Communication Scorecard

How can a trainer who trains on written skills get the participants to apply the learning beyond the classroom? Most often trainers deliver training, check the learning in the classroom and leave. The trainer has done his job and the organization has provided the opportunity to learn, and hopes that the participants apply the learning at the work place.

Well, this is wishful thinking. The real scene is that participants forget to apply what they are taught in the classroom unless there is a constant monitoring and feedback until they unconsciously begin to apply the learning.

For my email training program, I have developed a scorecard on written skills that can be easily modified to the program objectives. The scorecard tracks the participants application of punctuations, grammar, tone, style and expression in an excel sheet. A value for each aspect of the email is given, errors are tracked, and a final score is generated for each email. I share this scorecard with the participants and provide feedback on where exactly they are going wrong. I do this for about three months after my program until participants get a 100% score. This is a lot of work, but ensures that there is a real improvement after training.

I will share this scorecard later, but meanwhile if you need more inputs on developing a similar scorecard just email me.

Here's a quick way to trim the flab in your emails

Ever read a few of your sent emails. You will want to trim it for more clarity and crispness. It happened to me all the time, but now I have these 5 steps to help me overcome this.

1. Write the subject first: This will keep you focussed on what you want to convey to the reader.

2. Keep out fillers: If you tend to use words that don't add any meaning to your writing, keep them out. While writing in a conversational style, we end up using fillers because that is the way we speak.
If you use a lot of 'actuallys' while speaking, you are likely to use it in writing too.

3. Find the correct word: Use one word that conveys what you mean. This will add more depth and clarity to your message.

4. Spice it well: Don't exaggerate. Writing more adjectives doesn't mean your are creative or clear. It just means you are a show off!

5. Edit, edit, edit: Read and re read like you are the receiver of the email. Cut and trim and make your email succinct.

Please do the needful. What does that mean?

A few days ago I was training a team of techies in Verizon. This team had to email or chat with their American counterparts about their project status, and there were many situations when their messages did not get across correctly because of 'Indianisms' in their language.

One classic example is the expression 'please do the needful'. Most of the emails that the techies wrote were lists of tasks or clarifications that they needed from the Americans. Each email would end with this phrase - please do the needful. To an Indian this sounds perfectly correct, but the American is left wondering what he is expected to do. When writing to an international audience, this phrase is best avoided because it makes no sense to them. Finish the email with exactly what you what the reader to do. It could be phrases like these: Please check and let me know, can you give me more information on this, can you help in resolving these issues, I am waiting to hear your inputs / feedback on this, and so on.
So, the next time you type 'please do the needful', press ctrl z!

Are you too lazy to use Caps Lock?

I have received emails from my friends that are written entirely either in capital letters or in small letters! I have noticed that their emails take longer to read. Readability is hindered when you don't capitalise your emails correctly. Also, it's rude, or it is tantamount to shouting when you write your emails in capital letters.
So, use the caps lock wisely and make your emails better. This need not apply to professional emails alone, but even while writing to friends.

At Elsevier

It's been a while since I posted on this blog as the last few days have been hectic training at Elsevier. Like I mentioned in an earlier post that it's Professional Email Writing that I have been training the teams on at Elsevier.

I started the training with a pre assessment that evaluated the writing skills of the participants. I divide the pre assessment into two parts: Testing for general language skills and using their own sample mails for editing exercises. This helps me understand exactly what difficulties learners face in writing emails. Many start with bad subject lines, others don't have a clue about subject verb agreement, and most lack the knowledge of how to structure their emails. With the pre assessment scores I draw an analysis of the gaps in their writing skills, and then develop the workshop to help them write better.

I end the workshop with a post assessment that evaluates the writing skills at the end of the workshop, and I sit with the learners to draw a personal development plan. The pre assessment and post assessment scores are communicated to the stakeholders of the program along with a report on each learner.

Let me know if you would like a similar program for your team.

A Happy Pongal to you!

Today was a holiday because of the harvest festival, Pongal. It's similar to Thanksgiving that is celebrated in the West. Since, we have so many occassions to celebrate, we also send and receive Happy Emails that spread the joy and spirit of each festival.
I received plenty of Happy Pongal emails that made me smile, and I replied with a Happy Pongal to you too!

Mind Maps and Emails

Have you heard of a Mind Map? It is an excellent tool that can help in gathering and sorting information. Tony Buzan developed the Mind Map in the late 60s to help students in note taking, memorizing and to review information.
The central theme generates a whole lot of connecting ideas and thoughts that are visually represented in a Mind Map. The cental idea could be a task, idea or even a word.
I have found Mind Maps extremely useful in giving my emails a structure, to jot down key points in discussions, concalls, meetings and brain storming sessions.
It forms an important part of my workshop on email writing skills where the participants draw Mind Maps to generate, structure and prioritize the information in their emails.
This link to Tony Buzan's official website will help you learn more on Mind Maps.
http://www.buzanworld.com/Mind_Maps.htm

More about greenbooks' email writing workshops...

I chanced upon this video which describes in a nutshell what I do in my Professional Email Writing Workshops. It felt like they got the words practically out of my mouth!

Of course, GreenBooks workshops follow a blended learning approach that is much more effective as we provide ample opportunity for the learners to apply the learning through our Learning Management System - www.igreenbooks.com. Further, we extend a whole month's support to our participants to help them apply the learnt skills.

So, take a look at this video, add the Learning Management System for blended learning and a month of free support, and you have a really great combo!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=yDkLz0RS_PU&feature=channel

How do I write official mails?

This is a question that I hear often while training. I guess the question should be, 'How do I write professional emails'?
Here are a few points that will help in giving a professional finish to your emails:

1. Be clear about why you are writing the mail - what is your objective?
2. Is there any secondary information that will complement what you are conveying?
3. What are the action points you want from the mail, or what is the response you want?
4. Is the structure and logical flow sounding good?
5. Have I left enough white space in my mail?
6. Have I kept the audience in mind while writing?
7. Is my subject line, salutation and signature sounding casual or professional?
8. Are there any grammar errors?
9. Have I done a check after writing?

Well, I hope to have got the 80% of it. Try this and let me know.

At Elsevier

The past few days I have been training a team at Elsevier Publishing Services. They are an intelligent lot whose main role is communicating to authors in Europe and UK through mails. So, they come up with genuine problems that they face while writing to authors. Emails are not only vital channels for sending and receiving information, but they are a tool to build rapport. This is a big responsibility for the Elsevieran - authors are their clients so they need to be sensitive to their needs, and this becomes more difficult as they need to understand the cultural nuances involved.
One question that they ask me often is: How do I address my client? Most of their clients are renowned authors with doctorates, and expect to be addresssed as Dr or Professor. One way to decide this is to simply address them with their titles in the first mail and look for how they sign off their mails.
One participant in training said she had an devised a method to check this. She starts her mail like this: Dear Chris (May I address you as Chris)?
She says this has been pretty successful as some of them reply like this: Dear Bharathi ( Of course, you can call me Chris). Well, if they ignore this question of hers, she goes ahead and addresses them with their titles.
I don't see anything wrong in doing this. A pretty direct way, and you anyways leave the choice to the receiver.