Innate talent counts, of course, but there is another, more important factor: Putting the time and effort into consistent learning and practice. The writers we admire most have typically invested thousands of hours honing their craft and refining their voices.

Let’s face it—some people are born with superior language skills and get early exposure to literacy that enables them to use their inborn capacities to their advantage. These people might become the glittering literati of their generation. Yet even they put hundreds of hours into developing their craft before they gain the limelight. If they write at work, their reports are the ones that get kudos from top management, while other docs languish in the “unread” pile.

What about those of us who may not write the great American novel or even the great American email? The good news is that writing isn’t an all-or-nothing game. Each of us can improve our communication abilities, regardless of where we start. The question isn’t whether you can become the next Hemingway, but rather how much you can make the most of the talent you have through training and preparation.

Of course, no law says that you have to become a better writer. If you decide that putting in the hours to become your best writing self is not worth the effort, that’s your choice. However, if you are not improving your skills, you are losing ground. You might have to resign yourself to a lifetime of emails and phone calls asking you, “What did you mean?” or saying, “I didn’t understand what you wrote.” Or prepare to be ignored. The price of poor writing is a painful one.

Great athletes put in thousands of practice hours before TV commentators call them “naturals.” When you persevere in the effort to be a better business writer, you, too, can feel like “a natural.” By sharpening your skills, you will gain these advantages at work:

• People will be happy to hear from you.
• People will understand you the first time they read your words.
• People will be more likely to agree with your proposals.
• You are more likely to be promoted to ever more significant positions of responsibility.

If you decide to invest in superior writing, many resources are available to you — books, classes, blogs, apps, AI algorithms. You simply need to open the treasure box of tools to take the next step in your writing journey. Good luck!

​

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Did you miss last month’s Writamin on The Human Advantage: Improving Business Writing in the Age of AI? See it here.​

To read my recent Inc.com columns:

​This Strategy Helps Humanize Your AI-Generated Content​

​Include a Call to Action to Get the Results You Need​

​4 Ways to Tame the Email Tsunami in 2025​

​3 Essential Writing Tasks that AI-Assisted Writing Programs Cannot Do For You​

Read my article in Harvard Business Review about how to move your business writing from “average” to “great” by using the Three P’s.

The post Why Are Some People Better Business Writers Than Others? appeared first on Worktalk.

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.

So instead of saying, “No, you can’t draw with the markers,” you can say, “We’re going to take a break from the markers right now, but you can play with the etch-a-sketch.”

It’s true that sometimes kids will push back and sometimes you’ll have to lay down the law with a firm “no,” but for all those other situations the “no’s” can be avoided by offering the positive alternative.

As it turns out, it’s not just parenting that benefits from communicating in the positive. In work, orienting oneself toward the positive is constantly applicable.

Rather than: “I can’t turn that document around by July 2.”

You say, “I can get it to you by the 8th, if that still works.”

Rather than: “This example doesn’t really work for the purpose it’s being used for.”

You say, “This example is really interesting – but I think it would work better over here.”

Rather than: “This colleague’s judgment seems totally off base.”

You say, “I can see how so-and-so’s perspective might be very useful in another situation.”

Sometimes positivity is about finding the silver lining to the cloud. But more often, it’s as simple as refusing to focus on negative space (what isn’t there, or isn’t working, or isn’t good) and focusing instead on what is. So your secretary might not be the world’s greatest Excel whiz, but she keeps the paperwork in tip-top shape. Your colleague may not be the king of creativity, but he is reliable and consistent and gets his work done on time. There is almost always something that is there, however much you may notice what’s missing. Positivity is about catching it.

Why is positivity so valuable? We are more willing to continue communicating within the safe haven of a positive environment. In other words, positivity is like a lubricant—it keeps communication moving smoothly in an organization. The more we communicate, the more we tap into the tremendous power of collaboration.

Almost all issues can be resolved as long as the communication machine’s cogs are still running. That includes changing or critiquing what is currently being done, identifying mistaken priorities, addressing unrealistic targets, and refocusing or revamping a project’s focus.

Negativity, on the other hand, acts as a wall. Like a big red stop sign, it causes people to pause, and retreat. While it may be necessary sometimes, it cannot be the go-to of an organization’s communication.

So, if you notice yourself stating points negatively, remember that the negativity hides a hidden growth mindset. You just want things to be better!

Now, let’s use positive language to help you share your message more positively with others.

Call Worktalk When:

• Companies lose customers due to poor messaging from sales and customer service teams;
• Clients complain about communication from professional service firms’ staff members;
• Employees need to humanize the output of AI-assisted writing programs so it doesn’t sound fake;
• Employees need help developing the right prompts for AI-assisted writing programs to generate more effective outputs;
• Employees waste time repeatedly emailing one another because their messages are unclear.

Contact Worktalk today. Click here.

The post The Power of Positivity appeared first on Worktalk.

Henry Pavel (not his real name), the CEO of a midsize software company, needs his team to generate creative ideas for a new product. At the team meeting, he sits behind a large desk. His mouth is set in a tight line, his shoulders are slightly hunched, and his arms are crossed. In a flat tone, he says, “OK, everyone, I want you to all feel free to float your ideas to the group.”

Compare Henry with Eleanor Gunther (also not her real name), the CEO of a different software company. She also needs her team to brainstorm. As each team member arrives, she smiles warmly and thanks them for coming. Her posture is relaxed and open. In a pleasant tone, she invites her team to share their thoughts.

Which CEO’s team might be more likely to come up with the off-the-wall idea that turns the company into a unicorn?

While the examples are a bit exaggerated, it’s clear that team Eleanor will gain the day. Other factors being equal, Eleanor’s nonverbal language bespeaks a leader who is confident, open-minded, and flexible.

Many articles recommend that executives pay attention to nonverbal behaviors such as facial expression, vocal tone, gesture, proxemics (distance from other people), handshake, and other factors. These elements compose much of what employees perceive as the leader’s personality.

However, as somatic coach Thomas Rosenberg points out, the congruence between a leader’s actions and words reflects their level of authenticity and trustworthiness. Rosenberg explains that somatics holds that we are what we practice (how we sit, stand, walk, breathe, carry tension, the language we use with ourselves and others) and the way we hold our bodies in everyday activities.

According to this theory, if a leader attempts to convey “executive presence” but is inwardly uncentered or insecure, their efforts are likely to be perceived as inauthentic. If the leader’s words describe openness, but their facial expression and posture say the opposite, people will usually believe the nonverbal over the verbal.

Executives may sabotage themselves by physically communicating characteristics contrary to what they hope to convey. It can be difficult to control some nonverbal communication because, without our realizing it, our bodies reflect a lifetime of experience. Were we taught as children to tuck our chin or hunch our shoulders? Even when these habits no longer serve us, they persist in the form of our adult body language.

While leaders might benefit from cultivating the nonverbal cues they can control consciously, Rosenberg suggests fostering awareness of our physical sensations and thoughts to produce long-lasting transformations in nonverbal communication. For example, the executive who habitually leaned forward, giving an aggressive impression to his listeners, might learn to sit straight. As Rosenberg says, “Executives need to be conscious, to reconnect to themselves so that they can more easily connect with others.”

Develop executive presence from the inside out

Executive presence begins with self-awareness–getting in touch with your internal physiological signals.

One way to bring in some somatic awareness is by cultivating awareness of our breath. At the start of a meeting, take a deep breath and ask yourself what you are feeling. If your breath is shallow and high in your chest, this may be a sign of anxiety, which can be communicated to others.

Next, be aware of your body. Put your feet flat on the floor and feel what is happening inside you. Are you holding tension somewhere? Perhaps one shoulder is higher or your fist is clenched. Simply noticing tension may be enough to help you release it.

Do you feel a frequent urge to break eye contact? Look away for a moment and travel inside yourself. Ask yourself what your instinct is trying to tell you.

This is not to say that other aspects of nonverbal communication don’t matter. They do. You must dress for the role you play, modulate your vocal tone, arrange physical space to fit your agenda, and manage your gestures.

However, true executive presence stems from an authentic connection to your core self.

The post Take Your Leadership Beyond Words Through Body Language and Nonverbal Communication appeared first on Worktalk.

How often have you written an email and heard a little voice in your head say, “You really should proofread that,” and thought, I know, but I don’t have time! Then you suffer the mortifying consequences.

Or, maybe you’ve written to a colleague or customer while trying to do something else and ended up making a faux pas or upsetting your reader. As a Toastmaster, you may have experienced the painful consequences of presenting a speech that you rushed to prepare. In training business people to write clearly, I have noticed that when people make costly communication mistakes, it’s usually because they are rushing.

We all sense intuitively that rushing is counterproductive, but we feel we have so much to do that we have no choice but to rush. Yet think about a time when you rushed to complete a task: Did you really save any time? Did you have to spend more time repairing mistakes caused by rushing? Fundamentally, is rushing sustainable?

Rushing exacts a high price: Ruined relationships. Wrecked reputations. Costly mistakes and misunderstandings. Lost sales. Even on-the-job injuries. Beyond these costs, there is the loss of serenity that rushing creates in our minds. The good news is that there are practical alternatives to feeling that we are always dashing in a futile effort to catch up.

The first step in moving quickly is to find your focus, get centered, and set your intentions for each day.

Of course, you have to get the work done. However, you can move quickly without rushing. What is the difference? When you move quickly, you are focused, centered, and in control of yourself, like an Olympic skater spinning on ice. When you rush, you are scattered, uncentered, and at the mercy of emotions or outside forces. When skaters lose focus, they fall—and we do too.

The first step in moving quickly is to find your focus, get centered, and set your intentions for each day. Then implement. Maintaining a focused state of mind will carry you to fulfilling your goals more reliably than all the multitasking in the world. As the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said, “Focus and simplicity: Once you get there, you can move mountains.”

It’s easy to talk about staying focused and not rushing, but in the tumult of everyday life, it can be hard to do. Fortunately, you can adopt a few habits that will build your capacity to move quickly without rushing.

Here are a few ideas to prime you for success:

Before You Start the Day

Knowing your main goals for the next day before you go to sleep at night enables you to hit the ground running in the morning. This practice also enables your unconscious mind to do its magic while you sleep, so you will wake up more prepared to tackle your tasks.

I have practiced meditation for decades; in my experience, even a few minutes of meditation or prayer in the morning can make the difference between a productive day and a frazzled one. I strongly recommend that you spend a few moments finding your center before you start your day.

Research indicates that the brain works best in 20-minute increments.

A centering practice I learned long ago is this: Sit up straight with shoulders back and feet flat on the floor. Imagine a string extending from the ceiling to the crown of your head. Put your attention on a spot about three inches below your navel. Then take several deep breaths, focusing on the center of your belly.

To facilitate a focused mindset, spend time after you wake up to set your purpose for the day. Don’t jump on your smartphone right away. Instead, take a few minutes for yourself. Whether you meditate, pray, journal, walk, run, or sit quietly with a cup of coffee, gather your thoughts and intentions before you let the world come charging in.

During the Day

Research shows that human beings are able to work productively for only about four hours a day. Figure out when your most productive hours are and use them to accomplish your most important tasks. Entrepreneur Alex Cavoulacos suggests following the 1,3,5 Rule: Plan to complete one major task, three mid-level goals, and five small jobs daily. If you can only accomplish one big thing, consider the day a success. To achieve this, follow these tips.

• Prioritize. Focusing on the small number of tasks requires us to prioritize them. Clearly, there will be interruptions; our task is to manage them so we can still accomplish the main tasks. That may mean scheduling specific times to check email or asking an unexpected visitor to return after you have completed your main goal.
• Do not multitask. Multitasking is the bane of productivity. It is also the source of most of the rushing that people do. When we try to do three things at once, we generally do all three badly. If you have three tasks: A, B, and C, and you try to accomplish them by switching from one task to another until all are completed, you will spend more time than if you had done all of A, all of B, and then all of C. The lost time is associated with the energy expended while switching tasks. You may have the illusion that you are more productive because you’re juggling balls madly: Be aware that this feeling is illusory and ultimately leads to a frazzled mental and physical state. You might not be able to complete a whole project during your available time. If that’s the case, then complete a sub-task.
• Work in short spurts. Research indicates that the brain works best in 20-minute increments. After that, our focus begins to wane. So, take a moment to stretch or take a quick break every 20 minutes to keep your mind fresh.
• Reread emails or documents before sending. In my Worktalk trainings, most people say that they find errors 50 to 100% of the time when they reread. Yet many people feel they “don’t have time” for this fundamental process. You can’t take back errors once you send them, so force yourself to check your writing first.

Rush Less, Focus More

Ironically, the secret to getting more done is to keep your energy focused on a small number of goals. Racing generally leads to regret.

The key is to move quickly without rushing. Center yourself at the beginning of the day. If you feel yourself veering off focus as the day wears on, sit still and take three deep breaths to regain your equilibrium. Don’t multitask; complete one job at a time. Give yourself a chance to unwind at regular intervals. And remember the proverb, “More haste, less speed.”

Like the spinning ice skater, you can move quickly without rushing—and get more done in the process.

The post The Secret to Getting Everything Done appeared first on Worktalk.