American business is now responsible for training an entire generation of poorly skilled writers. While brief writing seminars may help, the real cure begins with training managers on how to manage the writing process. They need to see the link between good writing and good leadership. Simply sending reports back to employees with a sarcastic note to “get it right” does little to build writing skill and confidence. Managers also need strategies for working with employees. These strategies extend from simple revising techniques to the use of sophisticated computer programs.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
TeichN., The Writing Crisis. Talk given at the Oregon Council of Teachers of English Spring Workshop on composition at Marylhurst Education Center, Portland, Oregon, 1980.
2.
WhiteE. M., Writing as a Paradigm for Thinking, Selections, 1:1, pp. 3–8, 1984.
3.
RonaldsN., Employers Prioritize Utilization of Words to Impact Quality, The Wall Street Journal, p. 37, November 5, 1979.
4.
MBAs Must Learn to Write and Speak, The Stanford Observer, p. 2, November, 1981.
5.
LangleyM., ITT Chief Emphasizes Harmony, Confidence and Playing by Rules, The Wall Street Journal, p. 1, September 13, 1984.
6.
SwiftM. H., Clear Writing Means Clear Thinking Means…, Harvard Business Review, 51:1, pp. 59–62, 1973.
7.
MorriseyG. L., Management by Objectives and Results, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Massachusetts, 1979.
TannenbaumR. and SchmidtW. H., How to Choose a Leadership PatternHarvard Business Review, 51:3, pp. 162–166, 1973.
10.
DyerF. C., Managing Other People's Writing, in Business Writing, HudsonR. H.McGuireG. M. and SelzlerB. J. (eds.), Roxbury Publishing Company, Los Angeles, California, 1983.
11.
RawlinsJ. P., Four Secrets: Improving Writing Through Marginal Comments, in How to Increase Literacy Without Becoming an English Teacher, MarklandM. F. (ed.), University Foundation, California State University, Chico, California, 1981.
12.
FelmanP. R., Personal Computers in a Writing Course, Perspectives in Computing, 4:1, pp. 4–9, Spring 1984.
13.
BatesP., How to Turn Your Writing into Communication, Personal Computer, 8:10, pp. 84–93, 1984.
14.
FranzM., Readability Analyzer, PC Disk Magazine, 1:6, pp. 25–28, 1984.
15.
GunningR., The Technique of Clear Writing, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1952.
16.
BerneE., Games People Play, Grove Press, New York, 1974.
17.
WellsW., Communications in Business, 3rd edition, Kent Publishing Company, Boston, Massachusetts, 1981.
18.
StaleyH. A., The Tongue and Quill: Communicating to Manage in Tomorrow's Air Force, 4th edition, Headquarters Air University, Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama, 1982.
19.
LanhamR. A., Revising Business Prose, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1981.
20.
FieldenJ., What Do You Mean I Can't Write?Harvard Business Review, 42:3, pp. 144–148, 1964.
21.
Teaching Writing Skills: The Evolution of a Business Writing Program, Crosscuts, 3, p. 1, Fall, 1982. (Presented to the Mountain—Plains Management Conference, October 8, 1982, Denver, Colorado).
22.
A New Language for Business Writing, Crosscuts, 4, pp. 1–4, Winter, 1984.
