Shall does not mean must
If you work in a technical profession, you have probably been told the verb ‘shall’ means ‘must’. This definition of ‘shall’ has its origins in international standards. The international agencies that write those standards believe they lack the …
Using AI to help you write at work
Artificial intelligence is being used by business and government for writing, and that is not going to change. Generative artificial intelligence, especially large language models, create content quickly and cheaply. This doesn’t mean these models are as useful …
Write like a leader
Most leadership studies are built on abstract ideas and vague descriptions about what a good leader looks like. The buzzwords aren’t helpful, so here is some more practical advice – you should write like a leader. If you …
Assertive language
One of the most common questions we are asked during training is ‘what tone should I use when writing at work?’ Some experts scale tone from very formal (please accept my deepest appreciation) to very informal (thx). They …
The curse of knowledge
We know our writing must be clear and reader focussed – but how do you know if what you wrote will make sense to your reader? After all, you know things that your reader doesn’t, and you can’t …
SMARTER goals
When setting goals for your team, for one of your people, or even for yourself, you have almost certainly tested them to make sure they were SMART goals. It is accepted wisdom that goals must be Specific, Measurable, …