Empathy Index: “My” problem versus “Yours”

Posted by Wendy Bagger on Jan 12, 2012
in Business Writing, Communication Skills Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, got into hot water in July for hiking service rates, up to 60% in some cases, without any warning or explanation to his customers. The move has customers and casual observers alike questioning Hastings’ empathy. So this week Hastings sent this explanation to Netflix’s 24 million customers. You don’t have to be a Netflix subscriber (which I...
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Clichès? Avoid them Like the Plague!

Posted by Paul Hill on Sep 30, 2011
in Business Writing, Emotional Intelligence This recent blog on that popular business cliché, ‘going forward’ is worth looking at. Here’s the link. Cliches are everywhere. The most popular and successful ones find their way into everyday speech with dismaying ease. I come across them all the time when I’m working with people on our communication skills or our effective business writing courses. So why do we find ourselves using...
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In the beginning there was the word, and it was good

Posted by Nick Smallman on Aug 22, 2011
in Business Writing Earlier this year was the 400th Anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible. It would be a strange Communications-Skills business that didn’t mark that anniversary – from which you’ll gather that I’m talking about the acknowledged brilliance of the book as literature: written English at its best. For instance, it’s sobering to think of how many expressions used wherever...
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Jargon in business writing- Run that up the flag pole and see who salutes?

Posted by Henry Caplan on Feb 22, 2011
in Business Writing Well, writing clearly to be understood is a noble aim and also common sense. Sadly, common sense isn’t always common practice. Alan Siegal (see above) has dedicated himself to reducing jargon in government, legal documents, and even for the IRS. Here’s a quote from Alan: “There is no way that we should allow government to communicate the way they communicate. There is no way...
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Over-familiarity Breeds Contempt – Email Etiquette

Posted by Paul Hill on Jan 14, 2011
in Business Writing There was a piece this morning on the BBC’s Today Programme about email salutations. The clip’s here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9361000/9361254.stm The heart of the topic is familiarity vs formality. It’s a serious one. Different cultures, different generations, different genders have sharply different attitudes to familiarity in email. Here’s a quick...
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