Rationale

We all know what good writing is. It’s the novel we can’t put down, the poem we never forgot, and the speech that changes the way we look at the world. Good writing is the memo that gets action and the letter that says what a phone call can’t.

In business writing, the language is concrete, the point of view is clear, and the points are well expressed. Good writing is hard work, and even the best writers get discouraged. However, with practice you can feel more confident about your own writing. This 16 hours workshop will give participants the tools to become better writers.

Objectives

Specific learning objectives include:

The value of good written communication.
How to write and proofread your work so it is clear, concise, complete, and correct.
How to apply these skills in real world situations.
Understanding the proper format for memos, letters, and e-mails.

COURSE CONTENTS

Course Overview

Participants will spend the first part of the day getting to know participants and discussing what will take place during the workshop. Participants will also have an opportunity to identify their personal learning objectives.

Why Write?

Many people feel that writing is a burden or something they should be able to delegate. This session will help participants identify the value of writing.

The Four C’s

Participants will discuss four of the C’s of writing : clear, concise, complete, and correct. Participants will practice each C through writing exercises.

Word Agreement

During this session, participants will explore word agreement through a brief lecture and a writing exercise.

Active and Passive Voice

Most people prefer to read writing that is in the active voice. We will discuss and practice both voices during this session.

Sentences and Sentence Types

This session will discuss the structure of sentences and paragraphs. Then, participants will apply this knowledge to a writing exercise.

Readability Index

The Gunning Fog Index, also called the readability index, determines the difficulty level of a written piece. Participants will apply the index to a sample and to their own work.

Manners and Courtesy

Courtesy is an important principle of good business writing. During this session, participants will examine and rank several business letters, helping them explore their own style and preference.

Practical Language

It is important to use words that best reflect what you are trying to say. In this session, we will examine some common dilemmas (such as fewer vs. less) and suggested solutions.

Inclusive Language

Another key part of writing is political correctness. Participants will have an opportunity to re-write some exclusive terms to make them inclusive.

Sentence Construction

The two basic rules for constructing sentences are: use construction that makes meaning clear and keep construction parallel. Participants will re-write sentences that don’t follow these rules.

Punctuation

During this session, participants will work in teams to develop a series of test questions for other teams. We have included some key points that you can use to debrief the test.

Writing Business Letters

This session begins with three lectures on the steps for writing a business letter, types of letters, and the parts of a business letter. Participants will then examine samples of business letters to determine the type and the parts of each letter.

Writing Effective E-mails

Virtually everyone today uses e-mail to communicate at work and at home. This session will give participants some tips on writing effective e-mails and managing mail.

Spelling and Proofreading

Proofreading carelessly can spoil a writer’s best efforts. This session will help participants identify common spelling errors and practice their proofreading skills.

Writing Memos

Memos are another challenge that many writers face. We will examine memos through a brief lecture and a fun exercise.

Reviewing Your Writing

In this session, participants will customize a checklist to help them ensure that each document is the best that they can do.

Writing Challenges

To wrap up the workshop, participants will work in small groups to identify some possible solutions to the ten most common writing challenges.

Workshop Wrap-Up

At the end of the workshop, participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and fill out an action plan.

DURATION

16 Hours

HR for Non HR Managers

This 16 hrs workshop will help participants:

The latest trends in the human resource field and the changing role of the human resource professional
How to write job specifications and identify core competencies
Methods of finding, selecting, and keeping the best people using behavioral description interviewing techniques
How to get employees off to a good start
How to deal with compensation and benefits
How to maintain healthy employee relations
How to make performance appraisals a cooperative process

Defining Human Resources

To begin the workshop, we will discuss just what “human resources” means. We might also complete a case study that highlights some of the challenges that an HR professional faces.

Skills Inventory

During this session, we will look at what a skills inventory is and what its benefits are.

Forecasting

Human resource forecasts are attempts to predict an organization’s future demand for employees. We will look at two main types of forecasting: indexing and extrapolation.

Job Analysis

A job analysis will ensure that the job description accurately reflects the tasks that the job entails. We will discuss what a job analysis is and what formats can be used. Participants will have the opportunity to complete a basic job analysis.

Job Competencies

This session will discuss how to identify technical and performance skills needed to do a job.

Position Profiles and Job Descriptions

During this session, we will explore what a job description is through a lecture and an exercise.

Do You Really Need to Hire?

If you need to fill a position, there may be other ways of filling it rather than hiring externally. This session will examine some of those possibilities. Participants will also complete an exercise to demonstrate how much hiring a new employee really costs.

Finding Candidates

We will look at eight ways to recruit candidates during this session.

Screening Resumes

A resume screening guide can be a valuable tool when hiring. This session will discuss how to develop and use such a guide.

Preparing for the Interview

Preparation is key to a successful interview. We will look at a preparation checklist and then participants will role play an interview.

Conducting the Interview

This session will look at some key interviewing ideas, including the history of interviewing, criteria for objective interviews, behavioral interviewing techniques, and critical incidents.

After the Interview

During this session, we will look at what participants should do after the interview. Special attention will be paid to methods of rating candidates.

Employee Orientation

A good orientation is key to an employee’s success. Participants will rate their company’s organization. We will also discuss common problems and some possible solutions.

Planning Training

At some point in the life of almost every human resource professional, they will need to develop a training program. During this session, we will look at the training cycle. Participants will also explore the advantages and disadvantages of internal and external training.

Performance Reviews

Performance reviews are a crucial part of helping an employee grow. During this session, we will explore the performance review process through individual exercises, a case study, and two lectures.

Absenteeism

Absenteeism costs companies more money every year. Through a lecture and a case study, we will look at common causes and solutions.

Compensation and Benefits

During this session, we will discuss the role of compensation and benefits in retaining employees. We will also review the pre-assignment.

Discipline

This session will look at a four step disciplinary system that can be applied to any situation.

Termination

Firing an employee is hard to do. Through discussion and a case study, we will look at some things to consider and some ways to make the process a bit easier.

Exit Interviews

Exit interviews can be a great tool to help your company grow. We will discuss types of exit interviews and we will look at a sample.

DURATION :

2 Full Days