and guess where the instructions were listed? They were under “I” for “If you have a flat tire.” I wish I made this up, but I didn’t.

I once wrote a detailed instruction manual for a software product. It was simple and clear, with easy step-by-step instructions written at a basic sixth-grade level (the U.S. standard national average reading level). During a document review meeting with a circle of high-level managers, it was said that the manual was “too simplistic” and should be written to a higher education level.

I asked them what level that should be, which sparked a heated discussion. Some felt the manual should be written at college level, others felt it should be written for highly technical people, and one spoke up passionately for a guide written for a PHD level.

So I told them I would gladly rewrite the manual and present the same information in three separate manuals: college level, high-tech level and PHD level. Most of the audience looked at me as if I had fiddler crabs crawling out of my ears. Someone said, “Well, that’s a stupid idea!” I told them I agreed completely, which is why I recommended that the manual remain as it was originally presented. These are the reasons I gave the group:

1. There will always be a new person joining the company who will need basic information about navigating the product.
2. If someone only needs to work in some areas of the product once in a while, having a basic guide will keep them from having to reinvent the wheel each time they need the information.
3. Not everyone on a team is at the same level. 

Grudgingly, they agreed to the basic (six-grade level) manual, and surprisingly, no one had a problem using or understanding it.

Good technical instruction is based on these user needs:

·       How do I start it?

·       How do I run it?

·       How do I stop it?

The best and most helpful instructions are consistent in their usage. For example, if you use the term “checkbox,” then keep on calling it a checkbox. Don’t use different terms for the same thing.

NOTE: If a company produces poor instructions for their product and the customer can’t understand it, then that company should prepare to lose sales and credibility in the marketplace. There’s an old saying: “The devil is in the details.” If you think that details don’t matter, you’re dead wrong. Clear instruction is critical and can cost a company dearly if not done right.

This is also why instructions and procedures absolutely need to be crafted by an instructional designer or technical writer. I can’t tell you how many interviews I’ve had where I’ve been asked how much I know about:

• Telecommunications
• Fiber optics
• Manufacturing
• F-16s
• Marine radar
• RFID technology

My answer to this has always been the same: the process of technical writing is similar to the process of driving a car. It doesn’t matter if the car is a Porsche, a Honda or a Toyota truck; the process of driving is the same. This goes for technical writing. The process of writing is the same, what changes is the subject. For that, we technical writers depend on our Subject Matter Experts, or SMEs. They supply the know-how and we supply it in clear, consistent instructions. This way, everybody gets to do what they do best and are paid to do. Best of all, the users reading the instructions get the information they need to do THEIR jobs, and they don’t have waste time calling the Help Desk, complaining to Customer Service and eventually becoming a non-customer. It’s a win-win all the way around.

Common Sense - a Crash Course

Common Sense - a Crash Course

By Jane B. Fraser

SOCIAL NETWORKING COMMON SENSE

Just this morning I watched a woman on television being interviewed about comments she posted on her Facebook account, complaining about her job and community. Long story short, she was fired. She was utterly gob struck that her "private" postings on Facebook could be read by others outside her circle of friends; evidently it never occurred to her that people talk and forward emails.

I'll freely admit I am no expert on social networking, but really, folks--it should be very clear that ANYTHING you post anywhere on the Internet (or Blogosphere or Twitter sphere, etc.) can be read. And once it's out there--it's out there for GOOD. You can head off a lot of trouble, embarrassment and possible job loss by asking yourself this question before you post: "Is this something I'd like to see as the major story on national news?" Then post accordingly.

NOTE: I do realize that even innocuous emails, posts, etc. can be doctored by experts. In that case, you may choose from Column A or Column B; A) don't dignify trumped-up trash with a response, or B) send out a post declaring that this did not come from you.

POLITICAL COMMON SENSE

Lesson one in the How to Be a Successful Politician handbook should be this:

"If you are a public figure, do not lead a conga line in a strip club. Do not put a funny hat on and have your picture taken. Do not flip anyone off. *Do not use your political pull to dodge a parking or speeding ticket. Do not swear. Do not have an affair unless you want EVERYONE to know about it. Do not kick animals. Do not carry a weapon. Do not strap your pet dog in his crate on top of your car. *Do not accept monetary favors, bribes, bonuses, etc. of any kind. *Do not lie. *Do not promise what you cannot deliver. *Do not evade questions. Do not have a comb-over; if you're balding, then just go ahead and BE bald; you're not fooling anyone. Do not wear shorts. Do not answer foolish questions about what type of underwear you prefer. Do not wear a baseball cap backwards (this is only cute if you are a freckled little boy playing T-ball). Do not, under any circumstance, try to rap. Ever.

Get the idea? If you are a public figure, then act like one. And yes, your private life is NEVER private. As a public servant, you are expected to act like a responsible person in thought, word, and deed. People ARE watching and they ARE judging, right or wrong.

*This is sheer fantasy on my part. If only it were true!

CELEBRITY COMMON SENSE

For the most part, this title in itself is an oxymoron. In a country where being a celebrity has become equal with royalty in other countries; celebs get away with things that would put most of us in jail. The entitlement attitude is just amazing. Any celebs reading this would do well to remember one of the most poignant phrases in Ray Davies’ (The Kinks) song, “Celluloid Heroes:”

“And those who are successful/Be always on your guard. /Success walks hand-in-hand with Failure/Along Hollywood Boulevard.”

TEXTING WHILE DRIVING COMMON SENSE (talk about a real oxymoron!) AND BAD THINGS TO DO WHILE DRIVING

Seriously, people—do we really have to be told how dangerous this is? Do. Not. Ever. Do. This. Ever. Anything that distracts you from paying full attention to what you’re doing in a car is dangerous.

In fact, here’s my take on why this is happening so much (beyond the current and constant need for instant gratification): our motor vehicles are becoming more and more like mobile recliners. You can talk while driving, watch TV while you’re driving, read while you’re driving, and more. You can have a camera mounted right on the back of your vehicle so you don’t have to be bothered by all that pesky turning-around-to-look-out-the-back-window to see if a toddler, dog, etc. is standing there. Now there are vehicles that warn you of danger with a vibrating drivers’ seat. This means that you are literally getting your information through your BUTT.

With a push of a button or a voice command, you can conduct business, buy and sell stocks, check to see if the kids got home safe or if Fido peed on the carpet again, call Auntie Mary in the home to make sure she got your birthday card, and so on. And don’t even get me going on the dangers of being hooked up to your iPod (that is, ear buds crammed firmly into both ears). This is every bit as dangerous as texting while driving because you cannot pay full attention to the road or the sounds around you (like, say, an ambulance with the siren on full blast, racing to the hospital to save someone’s life).

It’s a seductive path, people. We get lulled into thinking that, ‘hey, I’m home in my comfy armchair, and I don’t really have to pay attention.’ This kind of convenience comes with a deadly price—complacency. When we get complacent, we get lazy. When we get lazy, we get careless. When we get careless in a moving vehicle, the odds are that sooner or later, we are going to have an accident. When we have an accident, we may end up severely injured with life-changing results, we may cause the injury or death of someone we love or don’t even know. We may even end up in jail for years if we ourselves don’t die first.

So, what’s the answer? How about having vehicles where you actually have to pay attention to what you’re doing while driving. When you have to shift gears, roll the windows up and down manually, and so on, you are fully engaged. I realize that for so many of us who are forced to be on the road for hours each day because of our jobs, this won’t sit all. But all I’m saying is this--could we all just be a little more careful and not zone out while driving?

Stay tuned...there will be more Common Sense coming soon!

Basic Business Rules 101

Basic Business Rules 101

By Jane B. Fraser

It doesn’t matter what business you’re in; technical, wait staff, airline attendant, customer service rep, CEO, etc.; the basic business rules stand for EVERYONE. Even if you’re the president of your own company that you built with your own two hands, keeping these rules in mind will keep you in reality, humility and in touch with those around you.

1.        The first and most basic rule of business and life is this: If you don’t want it done to you, don’t do it to anyone else. It truly doesn’t matter what position you hold—this is a rule to follow both in business and in life. No one is so important or irreplaceable that they can’t be replaced by someone who treats people respectfully.

2.        Most people do not know what their "real" job description is and consequently don't know the boundaries and duties.It should be the job of every person in charge of hiring anyone for any job to explain to the new hire exactly what is expected of them. If there is a Human Resources person, they should have up-to-date job descriptions, a summary of exactly what the job entails, the procedures that need to be followed, and what measure of accountability is expected of the new hire. Leaving any of this up to chance or personal interpretation is asking for trouble.

3.        Many people do not understand that perception equals reality to just about everyone, so you need to act accordingly.
Like it not, perception is everything. It may not be fair, but how you are perceived at work really does matter. There’s an old saying: “If you walk down the street arm-in-arm with two clowns, people aren’t going to say ‘oh, look at that smart, cute, savvy gal walking with those two clowns!’

No, they’re going to say ‘look at those three clowns.’” If people at work continually see you yakking with the office gossip, hanging around the break room texting your buddies, taking 2-hour lunches and so on, trust me—you’ll have a rep as a slacker before the end of the day. It’s really common sense; when you’re at work, BE at work in mind, body and attitude.

4.        Many people don't realize that ANYTHING on the job that they use; computer, phone, printer, etc., are COMPANY PROPERTY and the company has every right to see and hear everything on everyone's computer and phone.
Go to work each day assuming that everything you say, do and have on your computer or say on your phone can be seen and heard by your managers. Keeping this in mind can keep you in a professional frame of mind. Remember that everything you use at work, right down to the pencils, belong to the company. They have every right to monitor the use of their equipment. Play it safe and get in the habit of being professional from the moment you walk into work until the time you buckle your seatbelt to drive home. (Do you really need to be told not to play games, check your Facebook page or send jokes to your friends on company email?)

5.      Most people don't understand that they need to follow through on each thing they do, right to the end, and that they are responsible and accountable for each part of their job. Don’t be a ‘stop at the red light and sit there’ type of worker. Say that your manager asks you to review a business plan to make sure it meets the current technical standards. As you read the business plan, you see that not only is the technical information out of date, but there are several inaccuracies as well. As this document will be seen by all members of staff, the board of directors and all customers, it is critical that it be up-to-date and accurate.

So, knowing all this, do you:

a) Go to your manager and tell him what’s wrong and then just stand there?
b) Go to your manager already prepared with a new business plan that has been updated (by whomever) and is now accurate.
 

Guess which is the correct answer? Unless you have been expressly forbidden to update the business plan yourself (in which case you’d better have the right people lined up to do it), most managers don’t want to hear that nothing has been done.

6.      Many people still believe that fairy tale called "That's not my job."
When in doubt about something you are asked to do that you feel is not part of your job description, politely inquire if this is going to be a one-time thing or will this become part of your duties as outlined by your job description. Do not take on an attitude. At this point in the conversation you are ONLY checking the facts.

7.      Many engineering and other technical folk often have issues with detailed instructions.
Many technical people who have been hired because they are brilliant at what they do honestly do not understand that the rest of us are not at their level of understanding. Their job is to do what they do best, and let the humdrum details be handled by the experts—the technical writers.
Therefore they do not understand the very real consequences that follow inaccurate or sketchy instructions--hundreds of tech help calls, dissatisfied customers, loss of business and loss of revenue (often leading to loss of JOBS). This is exactly why good technical companies absolutely need technical writers. Let the technical experts do their jobs, and let us technical writers handle the details.

8.      Too many people act like primates in the workplace. (Please refer to Rule #1.) While you are at work, please do not eat other peoples’ lunches. If you take the last cup of coffee, start another pot. If you spill the entire pot of coffee on the floor, clean it up. If you work in a cubicle, please do not put your phone on speaker. People around you are trying to do their jobs and need to concentrate, plus no one wants to hear your description of your toenail fungus, your hilarious sports jokes, or that your husband/wife doesn’t understand you. You should also refrain from habits that can drive your co-workers crazy, such as clipping your fingernails, drumming your fingers, sighing loudly, yawning loudly (you know who you are!), talking loudly to yourself, and so on.

9.      Find out (generally asking is the best way) if the people you work with want their information given to them via conversation or written in an email.
You will save yourself hours and days and weeks of frustration if you keep sending emails to someone who prefers that you talk to them directly. Find out right at the beginning of your employment if your manager is a “hearer” or a “reader.”

10.   If you find yourself in a toxic environment at work, especially if that atmosphere is accepted by the management….
You have three choices: 1) Try to make a positive change. 2) Learn to live with it and stop complaining about it. 3) Leave. That’s it.

11.   Now, if you are a woman in business, there are some extra rules of behavior:

a.      ‘Nice’ works.
If you have the chance to be nice or kind or polite, do so. Never confuse being nice with being weak or giving up your edge.

b.      Keep it professional.
You don’t have to like everyone you work with, but you do have to work with them. If there is a conflict you can’t work out, and the usual channels fail, you will never regret keeping the situation professional.

c.      Don’t play the girly card. If things don’t go your way in some situation at work, don’t get all girly about it. No crying, no pouting, no foot-stamping, no flouncing out of the office, no drama—please. Do this once and you can be sure that no one will take you seriously again.

d.      The sexual harassment card. Be extremely careful when it comes to any behavior toward you that can be interpreted as sexual harassment. I’ll just say that in my experience I have seen this go very badly for the women who have gone to Human Resources with a sexual harassment complaint. Even if you play this completely by the company policies guide, it can easily backfire on you. Even if you have documentation and witnesses to the behavior, it’s going to depend on who knows who, and how valuable the “who” is, male or female. Even if you do win, you’re a marked woman from then on, and you may be earmarked for what the Brits politely call “being made redundant” (laid off, fired, etc.) at a later time. It goes without saying that this isn’t fair at all, but it often happens and you have to weigh your options (see options a-c above).

e.      Leave the F-bombs at home. Swearing at work, especially if you’re female, doesn’t go over well. Oh, sure, men will laugh and say they love a gal who’s earthy, but in the main trash talk at work just makes you look (and sound), well, trashy.

f.       Learn to read body language.

Don’t you love people who waltz by your cube, see you sitting there working your handquarters off--and want to yak endlessly about their weekend, the latest episode of “All My Trials,” what their darling grandson did at the table, and so on? Really look at the people around you while they work. If someone is sitting tensely at the edge of their seat, eyes fixed on their computer screen, mumbling to themselves, and so on, these are signs that they are busy. Interrupting someone who is obviously busy with trivial chatter is worse than annoying; it’s unprofessional.

g.      Keep the noise down. Unless you are fortunate enough to have your own office with a door, keep your own noise level down. Cube life is hard enough without having to share space with someone who talks to themselves, chews gum loudly, has loud phone conversations (or worse, has their speakerphone on), rustles and rattles and taps endlessly and so on. I once had a co-worker right beside me who regularly clipped his fingernails right after lunch—clip, clip, clip. I thought I would lose my mind.

h.      Dress professionally. Depending on your office and whether or not you have a dress code, do your best to look professional. Understand this—no matter how good your work is, how intelligent you are or how many degrees you have, if you don’t dress the part of a professional, you don’t get taken seriously. Period. Dressing professionally tells those around you that you respect yourself, your job, your office community and your company. It is not in any way superficial; it’s called being professional.

i.       Document your work.
Once you complete any assignment, no matter how small, keep a running record. Keep track of all your work in this way: the title of the assignment, a brief description, when the assignment was issued, when you completed it, to whom you turned it in, and where it is located on your computer and also where it is published on the main company drive. Send your boss a monthly status to keep him/her apprised of what you’ve been doing. This keeps you and your work fresh in his/her mind.

j.       Take the ‘snark’ out of your emails.
It’s so tempting to email-blast someone at work who has sent you an email that hit you the wrong way. Do whatever you have to do to get the anger out; take a quick walk around the building, go get a cup of coffee, go sit in your car and scream; whatever it takes. Like a bad picture of you on the Internet, a snarky email can live on forever to haunt you. Resist the temptation to snap back.

I once completed a lengthy project, placed it on the main work drive, and was asked by my project manager to shorten the page count. I carved it down from 21 pages to 7. A co-worker who somehow got wind of this took a copy of my original 21-pager and got it down to 6 pages, then triumphantly emailed the project manager and copied me on it. I sent them both an email thanking the co-worker for honing the file down by one page.

Don’t get me wrong—I was furious. But between the lines of my thank-you email reply read ‘I know what you did, you brown noser, and I am letting the project manager know that you butted into my business but I was gracious enough to thank you for the sake of the project.’

k.      Say ‘thank you.’
If someone you work with does anything for you; hands you a paperclip or recovers a lost file, thank them. Don’t take their kind actions for granted; even if handing you a paperclip or recovering your lost file is part of their work description, thank them just the same. It costs you nothing and generates a lot of good will.

l.       Smile and/or say something.I used to work with a woman who looked as though she had swallowed poison each day. Saying ‘good morning’ or ‘hello’ gained you at best an icy stare and no reply, or she walked on as if you weren’t there. I’m sure she was terribly busy and had terribly important thoughts on her mind, but she sure stunk up the atmosphere. As busy or as important as you are or think you are, the day will come when you will need one of the people you’ve snubbed, and believe me—they won’t go out of their way to help you.

m.    Keep an attitude of gratitude.
Even in the worst job in the worst economy, keep your eyes firmly on all that is good in your job and in your life. I had a dear friend who was dying of incurable cancer who, when I called her, would say ‘any day this side of the grass is a good day.’

Keep looking for the good things and you will see them. I know it sounds simplistic, but sending goodness out, goodness comes back to you (this is my principle of business karmic law, or Good Out, Good In or GOGI). The converse is true; bad out, bad in. Keep remembering the good things. Best of all, you’ll get in the habit of having an attitude of gratitude.