Dr. GoodWrite

Weener or Winer?

2011-06-07T10:18:00.003-04:00

Congressman Anthony Weiner has chosen to pronounce his name "Wee-ner." However, he might have saved himself a bit of ribbing throughout his life if he had pronounced it as it should be: "Winer." In German, you always pronounce the second letter in an ei/ie combination.

The name Weiner means "one who makes wine," while the name Wiener means "one who is from Vienna" (spelled Wien in German). Americans have adopted the word "wiener" for sausages that originated in Vienna -- and for the subject of Mr. Weiner's Twitter photos.

Sure, Rep. Weiner would still endure plenty of ridicule in light of the current scandal. But the pundits would have had to work a bit harder.

Wisdom from "Rework"

2011-06-06T14:06:00.003-04:00

From the authors of the bestselling business book, "Rework," comes this advice:

The less you understand about programming, the more you’re going to rely on this person to translate what’s going on to you. That’s why hiring great writers, regardless of the position, is a good idea.

Obviously, this is directed toward those who are hiring programmers. But at a time when most business communication is written, the ability to communicate well in writing is critical to nearly every position.

Kudos to Bob Greene

2010-05-17T04:18:00.002-04:00

In a recent column entitled "Typos -- no big deal? Think again," CNN contributor Bob Greene explains why typos really do matter.

Career Advice from Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein

2010-04-20T18:55:00.002-04:00

"Richard Neustadt wrote a famous book called The Power of the Presidency, and he said the power of the presidency is the power to persuade. That's true of all business activities. You're really persuading people through writing or oral communications. So learning how to persuade people, how to communicate, is very important."

Student Reading Skills Remain Poor

2010-04-01T11:56:00.004-04:00

According to the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress report, reading skills among school children have shown little improvement over the past 17 years.

Specifically, fourth grade students scored 221 out of 500 in 2009, vs. 217 in 1992. Eighth graders scored 264 in 2009, vs. 260 in 1992. In both cases, the improvement amounted to less than one percent.

Reading is a critical skill in today's information-driven world. And, it is a prerequisite for good writing.

Guy Kawasaki's Words of Wisdom

2010-03-22T12:44:00.002-04:00

In a New York Times interview, Guy Kawasaki of Garage Technology Ventures (and an early Apple employee) offers these words of wisdom:

Q: What should business schools teach more of, or less of?
A: They should teach students how to communicate in five-sentence e-mails, and with 10-slide PowerPoint presentations. If they just taught every student that, American business would be much better off.

Q: And what would you say to business school graduates?
A: Success in business comes from the willingness to grind it out. It's not because of a brilliant idea. It's because you're willing to work hard. That's the key to my success.

Lower Editing Standards for Online Magazines

2010-03-09T16:46:00.005-05:00

A research project conducted by the Columbia Journalism Review found that many magazines apply lower standards when copy-editing and fact-checking the online versions of their publications.

According to the study, 48% of magazines copy-edit less rigorously for their online publications than their printed publications, while 11% do not copy-edit at all. At the same time, 27% fact-check their online content less rigorously than their print content.

One reason for the lack of rigorous standards is that online editions of popular magazines are provided free of charge -- including, we should note, the Columbia Journalism Review. Only 14% of online publications charge for any or all of their content.

Readers are getting what they pay for, and it's time for a change in this broken business model.

How Multitasking Impairs Writing

2010-02-08T16:11:00.002-05:00

On a recent PBS "Frontline" program, Stanford University professor Clifford Nass discussed the impact of multitasking on today's students:

...You already hear professors and others talking about changes in the way kids write, so that instead of writing an essay, they write in paragraphs, because what happens is, they write a paragraph, and they say, "Oh, now I'll look at Facebook for a while." Or they write a paragraph and say, "Oh, chance to play poker," or whatever other activity they want, or to do all of these at once.

So what we're seeing is less of a notion of a big idea carried through and much more little bursts and snippets. And we see that across media, across film, across, in Web sites, this idea of just do a little bit and then you can run away.

This trend emphasizes the importance of books, which help foster an ability to understand -- and communicate -- complex thoughts.

Does Writing Matter to Employers?

2010-02-02T11:20:00.003-05:00

Consider this letter to TIME Magazine:

An entry position at my firm has gone unfilled for months because young people applying did not turn up for interview requests, attended interviews inappropriately dressed or offered resumes full of spelling and grammar mistakes and text spelling. I might be old-fashioned, but it's people like me who are still doing the hiring.

Paul Rowney, Sarasota, FL

Dr. GoodWrite has just introduced a "Resume Writing" section, providing valuable tips on one of the most important documents you will ever write. For details and subscription information, please visit www.drgoodwrite/com.

Dr. GoodWrite in "Sales and Service Excellence"

2010-01-23T12:49:00.002-05:00

Do your sales and customer service professionals have what it takes to succeed in today's intensely competitive market?

Find out in this month's issue of Sales and Service Excellence magazine, published by legendary leadership experts Stephen R. Covey and Ken Blanchard.

In an article entitled, "Writing Skills," Dr. GoodWrite's Bill Kozel explains, "Today, sales professionals also need to be writing professionals. But few professionals are prepared to meet the challenge."

Real News Comes from Newspapers

2010-01-14T11:23:00.001-05:00

According to the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, newspapers remain the primary source of real news reporting.

The Pew report found that 95% of all stories containing new information came from traditional media, such as newspapers, TV, and radio. “New” media such as blogs and Twitter produced a mere five percent of new content.

This is further evidence of the vital importance of traditional newspapers, which are also a source of high-quality, professionally edited writing – and therefore a valuable learning tool for anyone who writes.

For the full story, visit http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/how_news_happens

Dr. GoodWrite Featured in "Best Practices in HR"

2009-12-18T16:44:00.003-05:00

We are pleased to announce that Dr. GoodWrite is featured prominently
in the latest issue of “Best Practices in HR,” published by BLR, Inc.

In a front-page article, this respected industry newsletter discusses
how, “Poorly written e-mails or proposals can tarnish a company’s
image, reduce productivity, and hold employees back in their careers.”

The article quotes Bill Kozel, president of Dr. GoodWrite, as saying,
“As a company invests millions of dollars in its overall image, it
should also consider how quickly that image can be undone by a poorly
written e-mail or a grammatically incorrect memo.”

For additional details, or to enroll your company in a free trial of Dr. GoodWrite, please e-mail sales@drgoodwrite.com.

Safire's Rules

2009-10-18T16:41:00.002-04:00

William Safire, the great speechwriter, language commentator and wit who passed away in September, offered these tongue-in-cheek rules for writers:
• Remember to never split an infinitive
• Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors
• Proofread carefully to see if you words out
• Avoid cliches like the plague
• Don't overuse exclamation marks!!

Great Letter to the Editor

2009-10-17T18:37:00.002-04:00

Here's an excerpt from a recent letter to the New York Times:

What I learned in my English composition courses I have distilled into advice that I subsequently imparted, over and over again, to my own first-year students during nearly 40 years as a professor of American history: If you will not devote yourself to learning to write, you will discover yourself hampered and frustrated by your inability to think effectively.

Writing and thinking stand among the keys to learning.

Michael H. Ebner
Professor Emeritus, Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Ill.

In a Tough Economy, Writing Matters

2009-07-25T10:56:00.002-04:00

In a brutally competitive economy, you need every e-mail, letter, PowerPoint, and proposal to be as professional as possible. And yet, today’s workforce is less prepared than ever before to make a favorable impression.

• 72% of employers rate high school graduates as “deficient” in basic writing skills
• 28% of employers rate college graduates as deficient in writing
• One-third of employees in blue-chip U.S. companies write poorly

What is your organization doing to improve the communication skills of its employees? Your thoughts and stories welcomed.

Advertising Hall of Shame

2009-07-23T15:08:00.001-04:00

This week's entrant into Dr. GoodWrite's Hall of Shame: Outback Steakhouse and its latest slogan: "Live Adventurous"

How hard would it be to make it grammatically correct: "Live Adventurously"?

Hall of Shame Entry

2009-07-23T13:34:00.001-04:00

The latest entry to Dr. GoodWrite's Hall of Shame was forwarded by a friend.

The following e-mail contained the subject line, "position needed," which signaled the quality of the thinking to follow. Here, with details changed to protect the innocent, is how it looked:

Hi Don,
Thanks for attempting to help This position is a Dir. Of Cosmetics Sales, must have RSD/Broker exp. This person will be responsible for Direct Accounts and Broker Accounts, overseeing the Q-Mart org.; reports to VP of Sales, wants person in N. or S. Nev. , someone that has managed people, a working knowledge of cosmetics, someone that can lead and motivate tems….5-10 years exp. in cosmetics channels. $55-100K, + 25% bonus, equity…..Thank you for putting any feelers out, much appreciated!! Hope to see you all soon!!! Take care, Molly