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4 Tips for Better Writing With AI

ai not replaced humans

Although artificial intelligence seems to generate original prose, it cannot think, create, or make logical leaps. These programs can churn out novel combinations of words and phrases based on patterns it has learned from existing text, but they are fundamentally derivative, extrapolating from what has been written before. Thus, it inherently lacks human creativity, empathy, and nuanced understanding. This is good news: It means that humans are not expendable (yet).

The main source of the over-reliance on AI programs is the misconception that the program can produce a viable final draft. It cannot. It can create a serviceable first draft that you can edit, but the heavy lifting belongs in human hands. Here’s how to get the most out of your use of AI-assisted writing programs.

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The Art of Conciseness: 5 Ways to Master Brevity

less is more

In today’s whirlwind business environment, concise communication is crucial. With emails, reports, and memos flooding inboxes daily, the ability to streamline your business writing can ensure that you are the person whose messages are read and understood. Conciseness saves time for the reader, although it might require the writer to apply more little grey cells. As 18th-century British lexicographer Samuel Johnson wrote, “Easy reading is hard writing.” Here are some strategies to help you master the art of brevity in your business writing.

First, embrace the principle that less is more. Instead of padding your sentences with unnecessary words or phrases, aim to be brief. Words like “just,” “very,” and “most” are often unnecessary, as are many adjectives and adverbs. Shorter emails and documents are easier to read and require less time and effort from the reader. In an age of endless inputs, it pays to streamline the reader’s experience.

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The Language Of Leadership

nonverbal communication

Think about some of the most successful leaders you’ve known—perhaps a boss, a teacher, a Club President, or a committee chair. Chances are they share some common traits. As you develop your leadership skills, it’s helpful to reflect on leaders whom you have most respected, and try to verbalize what made them so impactful.

During my many years working as a consultant for business communications, I’ve found three characteristics that nearly all strong leaders share: a sense of integrity, the ability to respond to feedback, and strong communication skills.

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5 Tips for getting your emails opened

email subject line

How long do you generally spend reading a business email?

When I pose this question to Worktalk Email Effectiveness program participants, responses run from five seconds to one minute. This is sobering. Remember that long email you struggled to compose? Odds are that it was skimmed for a few seconds before the reader moved on to the next priority.

Given the fleeting opportunity to engage your readers to open your emails, you must take advantage of the subject line. This is the first path to persuading readers to open your email and give it their time.

Here are five tips from the Worktalk Email training that will help you write subject lines that do the job.

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The Power of Positivity

positive alternative

As a born editor, I have always been naturally critical. Maybe being critical is just being human, but I think some of us have the gift of noticing every last flaw in every last thing…a bit more than others.

But when I was dating my husband more than thirteen years ago, something he said changed my life forever.

We were discussing raising children, and he said, “I learned that instead of telling a child that he can’t do something, you should tell him what he can do.” In other words – even in a situation where you have to deny something to a child, there’s usually a positive action that you can focus on.

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