Reading & Written Communication
- Write What You Say
- Say What You Write: Verbal Communication for Professionals
- Writing With Power
- Advanced Business Communication: More Writing With Power (custom only)
- Taking Good Notes and Meeting Minutes
- Proofreading
- Writing Effective Procedures Documents—Putting Actions Into Words
- No-Fail E-Mail
Write What You Say
Success in business demands concise, clear, and correct e-mails, letters, and reports. It all starts with the basic knowledge of grammar and punctuation. Overcome punctuation and usage challenges, catch up with today’s new writing styles, and learn to polish documents to perfection.
You will learn to:
- Determine when and where to use commas and other punctuation to improve your communications
- Apply practical grammar and punctuation rules to create easy-to-read documents
- Recognize when to confront usage challenges such as “who or whom,” “that or which,” “ensure or insure” to create proper context in your writing
- Use conversational writing techniques that help to engage your readers
- Identify when to avoid overworked words and phrases that can cause your writing to appear less professional
You will benefit by:
- Producing error-free documents that project a professional image
- Revisiting the rules of grammar and punctuation – without all the jargon
- Using the correct words and punctuation in your written work
- Improving your ability to critique your own writing
Audience:
Anyone who is required to present their ideas in writing and wishes to sharpen their business writing skills in ways that reflect the way they talk
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: $189 |
Dates & Times: Wed. 1/23 & 1/30/13, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Say What You Write: Verbal Communication for Professionals
Skillful verbal communication is an important aspect of being successful in any business environment. See how basic skills can help you become more confident in your ability to communicate with others.
You will learn to:
- Identify the key principles of effective verbal communication
- Recognize and eliminate using slang terms that negatively affect your ability to communicate with others
- Use appropriate grammar in your verbal communication
- Demonstrate how to enunciate words clearly and effectively to others
You will benefit by:
- Gaining confidence in your ability to communicate with others successfully and with impact
- Knowing when to speak and when to listen
- Becoming clear and concise when speaking with others
Audience:
Anyone who feels that they could enhance their professional image by being a better verbal communicator
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: $169 |
Dates & Times: Wed. 9/26 & 10/3/12, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Writing With Power
To attract the attention of today’s busy readers, you must respond to their need for clarity and brevity in written communication. Learn to overcome “writer’s block,” and to recognize and avoid common mistakes to deliver information powerfully, persuasively, and professionally.
You will learn to:
- Construct sentences that get and hold your readers’ attention
- Edit your writing for clarity and ease of reading
- Determine when to avoid archaic expressions and common grammar, punctuation, and usage errors
- Structure sentences that put more impact into your communication
- Integrate sound writing techniques to create more powerful letters and e-mails
You will benefit by:
- Updating and improving your business writing skills for more effective and persuasive letters, reports, and e-mails
- Organizing your documents with your readers’ needs in mind
- Creating reader-friendly layouts to highlight important information
- Overcoming obstacles that cause “writers block”
Audience:
Anyone who handles correspondence, develops publications, prepares reports, and needs to be able to write quickly under pressure
Program Note:
Each participant should bring a current project to get one-on-one feedback on their business writing skills.
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: $189 |
Dates & Times: CANCELLED: Wed. 10/10 & 10/17/12, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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| Dates & Times: Fri. 2/1 & 2/8/13, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Code: WCC1302 |
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Advanced Business Communication: More Writing With Power (custom only)
Writing can be a daunting task filled with stumbling blocks. In fast-paced working environments, it is often difficult to communicate your message clearly. If you are looking for assistance with conveying your message appropriately and effectively, this class is for you!
You will learn to:
- Create and format documents that suit the needs of the audience
- Address problems frequently encountered in formatting complex documents
- Plan, draft and revise sound and effective business communications that get your message across
- Apply writing strategies to convey a professional style and tone in your documents
You will benefit by:
- Receiving tools, techniques and strategies aimed at sharpening your writing skills
- Using time-saving techniques to communicate information expeditiously and effectively
- Using your documents in applying the concepts learned in a practical and relevant way
Audience:
Staff members who want to enhance their skills in developing professional documents (i.e., reports, proposals, position papers)
Course Preparation:
Participants will be asked to bring a document to work on during the session.
Recommendation for Course Preparation:
Attend the Write What You Say, Say What You Write: Verbal Communication for Professionals and the Writing with Power course prior to or following this program to continue developing your writing skills.
Program Note:
This course will utilize brief online exercises before and/or after the session to augment classroom learning.
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: (See custom training rate policy) |
Dates & Times: This course is available as a custom training event for your department. Contact HRD for more details. |
Taking Good Notes and Meeting Minutes
Transcribing minutes of a meeting is not only a challenge but requires a unique skill. Come to this session to receive the fundamentals of effective note taking and transcribing meeting minutes that are user friendly and comprehensive.
You will learn to:
- Differentiate between note-taking and taking meeting minutes
- Describe the process of note taking and transcribing meeting minutes
- Identify ways to accurately take notes while participating in the meeting
- Determine the most important kinds of information to include in meeting minutes
- Use the best ways to format meeting minutes that are the most reader-friendly
You will benefit by:
- Acquiring strategies and tools of noteÂtaking to increase your confidence in fulfilling your role as note taker
- Acquiring tips for juggling being a participant as well as the recorder of the meeting minutes
- Learning how to quickly and effectively summarize issues and decisions
Audience:
Anyone who is responsible for recording the events of a meeting
Schedule Selection(s) |
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| Cost: $149 Location: HRD Presenter(s): Jacqueline Doneghy Competencies: CO DO QS |
Dates & Times: Fri. 10/12/12, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Code: WCC1305 |
| Dates & Times: Fri. 3/22/13, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Code: WCC1306 |
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Proofreading
An organization’s efficiency is reflected in the literal and grammatical accuracy of its official documentation. This course sharpens error-detecting skills and makes proofreading less burdensome.
You will learn to:
- Use three different techniques to increase proofreading accuracy
- Identify ways to scan documents for specific types of errors
- Focus on details while concentrating on continuity
- Examine your document to spot and eliminate the most common errors
You will benefit by:
- Rejuvenating your basic language skills
- Saving time and energy when having to perform this laborious task
Audience:
Anyone who wants to improve their ability to locate and correct errors in written documents
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: $169 |
Dates & Times: Wed. 10/31 & 11/7/12, 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Writing Effective Procedures Documents—Putting Actions Into Words
With an expert as your guide, enter the unique world of procedure based writing. Learn the techniques needed to meet and overcome all of the challenges of putting actions into easy to follow documentation.
You will learn to:
- Describe what procedural communication is and how it differs from other forms of documentation
- Interview people and turn their words into step-by-step procedures
- Find and document key information when using subject matter experts as a source of knowledge for procedures
- Use effective edit, review and publishing techniques to create concise procedures
- Prepare and execute a review cycle to ensure that your documents remain current
You will benefit by:
- Understanding how to apply style guides, proper voice and sentence structure to written procedures
- Developing strategies for assembling information in a clear and concise manner
- Gaining the ability to author, edit and publish effective procedures
Audience:
Anyone needing to document procedural-based activities in their workplace
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: $189 |
Dates & Times: Wed. 3/6 & 3/12/13, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
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No-Fail E-Mail
E-Mail has become the most commonly used form of communication in the workplace; it is also the most frequently misunderstood. Learn how to use e-mail to enhance, not sabotage, your communication.
You will learn to:
- Compose clear and concise messages to enhance your readers’ comprehension
- Identify “hot buttons” and avoid using them when sending email
- Recognize and use proper email “etiquette”
- Determine when to use and NOT to use email to communicate
You will benefit by:
- Increasing your productivity and gaining valuable time
- Gaining control over your email inbox and limiting interruptions
- Enhancing your overall communication sills and professional image
Audience:
Anyone interested in using e-mail to communicate more effectively
Schedule Selection(s) |
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Cost: $159 |
Dates & Times: Thu. 2/14/13, 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
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