• Writing Effective Email
• Writing for Results (basic business writing)
• Revising Documents for Readability
• Writing Instructions and Procedures
• Technical Writing for Scientists and Engineers
• Introduction to Technical Writing
• Writing Persuasive Reports
• Managing Staff Writing (course for managers)
• Grammar Refresher
• Editor’s Workshop
• Writing Readable Web Content
• Writing Budget and Purchase Justifications
• Team-Focused Training
• Powerful Presentation Skills

Writing Effective Email

We use email every day to transact business—to respond to clients and colleagues, explain new policies or procedures, make requests, or offer recommendations.  Yet many email messages lack the clarity and coherency of professional business documents. This workshop focuses on email as a business document promoting professional, positive, and polite messages.

Writing Effective Email shows you how to write professional email messages that are clear, concise, and informative.  In this one-day workshop, you will plan, draft, and revise emails messages for quick reading, clarity, and proper style and tone.  You will practice responding to a series of email situations: responding to a customer complaint, making a request, recommending a new procedure, or distributing information. And you will learn how to use and manage file attachments, threaded messages, message forwarding, and file formats.

Session: One day

1. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you will submit a sample document for assessment, along with a questionnaire, answering questions on writing issues and goals.  

Email etiquette: Proper uses of email as a business document
Email abuses—and how to avoid them
When email is NOT appropriate
Quick planning strategies for drafting email messages
Formatting techniques that increase readability
Revising strategies for style and tone
Using attachments
Setting up email folders
Security and privacy issues

Short lectures and discussion on writing topics and strategies
Small group peer evaluations—email exchange

PowerPoint presentations and workbook, complete with sample documents, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources

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Writing for Results

Want to improve your documents, decrease your writing time, and overcome writer’s block?  You’ll learn how in Writing for Results—a practical, hands-on workshop for staff, supervisors, and managers.

Writing for Results covers strategies that help you quickly plan, draft, and revise business documents that get results.  In this two half-day workshop, you will learn how to identify readers’ needs, define writing objectives, organize and format information for quick reading, and revise documents for clarity and persuasive appeal.

During the workshop, you will write and revise a business document applying the “Five Principles of Effective Writing.”  Through writing practice, peer reviews, and discussion of sample documents, you will be able to pinpoint and correct writing weaknesses, assess and improve your writing process, and sharpen your style.
Sessions: One day

By practicing these principles, you will be able to
Quickly plan writing tasks by analyzing readers and defining the document's purpose and objective
Identify the main message and state this up front for readers
Select specific information that directly addresses readers’ concerns
Organize and format information for quick reading
Apply the “Quick Draft” method to eliminate repeated revisions
Clarify abstractions to express concrete ideas
Revise documents for point of view, conciseness, and proper tone

Pre-work writing assessment
Short lectures and discussion on writing topics and strategies
Small group peer evaluations
PowerPoint presentations distributed to you for later reference

Workbook, complete with sample documents, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources

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Revising Documents for Readability

Do you spend too much time rewriting and revising a single document and still aren’t happy with the results? This workshop gives you the skills to focus the revising process and reduce revising time.

Revising Documents for Readability introduces a top-down approach for revising reports, technical documents, proposals and business documents. Using this top-down approach, you will learn how to revise for macro-issues (content, organization, and format) before tackling the micro-issues (style, tone, and sentence-level editing).  You will also assess documents for readability, learning how to apply readability principles in your writing.  During the workshop you will revise a work documents, review peer documents, and develop a review process.

Sessions: Two half-day sessions

By practicing a top-down revising strategy, you will learn how to
Follow a revising plan that focuses the revision process
Revise documents in phases, starting with macro issues: message, content, and organization
Revise opening paragraphs to highlight the main message
Revise paragraphs for coherence, continuity, and clarity
Create a professional tone revising for a proper point of view, passive/active voice, and appropriate language
Clarify abstractions to express concrete ideas
Check format for readability and usability

Pre-work revising assessment
Short lectures and discussion on revising topics and strategies
Small group peer evaluations
PowerPoint presentations
Workbook, complete with sample documents, revising exercises, revising checklist, and writer resources  

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Writing Instructions and Procedures

Clear instructions and procedures ensure that processes are carried out efficiently, quickly, and accurately.  Accuracy is essential to maintain a productive, safe work environment and to avoid legal actions. This workshop will show you how to write accurate, clear instructions and procedures.

In this one-day workshop, you will learn how to format procedures and instructions for usability, write unambiguous steps, and design visuals that help users carry out tasks.  During the workshop, you will analyze sample procedures, revise steps for clarity, and analyze visuals to improve user comprehension and application. 
Session: One day

1. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you will submit a sample document for assessment.

Through short lectures, discussion, and writing exercises, you will learn how to
Identify the target audience’s skill level, background, and goals
Write clear introductions that describe the instruction’s purpose, goals, applicability
Map tasks, identifying phases and steps
Write clear steps, focusing on specific actions
Identify and develop graphics to clarify actions
Create an easy-to-read format that increases usability
Test documents for readability

Pre-work writing assessment
PowerPoint presentations distributed to you for later reference

Workbook, complete with sample procedures, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources

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Technical Writing for Scientists and Engineers

This workshop covers strategies for improving proposals, test and analysis reports, product development documents and other technical reports required to assess, maintain, and improve your company’s infrastructure.  During the workshop, you will analyze sample documents to “test” the document’s readability and usability, focusing on the document’s purpose, audience, organization, and style.  You will then apply these principles by planning, drafting, and revising a work document for peer review and submission to your department.
Sessions: Two-day sessions

1. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you will submit a sample document for assessment, along with a questionnaire, answering questions on writing issues and goals.

Through short lectures, group discussion, and practice exercises, you will learn how to
Analyze readers’ technical expertise, decision-making requirements, and document use
Select and organize information to persuasively address readers’ needs and support the document’s purpose
Write executive summaries, recommendations, and results/conclusion sections
Format documents for ultimate readability and usability
Interpret report results for specific reader needs
Uncover biases that may influence reporting
Revise documents for clear , concise explanations, definitions, and examples
Revise documents for a clear, persuasive technical style and tone, applying the “plain language” principles

PowerPoint presentations
Workbook, complete with sample documents, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources 

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Introduction to Technical Writing

Designed for writers who must “translate” technical information for the general reader, this workshop focuses on writing fact sheets, brochures, reports, and other documents distributed to  the general public.  During the workshop, you will plan, draft, and revise a work document based on readability and usability principles for technical documents.
Sessions: Two-day sessions

1. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you will submit a sample document for assessment, along with a questionnaire, answering questions on writing issues and goals.

Through short lectures, group discussion, and practice exercises, you will learn how to
Determine the document purpose, audience, and use
Develop a design document that keeps the writing focused
Define technical concepts and terms for a general reader
Format document for quick reading
Write clear, concise descriptions, explanations, and definitions
Organize information for quick reading and comprehension
Design visuals to assist comprehension
Revise documents for language level and sentence structure
Test documents for readability

PowerPoint presentations distributed to you for later reference

Workbook, complete with sample documents, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources

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Writing Persuasive Reports

Whether recommending a new program, reporting results, or describing technical innovations, your reports must be easy to read, persuasive, and concisely written. This workshop focuses on persuasive strategies and report writing strategies that highlight your exciting ideas.

This course covers strategies for addressing readers’ concerns, organizing and formatting information for quick comprehension, highlighting key ideas, and revising for clarity, conciseness, and persuasion.  During the workshop, you will apply persuasive strategies—analyzing readers and selecting and organizing the most persuasive support—to focus on the report’s key points, and address readers’ possible objections.  You will review colleagues’ drafts, discuss the persuasive strategy, and then revise your draft for organization, style, and tone.

Session: One day

1. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you will submit a sample document for assessment, along with a questionnaire, answering questions on writing issues and goals.  

Through drafting, analysis, and review exercises, you will learn how to
Apply persuasive strategies to address specific audience needs
Profile readers’ biases, preferences, and attitudes that influence decisions
Concisely summarize key points, highlighting them in summarizing statements
Organize key points to highlight results, recommendations, and conclusions
Format reports for quick reading and reference
Revise for clarity, conciseness
Design and integrate informative graphics and tables

Short lectures and discussion on writing topics and strategies
Small group peer evaluations
PowerPoint presentations

Workbook, complete with sample documents, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources

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Managing Staff Writing

Want to improve your department documents and spend less time rewriting? Managing Staff Writing gives you the skills to “coach” staff through the writing process—from assignment through final edit.

In two session workshop, you will learn how to assign writing tasks, review and mark up documents, and communicate constructive critiques on paper and in person.  Using the CASE Method—a strategy that helps writers analyze the writing circumstance, audience, strategy, and evidence—you will get writers focused on the main message.  You will also learn a top-down review strategy—a quick, manageable process for document review.  

During the workshop, you will review, discuss, and edit sample documents; practice the CASE Method; and assess your communication style. 

Sessions: Two half-day sessions

Through practice exercises, you will learn how to
Assign writing tasks to help writers focus on the main message
Assess documents using the “Five Principles of Effective Writing”
Constructively communicate revisions on paper and in person
Motivate writers to improve department documents
Determine style preferences to maintain the writer’s own style
Establish a department review process for continuous writing improvement

Pre-work revising exercise
Short lectures and discussion on review topics and strategies
PowerPoint presentations

Workbook, complete with before/after sample documents, reviewing and revising exercises, assignment and review sheets, communication tips, and review resources

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Grammar Refresher

Uncertain about where to place that comma or which pronoun is the proper one? Grammar Refresher covers the basics of grammar and punctuation.

Grammar Refresher is presented in two full-day classes: 1) Sentence Basics and 2) Perfecting Your Punctuation. 
Session: Two full days

Sentence Basics shows you how to
Identify independent and dependent clauses to correct sentence fragments and run-on sentences
Identify different types of phrases and place phrases in correct sentence order
Use correct pronouns
Use appropriate verb tenses
Use active and passive voice appropriately
Edit sentences for misplaced modifiers
Delete unnecessary and redundant phrases
Perfecting Your Punctuation builds on the grammatical principles learned in Sentence Basics and shows you how to
Punctuation sentences to correct fragments, run-ons, and comma splices
Use commas and semicolons correctly in clauses, phrases, and serial items
Use apostrophes, capitalization, and hyphens appropriately
Determine when to use numerals or numbers
Create and use style sheets for consistency

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Editor’s Workshop

This workshop is designed for editors who create internal and external publications—brochures, pamphlets, manuals, newsletters, and web content. You will sharpen your skills in promoting key ideas, developing graphics, editing for conciseness and clarity, creating style sheets, and coordinating editorial projects.

This workshop is customized to editors’ requirements.  Contact us with specifics on document types (brochures, pamphlets, web content, newsletters) so we can develop a proposal that addresses your editorial needs.

Sessions: TBD

Short lectures, discussion, and exercises on

1. working with subject experts
2. avoiding preferential editing
3. creating style sheets
4. creating publication schedules
5. working with designer and printers
6. controlling the levels of edits

PowerPoint presentations
Customized workbook, sample style sheets and editorial guidelines

Ms. Lund is an expert and experienced editor who has edited brochures, manuals, white papers, technical reports, proposals, and business plans.  She worked with NASA heading several proposal efforts and currently edits proposals for National Science Foundation and other government and private foundations.

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Writing Readable Web Content

Writing readable and usable web content requires analyzing the site’s purpose and audience.  You must also understand the site’s ultimate goal—whether promoting services or products, informing users about processes, or featuring an organization’s special programs.

This course is targeted to writers who are developing or currently working on an organization’s website.  You will learn how to plan the site’s purpose and organization, categorize site topics, write concise pages, develop an effective navigation structure, edit site contents, and test site content working with web designers and potential users.

Session: TBD

Participants will complete an initial site analysis and bring site pages (in hard copy) to the workshop.

1. Assessing site purpose and audience needs
2. Developing site topics and navigation structure
3. Categorizing topics for easy navigation using the “card sorting techniques”
4. Writing page contents using “chunking” techniques
5. Writing headlines
6. Editing pages for conciseness and clarity
7. Developing site user testing

Analysis of current sites
Group work in card sorting techniques, site reviews, and writing practice
PowerPoint slide presentation of web writing principles and workbook covering web examples, exercises, and instructions, planning/testing sheets
Short lectures and group discussions
Analysis of peer sites

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Writing Budget and Purchase Justifications

This workshop focuses on persuasive strategies that help you write budget and purchase requests that strategically align your department’s needs with the organization’s.

Budget and purchase justifications require a sound, reasoned argument explaining why the resources are needed and how they will improve department operations. During the workshop, you will apply persuasive strategies—analyzing readers and selecting and organizing the most persuasive support—to draft a budget or purchase request for your department.  You will then review colleagues’ drafts, discuss the persuasive strategy, and then revise your draft for organization, style, and tone.

Session: One day

1. Two weeks prior to the workshop, you will submit a sample document for assessment, along with a questionnaire, answering questions on writing issues and goals.  

Through drafting, analysis, and review exercises, you will learn how to
Apply persuasive strategies to address specific audience needs
Profile readers’ biases, preferences, and attitudes that influence decisions
Concisely summarize the need for resources and align this need with the organization’s overall goals
Organize requests so readers have a clear idea of the purpose, need, and benefits, if the request is granted
Revise requests for clear, concise style

Short lectures and discussion on writing topics and strategies
Small group peer evaluations
PowerPoint presentations
Workbook, complete with sample documents, writing exercises, planning and revising sheets, and writer resources  

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Team-Focused Training

Companies can choose this option for training an entire team in any of the writing topic areas.

Members all learn the same writing principles, giving them a common vocabulary for discussing writing and revising department documents.
The supportive learning environment fosters cooperation and encourages discussion on department writing issues and problems.
Members follow a consistent writing process—from planning to the final edit—that helps writers efficiently manage writing tasks and increase productivity.

Members can discuss and pose solutions for department writing requirements and review processes.

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Powerful Presentation Skills

For every one frightened employee that would rather die than speak in front of a group, there are two others who would rather a visit from the reaper than have to sit through one more painfully boring presentation!

Powerful Presentation Skills is designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of your meetings, proposal presentations, and overall public communication.

Powerful Presentation Skills covers strategies that help speakers prepare and execute professional presentations with minimal anxiety. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

· Recognize and combat feelings of "stage fright"
· Speak with confidence
· Organize verbal presentations for quick and easy comprehension
· Create useful PowerPoint presentations and use them effectively
· Use body language and tone effectively
· Manage presentation time

The workshop emphasizes both product (what makes for an effective presentation) and process (how can you become a stronger presenter).

Number of Participants: 20
Session: 4 days (4 hour sessions)
Approach: Discussion, Practice, Group work

· Short lectures on speaking and organization strategies
· Practice speaking in front of a small group
· Group analysis/evaluation of speakers
· Self-assessment
· Follow-up presentations

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