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Susan Moran's avatar

No, I do not find that they have above average writing skills. By writing skills, I’m referring to punctuation and grammar, certainly, but also voice and tone and tempo as well as organizational structure and editing. Unfortunately, from my point of view, teachers/professors of non-writing classes who require writing in their classes don’t have the skills, time, or interest in helping improve a student's writing as part of a writing assignment. They are typically focused on the subject matter. So, we are all left with leaders at all levels of an organization who lack the ability to express themselves effectively. On the upside, it gives those of us who excel in communications a legitimate entry point into helping shape the persona of the company or executive or Initiative. The good news for those who want/ need self-improvement is that resources are readily available.

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Susan Moran's avatar

Can’t overstate the effectiveness of this technique! I’ve penned thousands of quotes, letters, and remarks for leaders over my career, and this is certainly a go to. Thanks for including practical comms tips like this for leaders and those who help them be their best selves!

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Admired Leadership's avatar

You're very welcome, Susan.

Do you find most of the executives you work with have above average writing skills when you come to them?

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Scott Monty's avatar

In my time as an executive at Ford Motor Company, our comprehensive turnaround plan was short-hand articulated in parallelism: One Team. One Plan. One Goal. One FORD.

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Admired Leadership's avatar

Nice, Scott. Was it frequently referenced in the halls? Easy to use?

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Scott Monty's avatar

It was used in every BPR (business plan review) meeting in detail every week. It was the way the CEO signed every email. It was on plastic cards that every employee attached to the lanyard their employee badges were on. It was in every presentation, internal and external. It was EVERYWHERE.

https://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty/one-ford-strategy

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