On the Value and Necessity of Writers
A company will never outgrow the need for writers. Writers engage in the art of communication. They use words to inspire, inform, and persuade in the best, clearest, and most engaging manner. A company can no more do without writers any more than a baseball coach can get rid of all players who aren’t utility infielders. Although the utility infielders, players who can play numerous positions, are valuable assets to any team, where would the team be without its specialists: home run hitters, outfielders, and pitchers? (more…)
The What, Why, and How of a Speech
The What
Your content is the key to your speech. What do you want to say? If I were to ask you to give a five minute speech impromptu about yourself, you would invariably say one of several things: “I don’t know what to say,” or “I don’t know where to begin,” or “I don’t know what to say first.” Knowing what you want to say calms about 60-70% of your fears and gives your speech direction. (more…)
Can You Read The Directions?
My wife and I both have pet peeves about bad directions. She has sewn clothing from patterns for many years and has discovered that many of the newer patterns contain mistakes and unclear steps in the written directions. I’ve noticed the same thing in almost every product I’ve purchased over the last several decades. From directions for using my children’s toys to assembling furniture to operating electronic equipment, many steps are vague, out of place, or simply not written well enough to be followed easily. (more…)
It Isn’t about the Sugar
In one scene of M. Night Shyamalan’s movie, Lady in the Water, people gathered around a cereal box believing that could it reveal great secrets—presumably from some other realm. I can identify with Mr. Shyamalan: I read cereal boxes. However, I have uncovered something more mysterious than messages from beyond and way more sinister than the sugary ingredients. (more…)