Communicate Like a Leader

Communicate Like a Leader

Presented by Tanya Brockett, MBA

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©2015, Tanya Brockett

Business consultant for fifteen years

Instructor of Entrepreneurship at McIntire

Instructor of Solopreneurship and Book Publishing at UVA

PD at Ernst & Young

Published Author

Editor for award-winningand best-selling authors

(millions of pages editedover last decade)

Introducing Tanya Brockett


Tanya’s Experiences


Identify the essential bond between written communication and leadership

Explore several effective/efficient ways to write like a leader

Review and apply communication strategies

Recognize how putting words into action protects your leadership brand

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Tonight’s Objectives

The Essential Bond: Communicationand Leadership


“Writing well is leading well.”

—Tim Clark

“A leader who cannot communicate well using written words is going

to be severely handicapped.”

—Mark Shead

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Per the Washington Post, 40% of business executives say:

ONE TYPO = TRASH

The Business Roundtable Survey says:

NO WRITING = NO PROMOTION

Leadership & Communication


“Writing is a threshold skill for salaried employment and

promotion.”

—Bob Kerrey, PresidentNew School Univ., NY

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Clarify their vision and communicate it more effectively to the entire organization

Document their decision-making processes so they can replicate the skill in others

Create standards for teams to refer back to

Emulate quality communication to instill it in others

Project intelligence and thoughtfulness

Writing Helps Leaders to…


Being more persuasive and compelling

Conveying greater professionalism

Enhancing credibility with a sharper message

Building rapport

Making a better impression on all

Other benefits include…


Benefits to the Organization

Saves time, which leads to greater productivity

Increases reader understanding

Saves money from correcting costly mistakes

Shows you care about the quality of your work and your communication

Reduces frustration and delays

How to Write Like a Leader


“Errors always make an impression,

and never a good one.”

—Author Unknown

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Common Errors

Company’s v. companies

The correct “sounding” word with the wrong spelling (homophones: compliment/complement, to/two/too, principal/-le)

Capitalizing All Words In A

Heading


Accurate Typos

Correct words used incorrectly need human eyes to find

If it is not “it is” then it’s not

I received generous bonuses for finding the “You v. Your” on a prominent speaker’s site

Hint: It matters!


Discover your own common errors and use the autocorrect feature to watch for them

Use global find/replace to clean up afterwards

Refer to the list of common errors at: http://www.grammar-monster.com/common_grammar_errors.htm

And commonly confused words at: http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused_words.htm

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Common Errors & Confused Words

http://www.grammar-monster.com/common_grammar_errors.htm

http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused_words.htm


It starts before pen hits paper (or fingers hit keyboard)

Every moment of planning pays off

Be mindful with every type of writing you do: e-mails, blog posts, tweets, LinkedIn updates, business letters, proposals, sales pitches, and client work

Your consistency and clarity will build your leadership brand

Writing Like a Leader


Remember DIGOD

1. Define your purpose

2. Identify your audience

3. Gather information

4. Organize facts

5. Determine format

Five Steps to Effective Writing


Has a natural and neutral tone

Uses a positive attitude

Applies the “you” approach

Is organized, concise, and clear

Avoids jargon and acronyms

Reaches the point and no more

Includes a call to action

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Business-Style Writing

YOUR TURN: Exercise One

CommunicationTips & Strategies


Create or use a letterhead template

Write down the main point

Identify your reader (and spell name correctly)

Make a list of the facts and reasons needed to make your point

Review that list for relevance; cut out fluff

Organize it, and then draft it

Correspondence Tips


Reply promptly—ideally within 24 hours

Use vacation message if away

Add attachment before addressee

Proofread multiple times

Use correct grammar and spelling

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E-mail Tips for Leaders


Use closing: Thanks, Regards

Create professional signature line

Don’t send when angry—wait 24 hours

Don’t send thank you to a thank you

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E-mail Tips for Leaders, II


Use DIGOD to compose your content

Be concise in your message

Start with your main message in first few characters. Often no more than 140 characters are available

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Social Media Content, Part I


Type your tweets or posts in Word first, so you can spell check and edit

Create a series of tweets, blogs, or posts, and edit them all before copying and pasting in

If required, submit for review before posting

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Social Media Content, Part II


MS Word makes it easy

Use report templates

Set and use styles for consistency

Headings and subheadings create clarity

Be consistent with lists (letters, numbers, or bullets)

Concise, active language is best

Edit, spell check, and proofread

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Preparing Reports


If it is not the highest and best use of your time, outsource it

Use DIGOD to provide others with what they need to succeed for you

When big dollars are on the line, hire a professional editor to review your work

Bring in the Experts

YOUR TURN: Exercise Two

Protecting Your Leadership Brand


Your brand should be congruent with your leadership style (be authentic)

What is it you stand for?

Who are you and what do you represent?

If you represent excellence and quality, is it reinforced by your writing?

Your Leadership Brand


Reread, revise, and revamp your first drafts to ensure that your meaning shines through

Reading your copy out loud can help you find errors

Spell check, but remember it is not enough

When your work looks good, you look good

Errors Diminish Your Dazzle


Use some or all of these proofing techniques:

1. Read through once slowly for overall content and meaning;

2. Read out loud and slowly to catch all errors possible;

3. Read a third time focusing on trouble spots;

4. Read document backwards; and

5. Scan the document at arm’s length

Leaders Proof the Important


The most successful leaders are also good communicators

Leaders who write well will excel

Effective business writing benefits writers and the organizations for which they write

Use writing tips to help you write quickly and effectively (receive from Tanya)

Wrapping Up


Avoid errors that diminish your dazzle and weaken your (or your company’s) wallet

Avoid diluting your brand with poor writing or inconsistent presentation

Rely on a second pair of eyes to ensure perfection—the return on objectives may exceed the return on investment, but it always pays off

Wrap Up, Continued


A well-written document is a critical business tool: it can demonstrate expertise and

knowledge; influence decision making; win new business; and

help to build a brand.

—Jo-Rosie Haffenden

Remember


To receive a PDF of this presentation and receive more writing tips to quickly improve your writing:

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OR

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Leadership & Management

Communicate Like a Leader