Effective and Persuasive Writing
Tuesday, 20 April – Wednesday, 21 April 2010
(9:00am – 4:30pm)
Cowbridge
, South Wales
£390
Please click here if you'd like to find out about running this course in-house.
Notes:
As part of the course, you will have the option of working on generic material. Alternatively, there will be several opportunities to work on a written document (preferably a report) of you own choice. If you wish to work on your own document, it would be useful for you to bring some information about it with you (perhaps an early draft, or working notes, etc).
Module details
Overview:
Writing, both formal and informal, is the most common way in which professionals and managers communicate. It is, therefore, essential that the written word is crisp, clear and concise.
Learning Objectives:
- Appreciate the importance of writing style and structure
- Plan the structure of a report, emeo and letter
- Decide how to pitch a piece of writing to appeal to its audience
- Practice editing a piece of writing to make it more effective
- Be aware of when, and how, to use graphics to enhance the message
Course Content:
- Getting the message across: overview, principles and experience
- Structuring: lists and structuring techniques; orders and content
- Letters and memos: descriptions, analysis, conculstions and signposts, topics and priorities
- Style and readability: purpose, tone, formality, readability and understanding
- Difficult messages: assumptions, delivery, choices, impact
- Pitching it to audiences: taking the reader with you, focus and balance
- Writing a report: process, planning, rolse, structure, quality assurance
- Using graphics: types, purpose, characteristics, objectives, appropriateness
Feedback:
- It was very helpful to realise that there is no right way, we all have our own style, but we can learn from others
- Very thought provoking. With every exercise I was changing my mind on how I would word things so that it was interesting for the reader
- I have gained confidence and have moved out of my comfort zone
- Excellent course, content, structure, pace and quality of information and handouts
- The course has built on and expanded my knowledge
Click for more feedback:
- I appreciate the need to focus the on the reader’s perspective – what’s in it for them
- Lots of new tips, ideas, approaches, etc
- Loads learnt – increased my skill level * I will now use a more structured approach to report writing
- It is better to involve more than one person to produce a structure
- Be concise when writing
- I realise that writing more effectively will take time and effort and involve other people in reviewing your work and you learning from it
- Good overview and method of delivery.
- Enjoyed the application of anecdotes to illustrate points which made it come alive.
- Very good examples used to illustrate the main points.
- Useful points on how to start, take time, collect all facts, use logic and prepare well.
- Excellent tips and hints to aid effective writing
- Useful to bounce ideas and structure off someone else, particularly if they are not familiar with the subject.
- The practical exercises demonstrated the value of the discussions
- It’s important to determine why I am writing a report and what I want to achieve.
- Do not assume knowledge and be succinct with facts.
- Many light bulb moments, like the check lists and supportive information
- The practical examples were extremely useful and helpful.
- Following a structure has real benefits that aid the reader, who will only read the first five pages of a report!
- Enjoyed the use of the structure to pull ideas together, would not have approached it in such a way previously, will now use elements of the structure when writing summaries
- “Less is more”
- Excellent – good teaching methods used
- I thoroughly enjoyed the course. It covered practical skills that you would use every day, but have never really been shown how to do correctly – would certainly recommend
- Very useful last exercise. Found that by employing all of the lessons learned over the past two days became very useful
Leader:
Terry Dennis
NHS KSF Assessment
Core Dimensions
Dimension |
Value |
1 Communication |
4 |
2 Personal and people development: |
4 |
4 Service Improvement: |
4 |
5 Quality: |
4 |
6 Equality and diversity: |
4 |
Specific Dimensions: Information and Knowledge
Dimension |
Value |
IK1 Information processing: |
4 |
IK2 Information collection and analysis: |
4 |
IK3 Knowledge and information resources: |
3 |
Specific Dimensions: General
Dimension |
Value |
G1 Learning and develepment: |
3 |
G5 Services and project management: |
1 |
G8 Public relations and marketing: |
3 |
Click here for details of how this course can be run as an in-house event.