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Handling Changes After a Training Class
Usually the furrowed brows and frowns come early in my business writing training classes. Maybe it’s when we discuss the convoluted phrases that won’t die, but don’t serve either the business writer or...
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Sometimes A Great Client
One channel working alone, and this drain would not work. What makes the drain work is a lot of pieces working together, creating strength. Photo, © Quinn McDonald, 2016. Sometimes you get great...
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First Draft: Getting Starting
Draft of a poem I eventually completed. © Quinn McDonald, 2016. “It just fell out of my pen,” one of my classmates said about a poem she wrote. She’s a careful writer, given to tightly-woven...
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Move That Jargon out of Your Wheelhouse
Office jargon. Buzzwords. Those tired, confusing, awful words you hear (and maybe use) when you hope to sound The combined question mark and exclamation point is called an interrobang. It shows horror...
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Organize Your Week
Just when you were beginning to relax, it’s Monday again. Maybe you didn’t carry a lot of organization skills over from last week. Most of us are now our own administrative assistants, and we can use...
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Confusing Word Help
We write fast and think more slowly. The words leap ahead of us, and we type what we “hear,” which often misses the bull’s-eye of accuracy. Here are the ones I’ve noticed lately: Trooper/trouper A...
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The Fine Art of Follow-Up
Yes, there should be a comma after “on.” I can’t attribute this to anyone because I’ve not found a source. Not too long ago (or far away), when you worked with a client, you created a list of items to...
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When Time is the Problem
The woman rushed into my class, 45 minutes late. When that happens, I try to get the participant into the class flow quickly, allow them time to settle, and let them know where we are now. This...
View ArticleRunning a Successful Class: Tips for Participants and Instructors
After 20 years of teaching, I have a few suggestions for both participants and trainers. Indulge me, please. Participants, prepare yourself: 1. Bring something to write with and something to write on....
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Follow-Up: No Secret
The first lesson I learned in my first out-of-college job was, “under-promise, over-deliver, and follow up.” Don’t agree to a deadline you can’t meet, and don’t underestimate the time a task takes. Do...
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