ABSTRACT
Discovering the Foundations of Message Planning and Writing
While business people often feel comfortable in their ability to communicate orally, that level of self-confidence often diminishes when the medium of communication is writing. Transferring ideas into the written word poses challenges for even the most articulate leader. An unfocused purpose, poor organization, grammatical, or syntactical misstep can ruin even a potentially powerful message full of excellent ideas. This chapter overviews some characteristics of effective writing. It will also introduce you to a five-step strategic approach to professional communication. We call it the Straight Talk Writing Model, which forms the blueprint for better communication, especially in the workplace. As you read, keep in mind that this chapter presents a very broad overview of the model. We will provide additional elaboration in future chapters. Awareness of these characteristics and strategic approach can dramatically impact your writing effectiveness-your ability to prosper with Straight Talk Writing.
