Course Outcomes

This writing and presentation design course will:

  • Outline a process for creating concise and complete narratives.
  • Provide a framework for selecting the correct breadth and depth of information.
  • Suggest a methodology for creating a messaging goal and organizing supporting evidence.
  • Review the basic mechanics of English.
  • Offer best practices for using charts and graphs in documents and slides.
  • Recommend reviewing and editing tools.

Course Overview

From dud documents to deadly decks, a lot of poor writing exists in the workplace. What’s at the root of many problems? Bad thinking and narratives that miss the mark. This course gets to the heart of those issues and helps participants develop concise and complete email messages, documents, and presentations. Taught in an interactive online workshop format, our three-part program offers strategies for understanding an audience and targeting information at the appropriate level, an overview of the basic mechanics of strong messaging, and ideas for making the narrative generation and writing process faster and easier.

Segment One Objectives

At this segment’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Analyze and audience and determine what’s important for people to know about a topic.
  • Create personas to distinguish different audiences.
  • Complete an audience profile.
  • Determine a message’s goal.
  • Write a headline and so-what statement.
  • Identify supporting evidence.
  • Organize ideas.
  • Separate need-to-know and nice-to-know information.

Segment One Modules

  • About the Audience: Thinking About Who
  • A Reason for Caring: Articulating Why
  • Purpose Please: Identifying the Goal
  • Thoughts Out: Getting Something on Paper the Easy Way
  • Priorities: Separating Need and Nice

Segment Two Objectives

At this segment’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Create a thesis statement.
  • Choose an appropriate level of formality.
  • Write in the active voice.
  • Use the passive voice sparingly and intentionally.
  • Avoid common grammatical and punctuation errors.
  • Choose easy-to-read words and phrases.
  • Follow best practices for formatting text.

Segment Two Modules

  • In a Nutshell: Crafting a Bottom-Line Message
  • Unspoken Codes: Choosing the Right Level of Formality
  • Better Paragraphs: Improving Clarity
  • Punctuation Pitfalls: Reducing Errors
  • Choice Words: Picking Well
  • Good Looks: Formatting Help

Segment Three Objectives

At this segment’s conclusion, participants should be able to:

  • Evaluate emails, documents, and slides.
  • Use tables, charts, and graphs effectively.
  • Edit documents.
  • Follow a checklist.

Segment Three Modules

  • Document Review: Showing What You Know
  • Tables, Charts, and Graphs: Using Pictures and Frameworks in Addition to Words
  • Review and Revise: Proofreading Tools and Tactics
  • On the Lookout: Creating and Using a Checklist

By the conclusion of this web-based training program, participants should understand how to craft a written narrative. They should also be able to apply basic rules of written English to their work.