87 Advanced Business Writing Tips [That Actually Work]

87 Advanced Business Writing Tips [That Actually Work] I'm excited to share these top87 business writing tips with you. They were honed while I studied English Literature and Rhetoric, taught writing at the university level, and workedwith thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies to help people write better at work. Many of these tips come directly from our award winning online business writing courses. My hope is these tips help you enjoy writing, better communicate at work, get ahead in your career, and grow your business! Jump to a section This is a huge list with 87 of the best business writing tips. Use these links to jump to a section: PLANNING AND PROCESS TIPSFORMATTING TIPSLANGUAGE TIPSEDITING TIPSGRAMMAR TIPSBUSINESS WRITING TOOLSINFOGRAPHIC 1. Know Your AudienceBusiness writing is all about your reader. Your reader is your focus point, not what you know. 2.Prime Questions Before you write anything, ask yourself these two questions:1) Who is my reader?2) What do I want this reader to know or do?If you can’t answer these two questions, stop. Don’t write the document because it has no purpose. PLANNING AND PROCESS 3.Think FirstBusiness writing is just as much about thinking as it is about writing. 4.Most Time is PlanningYou should spend approximately 50% of your time planning a business document or email. 5. Drafting is EasyDrafting a document is the easiest part and should require approximately 20% of your time. 6. Editing TimeAllocate 30% of your time to editing. 7. Plan First, Then DraftAccept that you want to draft more than you want to plan a document or email. Everyone does. Drafting gives us a (sometimes false) sense of accomplishment. And, drafting is easier than planning. 8. Woody Allen is Right about WritingWoody Allen calls the planning portion of writing the â€Å"pace the floor† part. If you are an analytical thinker, which many business writers are, this is natural for you, but accept that sometimes it makes your brain hurt as your mind has to figure out all the interconnections. 9. Concept Maps are Essential for Business WritersMapping the structure of a complex document will make both planning and drafting much easier. 10. Develop HeadingsWhen you plan your documents, write a heading for each main section of your document. Don’t worry about the wording of the heading as you are planning to document, but verify that you can encapsulate the content of that section into a heading. If you can’t, your content is murky so fix it now before you waste time trying to edit the language when the real problem is disorganization. 11. Start Where It's EasiestYou don’t have to begin writing a document or email at the first sentence. The first sentence is often the hardest sentence to write. Instead, look at your document headings and write the section that is easiest or most interesting for you. Once you begin writing, the interconnectivity of thoughts will ignite, and the rest of the document will be easier to write. 12. How to Jump in and OutIn real life, business writers don’t have the luxury of a half-day of uninterrupted writing time. To maximize your efficiency, refer to the map or outline you created, decide which section you can tackle in the time you have and start drafting. Having a map and headings will prevent you from having to re-engage your thinking all over again each time you exit and enter the document. 13. Back Up When You Get StuckThe best recommendation given to meduring my years of rhetorical studies was: â€Å"The secret of writing is knowing when to back up. Don’t try to edit and polish before something is fully drafted. Don’t try to draft before your thoughts are clear. When you get stuck, back up!† As a business writer, this has saved me lots of frustration. 14. Hire a CoachHire a business writing coach and receive personalized feedback. One-on-one sessions will help you gain confidence in your writing. FORMAT TIPS 15. Paragraphs Seven Lines or Less Online In email or other documents that will be read online, be certain your paragraphs aren’t longer than seven lines. (Lines, not sentences.) Any longer than that and readability studies show that your readers just see a big block of text and jump over it. 16. Dangling Expressions are Funny but Avoid Them Dangling expressions commonly creep in documents in bullets and when copying and pasting. Example:David Corcoran wrote the project plan while traveling to Atlanta on the back of an envelope.(Who knew one could travel on an envelope?) hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(41482, 'bf4ee473-8e6b-46bf-b9e3-368d74d60b44', {}); 17. Use Regular Words to Avoid Non-Sexist WritingAvoid awkward non-sexist constructions like his/her and s/he. Instead, write out the actual words - his or her. 18. Headings Will Allow Your Readers to Scan EasilyUsing headings in email to highlight the organization will allow readers to scan the email more efficiently. 19. Make it Easy for Your Reader to ScanAdd white space to your documents by usingnumbered and bulleted lists. 20. Use Format to Indicate HierarchyIndent paragraphs to visually indicate it is a subset of the information above. LANGUAGEBEST PRACTICE TIPS 21. Write to Express, Not to ImpressIn business writing, your goal is to easily transmit ideas and information, not to flaunt a big vocabulary. 22. ConciseWriting is Skilled WritingConcisewritingis harder to craft thanwriting that has no length limit. Blaise Pasqual stated, "I apologize for the length of my letter. I did not have time to make it shorter." 23. Use Short WordsI’ve long admired Richard Lederer’s writing on language. In his 1991 book, The Miracle of Language, Lederer sings the praises of the short word: When you speak and write, there is no law that says you have to use big words. Short words are as good as long ones, and short, old words- like sun and grass and home- are best of all. A lot of small words, more than you might think, can meet your needs with a strength, grace, and charm that large words do not have. Two tips on clarity I always highlight in ourbusiness writing courses: Never use a big word when a small word will do. Any time a word is not truly needed, cut it. 24. Use Staccato Short Words to Grab AttentionTo grab your reader’s attention at pivotal moments in a document, such as the recommendation or conclusion, deliberately shift one or two sentences to all single-syllable words. A break in varied syllable length has the same effect on reading a document that staccato notes have when listening to music. The short, staccato words subconsciously alert your reader that something has shifted, causing them to pay more attention. 25. Winston Churchill WisdomWinston Churchill wisely stated, â€Å"Big men use little words, and little men use big words.† 26.Verbs = Energy Verbs are the pivot point of a sentence. Strong verbs have real punch. Compare: The famous strong verb example by Julius Caesar: â€Å"Veni, vidi, vici.† I came, I saw, I conquered. Business-speak: I was in attendance, and I conducted a review of the situation and culture, and I made recommendations for acquisition. 27. Use PreciseVerbsTo bring clarity to your writing, use preciseand evocative verbs. Business writers tend to muddle verbs because imprecise verb use is so common in business writing that it sounds normal to our ears. 28. Don't Smother VerbsA common clarity problem in business writing is â€Å"smothered verbs,† which are verbs that were changed to nouns (called â€Å"nominalization†). For example, the verb decide is nominalized into the noun decision. These nominalized verbs require helping words around them that smother their impact, muddle the clarity of a sentence, and increase sentence length. 29. Verbs Used Right Bring ClarityEnhance clarityby using a specific verb, instead of a smothered nominalized word.Example:The core verb in this sentence is â€Å"decide:"We need to make a decision about hiring either Kevin or Kira. - smothered verbWe need to decide about hiring either Kevin or Kira. - unsmothered verb 30. How to Cut 20% - 25% of BloatCutting smothered verbs reduces document length by 20-25% in most business documents. None of the smothering words have any value. Unsmothering verbs is a very powerful clarity technique. 31. "Take" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word take near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If take is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We need to take the data findings into consideration if we expand the product line.We need to consider the data findings if we expand the product line. 32. "Give" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the wordgive near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If give is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:Let me give consideration to your muddled writing. Let me consider your muddled writing. 33. "Have" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word have near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If have is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:I have a suspicion some of your verbs are smothered.I suspect some of your verbs are smothered. 34. "Make" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word make near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If make is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We promise to make an adjustment to your account by tomorrow.We promise to adjust your account by tomorrow. 35. "Conduct" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word conduct near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If conduct is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We’ll need to conduct a review of the data before the decision can be made.We’ll need to review the data before deciding. (Two smothered verbs corrected.) 36. "Come" Near a Verb is SmotheredWatch out for the word come near the verb in a sentence or sentence clause. If come is next to a verb or nominalized verb phrase, it is smothered. Example:We came to the conclusion that prices had to increase.We concluded that prices had to increase. 37. ":Are we in agreement that clarity matters?Do we agree that clarity matters?Extend an invitation to Karen and Sunita.Invite Karen and Sunita. 38. Avoid Wimpy VerbsAvoid wimpy verbs that need a helping word to enable the verb to do its job in the sentence. Example:Dolores walked into the room slowly and quietly with her head averted, hoping no one would notice she was late.Dolores slinked into the room, hoping no one would notice she was late. Evan planned and worked on the technical aspect of the project plan.Evan engineered the project plan. 39. Avoid RedundancyAvoid redundant verb modifiers.Example:Damian shouted loudly at Clarrisa after she missed the deadline. Damian shouted at Clarrisa after she missed the deadline. (Shouting, by definition, is loud, so no modifier is needed.) 40. Don't Start Sentences with "There is" or "There are."Weak sentences frequently start with â€Å"There is† or â€Å"There are.† Instead, cut to the chase. Find the real subject and start there.Example: There was a strong disagreement between the divisions about the reorganization structure.The two sides strongly disagreed about the reorganization structure. 41. Active Voice is Better than Passive VoiceActive voice is more dynamic and lively than passive voice, typically. 42. Use Reader:We have decided to upgrade the features of our training course.You will automatically receive updated features in your training course. 43. Avoid JargonJason Fried, the CEO of 37 Signals, stated: â€Å"Jargon is insecurity.† I agree. So often, I hear people within an organization parrot each other with phrases that have been used so much they have become meaningless. Examples: Lots of moving parts Give 110% Synergy Think outside the box Tiger team View more jargon examples to avoid Bonus Tip: You can also use our free Jargon Grader to check your writing for over 700 jargon words and phrases. 44. Be Polite. It Echoes.Everything we write at work has a larger echo. This echo is both a worry and an opportunity to advance your career. For example, you may have to deny a funding request to present research at a conference, but the larger echo requirement is maintaining the drive to innovate and research at your company. Don't win a battle and lose the war. 45. Own Your WorkAvoid â€Å"I think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I suggest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  or â€Å"I wonder if we should†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Instead, confidently write â€Å"I recommend...† or omit the â€Å"I† lead statement and simply write â€Å"Merge the divisions.† 46. Use Standard Grammar, Even When ChallengingSubjects and verbs need to agree in number. In an attempt be non-sexist, some business writers recommend writing, â€Å"Each person did their work quietly.† Each is singular. Their is plural. It’s grammatically incorrect. 47. How to Dodge Awkward His or Her DilemmaTo dodge the awkward his or her dilemma, shift the subject to plural when possible:A manager is trained to support his or her employees.Managers are trained to support their employees. 48. The Right Amount of InformationHelps the Reader and WriterA little extra information provided can resolve repeated questions:As noted on page four of the instruction booklet, photocopying on both sides requires two steps. 49. Equal Respect MattersUse consistency naming people. Mr. Jones and Arlene Kelly should be referred to consistently as David Jones and Arlene Kelly or as Mr. Jones and Ms. Kelly. 50. Avoid ExclusionaryWordsUse neutral job titles that do not imply gender - chairperson, not chairman or chairwoman. 51. Confident Tone TipTo instill a confident tone to your writing, shorten your sentences and avoid the common overuse ofâ€Å", and† in sentences. Which statement sounds more confident to you?Training with us is easy, and you can hand us the job and just walk away. You won't worry about a thing, and you can get back to what you do best. Relax knowing your project is moving seamlessly to completion, and you can simply calculate the savings.ORTraining with us is easy. Hand us the job and just walk away. You won't worry about a thing. Get back to what you do best. Relax knowing your project is moving seamlessly to completion. Simply calculate the savings. Do you hear the difference in confident tone? The second statement sounds much less out-of-breath or desperate to please and more confident and competent. It is calmer and assuring. 52. Take A CourseContinue to hone your skills by taking an effectivebusiness writing course. A structured course can help you develop effective business writing techniques [Learn More]. BUSINESS WRITING TIPS FOR EDITING YOURWORK 53. An Exclamation Point is Already SuperlativeNever use more than one exclamation point at the end ofa sentence. When I studied rhetoric in graduate school, my favorite professor shared this funny statement about using too many exclamation points in general.â€Å"Too many exclamation points make a document feel as if it has been written by an unfocused over-caffeinated cheerleader.† 54. Use Clear Words Rather thanEmphasis PunctuationExclamation points are often used in business writing to generate enthusiasm when the real problem is imprecise information. More accurate, clear information will generate reader engagement far better than trying to spice a murky document with exclamation points. 55. Editing First StepThe first step in editing is verifying that content matches reader needs - not too much, and not too little. 56. Editing SecondStepThe second step in editing is making sure the document is as easy to scan as possible. Add headings, bullet lists, appropriate bold text, and lots of white space. 57. Editing ThirdStepThe third step in editing is correcting grammar, sentence structure, and eliminating bloat. 58. Break Paragraphs FrequentlyEverynew thought needs a new paragraph. When in doubt, break the paragraph. 59. Paragraph Length is VariedA one-sentence paragraph is both correct and emphatic. Don't be afraid to write a one-sentence paragraph. 60. Designate an Editor for Group DocumentsWhen a group writes a document, designate one writer as the final editor to ensure a coherent voice. 61. Planning Eases EditingIf you are spending too much time editing, you probably rushed theplanning of yourdocument. 62. Editing Can'tCompensate for Poor PlanningEditing should need a dusting, not an editorial massacre. 63. How to Proofread a Colleague's DocumentIf a colleague asks you to edit their document, you must ask them about both the purpose of the document and about the audience. Without this information, you can only clean grammar. 64. PunctuationMattersA woman without her man is nothing.A woman: without her, man is nothing. GRAMMAR TIPS AND TRICKS FOR BUSINESS WRITING 65. #1 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe most common grammar error we see in client writing during business writing training is fused or run-on sentences. 66. #2 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe second most common grammar error we see in client writing is sentence fragments. 67. #3 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe third most common grammar error we see in client writing is hyphen errors. 68. #4 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe fourth most common grammar error we see in client writing is me, myself, and I errors. 69. #5 Most Common Business Grammar ErrorThe fifth most common grammar error we see in client writing is introductory clause comma errors. 70. Grammar Errors are IndividualEveryone makes different grammar errors. Therefore, to improve grammar, the first step has to be an accurate diagnosis of an individual’s entrenched grammar errors. 71. Wide-Ranging Grammar Training Won't HelpA review of many grammar rules is ineffective in actually improving business writing sentence structure. More effective is focusing on what is incorrect. 72. Best Grammar ResourceBy far, the best grammar resource on the Internet is Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab. It includes explanation and exercises. 73. Best Grammar AnalysisGrammar Girl is an excellent resource for current grammar use and rationale. 74. Best Business Grammar ResourceInstructional Solutions’ Business Grammar category in their Business Writing Info blog is an excellent resource for business-specific grammar use. 75. Oxford Comma Yes or NoGrammarians will never agree about whether or not to use the Oxford Comma (also called a Serial Comma.) I recommend that business writers use it because of consistency and clarification advantages. 76. Grammar Rules are InflexibleGrammarianswho believe a grammar rule should never be broken are called prescriptivists. 77. Grammar Rules are FlexibleGrammarians who believe language is more flexible, and grammar rules may be broken, are called descriptivists. 78. My Recommendation on the Prescriptivist vs. DescriptivistDivideIn business writing, it’s best to stick with established grammar rules because a client or potential customer could see what they perceive as an error and believe your work is simply sloppy. USE ABUSINESS WRITING TOOL For all the best business writing tools check out our full article here. 79. Best Grammar and Editing ToolGrammarly is our top business writing tool recommendation. Use it as the last check before you send anything. It will also detect plagiarism. Don't forgetplagiarism applies to text as well as images. 80. Cut the Bloat ToolHemingway is a free app that detects bloat in your writing. 81. Best Tool You Already HaveMicrosoft Readability Measurement Tool, already embedded in Word and Outlook, provides helpfulbusiness writing clarity measurements. Grammarly is better. 82. Tone AnalyzerTone Analyzer assesses the tone of your business writing. 83. Jargon DetectorUnsuck It is a rude, but useful, tool that assesses business writing jargon. 84. Free Concept Mapping ToolFreemind is free mind mapping software that is very easy to use. 85. How to Easily Learn Concept MappingThis tutorial will teach you to use Freemind in ten minutes. 86. Hire the Better Writer In his insightfulbook, Rework, Jason Fried stated: All things being equal, hire the better writer. Good writers know what to include and what to omit. They understand people and motivation. They can express complex information in a way it can be shared. Whether the position is sales, engineering, software development, or HR, always hire the better writer. I agree with Jason Fried. However, business writing is a skill that can be honed. Since 1998, my company, Instructional Solutions, and I have helped thousands of individuals and hundreds of companies write better at work. 87. Subscribe to Our Blog We wanted to add one last tip! If you liked this article you can subscribe to our blog here. We often write articles focused on helping you become a better professional writer. That's the list! If you have a tip that I missed please comment below! I would love to hear what tips you have! Bonus: 19 Actionable Writing Tips Infographic:

Philosophy on Dualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy on Dualism - Essay Example Dualism graces its roots to as far back as Zarathushtra, although Plato and Aristotle also dealt with the possibility of existence of an incorporale souls that actually bore the faculties of intelligence and wisdom. Their conclusion is that "people's intelligence (a faculty of the mind or soul) could not be identified with, or explained in terms of, their physical body" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). The difference in the properties of mental and physical realms supports the validity of dualism. Minds are observed to have subjective qualities such as sensations which cannot be reduced to something physical. These experiences then are deemed to be from of different origin than the physical body. "There is no place in the brain where electric stimulation can cause a person to believe or decide. Although our thoughts can be true or false our brain states cannot be true or false. Nobody can tell what we are thinking by measuring brain waves. We must be asked what we are thinking" (AllAboutPhilosophy.org). On the other hand, there seems to be a lack of rational understanding as to how an interaction could possibly take place between the brain and the mind. Simply, this arguments says that there is nothing such as supernatural or other dimension that can explain this interaction thus the mental and physical realm must be one. Another argument against dualism is that when the brain is damaged, brought by physical trauma, drug abuse and other diseases the mental powers are always affected. "The argument holds that if the brain and the mind were actually separate, our mental powers would not be comprised" (AllAboutPhilosophy.org). This views leads us to think that there is/are factor/s that dictate the well-being of the mind, not just the physical body. Mental heath then is a factor of many other things aside from physical health. In the end it is found that the arguments for dualism is strong. Indeed, things such as emotions or feelings which does not necessarily emanate from the physical body are from different realms and they affect the mind. Monism Monism is associated with any philosophical view which says that "there is unity in a given field of inquiry, where there is not to be expected" (Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.). Thus there are philosophers who stands on the belief that the universe is really just one thing, despite of its many facets, appearances, diversities. In theology, this is the belief in one God who holds everything. Just differ in what they target and how they count. There are actually many monisms, although they all have the attribute of oneness. We however focus on two historically important monism; the existence monism which targets concrete objects and counts by token and the priority monism which targets concrete objects and counts by basic token. However, "neither existence nor priority monism is accorded much respect in contemporary metaphysics, nor are they always properly distinguished. Indeed, the entire monistic tradition is often dismissed as being somewhere between obscure and ridiculous" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosphy). Monism can be viewed as simply the opposite of dualism and pluralism. It particularly denies multiplicity of things and the distinction between body and soul, matter and spirit and other dualistic distinctions. Strengths

Analysis and argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis and argument - Essay Example The focus of the topic is on media responsibility in building up youth subcultures that are referred to as deviant social trends. Its objective is to offer a sociological insight about contemporary culture of identity and defiance, by framing the youth subculture based on material culture, and its position as a driving force of social change, in addition to its masculine and feminine aspects. The topic also assesses whether current trends of youth violence has risen from unattached morals and leadership, or due to lack of censorship and sway of electronic media (Muggleton, 120). Moreover, the topic provides an insight concerning the callous reality of tagging, moral fear, and societal response. Examples and case studies will include music cultures and music genres like, rave, hip-hop, and heavy metal. In light of the present Arab spring and economic crisis, the discussion will then look at whether race, class, and limited decision making opportunities in both social and political angle, are alternately judged as contributors of deviant behavior. In particular, whether the stigmatized standings are cause of deviant labeling including being foundation of power to wield social control. Effectively, the media creates a trend of impressionable plus emotionally susceptible youth in reproducing the forms of anti-social behavior. This conception is developed from the notion that idealized precedent is distinguished from an indecisive present. (Maira and Soep,

The role animals play in our lives Research Proposal

The role animals play in our lives - Research Proposal Example Animals as pets are our companions and friends, in terms of forensics, they are employed for searching crime and criminal or law breaking activities and in terms of their presence in the forests in our environment, they add beauty in our lives and our environment. Overall, it can be said that animals and human beings are attached to each other in a bondage that is beneficial for both of the members. In this paper, there is discussion of animal and human bondage to a detailed extent; afterwards the role of animals as pet animals is accessed and lastly, the role of animals in crime detection and solution is accessed. At the end, the topic is concluded. This paper analyzes the role of animals in our lives in a manner that is comprehensible and understandable. Woodward and Bauer (2007) inform in their article, â€Å"People and Their Pets: A Relational Perspective on Interpersonal Complementarity and Attachment in Companion Animal Owners† that â€Å"the roots of the human-animal bond date to very early history and likely have their origins in food acquisition† (172). Humans are attached to animals in a bondage that is very close and long lasting. From the advent of humanity on earth, there has been linkage between human beings and animals (Woodward and Bauer, 2007). Animals are not only kept as pets but they are employed for a lot of purposes. They feed us by their meat and milk. They live with us as our partners and friends. They try to solve our problems of loneliness and solitude. They try to sooth our pains. They make us happy. They help us towards resolution of problems. They love us and care for us and they give us merriment with their innocent activities and performances. The importance of animals in our lives cannot be neglected, as they are our partners in leading lives. Human and animal bond cannot be seen as a bond between a pet and his/her owner but every link that is developed between animals and human beings. The animals can be pets as well as

Evolution in Skyscraper’s Design Essay Example for Free

Evolution in Skyscraper’s Design Essay The term skyscraper in early times was commonly used in marine services to describe the high erected mast of a ship. This term was coined later to refer to storey buildings. Previously the term referred to very tall buildings of ten to twenty storeys but in the recent past the term now includes high-rises of forty to fifty storeys or even more. However, for a building to be termed as a skyscraper, it should be distinct from other surrounding buildings in its striking feature of high elevation and markedly affecting the normal view of skyline when looked across through its high rise due to its obstruction (Moudry, 2005 pp. 16-18). Evolution of skyscrapers Evolution of skyscrapers can be traced back to early Babylonian civilization with the Tower of Babel erected in the Babylon which was the first city to be established after great flood as it is given in the Biblical narrative, historical context and other extracanonical sources. Down the line, there has been erection of some tall buildings in different cities of the world but have not been such remarkable as those from the beginning of nineteenth century. Prior to this time, relatively tall buildings used to exist that basically employed use of masonry as the oldest material. The 19th Century structural system technological developments have been hallmark to the emergence of super tall buildings in the world. These new advancements from masonry which were the oldest material all through steel work era to use of composite construction have seen the erection of super tall buildings such as the Petronas Towers and the Jin Mao building that we see today. The City Hall in Philadelphia is the tallest masonry building in the world. It is 167 M (548 ft). It was completed in 1901 using masonry bricks and stones. But this technique could not easily allow construction of super tall buildings seen in today’s world because stone and bricks heavy weights were the limiting factor. The first skyscraper was steel- framed ten storeys known as Your Home Insurance Building in Chicago built by Illiam Le Barion Jenney, an engineering officer in 1885. Your Home Insurance Building was among the first buildings to use metal for support. After some sixteen years later, the first concrete 15 storey skyscraper known as Ingalls Building in Cincinnati, Ohio was erected by Elzner, O. A. It had integration of twisted steel bars with concrete as frame with slabs and concrete exterior walls (Haverstock et al, 2000 pp. 105-108). This was a remarkable stride in the realm of construction by 20th Century. However, more improvement in concrete technology has continued to be realized. The innovations of lightweight concrete material enable construction of tall buildings. The One Shell Plaza built in Texas in early 1970s which has 52 stories is a good example of tallest lightweight structure in the world. It can be observed that from early skyscrapers constructors, the technological evolutions were partly necessitated by the dictates of human needs such as residential and office apartment’s architectural arrangements so as to meet people needs wholesomely (Wright, 2007 pp. 77-80). Structural developments have even made it easier to meet these increasingly new demands by innovation of framed tabular structural systems. This has facilitated construction of many stories building. This is because they give three-dimensional robust framework that is able to resist mechanical stresses and compressions. Presently, skyscrapers constructions make use of steel; reinforced concrete, granite and glass. Many of skyscrapers in ancient times were found in parts o f Chicago, New York and London towards close to 19th Century. Today, skyscrapers are not limited to these regions alone, but are found even in Asian continent. In the New York City, at the beginning of 20th Century it was the center of the Beaux Arts architectural movement that made it so progressive having been graced with great architects that enabled it to be land of outstanding skyscrapers in the world. It is generally observed that skyscrapers since the past were associated with elements of nation’s power and economic status. This is because the nature of super tall building built largely depends on the financial capabilities, technological advancements and man power which reflects nation’s supremacy and hence its pride. In about last two decades skyscraper designs are taking latest architectural designs that include former designs but with characteristic features of the geographic elements of where these structures built such as cultural designs like Arabic arts as exhibited in Burj Dubai skyscraper which is yet to be completed. It is evident that, apart from innovations in structural system, geographical changes also markedly did affect the evolution of skyscraper designing especially in twentieth century. Early architects of skyscrapers as it can be seen in World Trade Center, as an example, assumed geometrical shapes like that of a box.

Harassment :: essays research papers

An issue that is particularly pertinent to students in the middle phase of schooling is that of harassment. Harassment has been ‘conceived narrowly as involving physical threatening behavior only. It is now generally seen as including verbal forms of aggression, as in the case of ridicule and name calling’.1 This essay will concentrate on the harassment as an issue within the middle phase of schools, years 5 to 10, and investigate what actions or responses are being taken by schools to address the needs of the learners. ‘The full extent of harassment is very hard to detect. It usually happens out of sight, away form teachers and other adults. The people most likely to know what is going on are other children. Children who are being bullied often do not tell anyone because they feel weak or ashamed.’1 This is the issue that needs to be addressed, students will not communicate with teachers/parents or seek help from teachers/parents if they are being bullied. This essay will address this need through how other schools have dealt with this problem. A school of approximately 450 students from middle to low income families reduced their harassment problem by introducing peer mediation. Firstly, changes were introduced within the student council, where a representative from each grade level was elected. Secondly, teachers were to demonstrate a positive role towards the new behaviour management system, and this in turn helped towards their ‘Working It Out’ process, with students getting involved in dealing with the harassment issue. Thirdly, a peer mediation team was setup that dealt with harassment that is more interpersonal. Mediation is now occurring on a regular basis and most issues brought to the mediators are resolved easily. The school intends to continue to expand on the mediation team-training students as others leave school.2 Another school of 750 students in a secondary, coeducational setup included a variety of cultural backgrounds throughout the school. This school recognized that a harassment problem was occurring in the school and a zero tolerance outcome was adapted for the school. There was a survey carried out for students from years 8 – 10 to gain a students perspective on the harassment situation in the school. The result of the survey helped teachers gain an understanding of what areas the harassment problems were prominent. A register was then setup to monitor those harassment and being bullied and workshops were setup for these students.

Ottawa Valley Food Products Case Study Essay

Ottawa Valley Food Products (OVFP) is a company which manufactures and distributes low calorie and diet food items. The employees at OVFP consist of 100 production workers and 18 management and support staff. R J Jennings is amongst these individuals and has worked for OVFP for 31 years. Even though he is able to retire, Jennings does not wish to do so any time in the near future. Jennings had a previous administrative assistant, Ella Arnold, who worked with him for 10 years. Ella, aged 58, decided to take early retirement due to deterioration in her eyesight. As Jennings’ assistant, Ella would work over time sometimes without pay, go above and beyond to make sure her job was done well including breaking previous personal commitments. By Ella doing this in her job, resulted in Jennings feeling she had a ‘sixth sense’ for her job, she even ran errands in her lunch break for him. When Ella retired, the personnel department replaced her with Mary Gregory. Mary Gregory is 24 years old and has qualifications in administration from a local community college as well as a well-known Canadian university. On her first day, Jennings phoned her using the interoffice telephone to ask her to get him a coffee and a newspaper on her way back from her break. He had asked this every morning for that past ten years before Mary had joined the company. Mary refused stating she was busy. After this, Jennings got his own coffee and newspaper, even though he purposely gave Mary a light workload. From this, Jennings just assumed it was first day nerves. OVFP had an important meeting coming up with agents who did not previously transport OVFP products. The meeting was to talk about and arrange production and shipping schedules before they signed a contract. When Jennings walked into the meeting, he found Mary talking to the agents about her weekend. He had asked Mary to leave the meeting, but she refused explaining to the agents she was not leaving. After the agents left, Jennings asked Mary to visit his office where he asked for an explanation of her behaviour during the meeting. She replied with an upset comment stating ‘she was not drafted into the army.’ Another incident occurred the next morning when Mary would not file away the reports in Jennings office. Jennings had stated at the end of Mary’s six week probation period she would no longer be needed in the company. Once the news of this was found out, Jennings was later faced with a note, handed to him by Karen Russell. The note stated he had two choices, either change his mind and allow Mary to continue with her job at the end of her probation period or all 10 of OVFP’s administrative assistants would take this further. They would go to Ottawa to state their protest on the CBC show at six o’clock. The administrative assistants were waiting for Jennings response to this in the lounge and gave him 20 minutes in order to make his decision. Assumptions made based on the report: ââ€" ªThe organization was structured properly and the business is successful. The business has been running for 30 years and has a large amount of staff and managers. ââ€" ªThere are different branches or departments that produce specialized products. The different branches manage things such as dairy, vegetables and fruits and meat products ect. ââ€" ªBecause the company is so successful; all the workers have the values and objectives towards bettering the company. The workers strive toward success in the company. ââ€" ªThe company’s marketing strategy is to produce low-calorie and diet foods to grocery stores made out of high quality ingredients. Their marketing advantage is that they sell unique healthy foods at a low cost . ââ€" ªThe company has monthly goals to attain that include having the correct products ready for certain stores and having them delivered on time to the stores. They finish their work on time frequently because they have a successful business and long term customers. ââ€" ªAll of the secretaries are female. Women are specifically hired to work as secretaries for Jennings. ââ€" ªSince all of the secretaries gathered together to meet with Jennings because they were unhappy so it can be concluded that Jennings treats most of his employees unfairly and expects too much out of them. ââ€" ªJennings asks too much of his employees sometimes. He will ask them to do things that are not in their job descriptions; such as get him coffee and pick up his dry cleaning. ââ€" ªJennings may be too comfortable at his job. He is taking his employees for granted and using them to do personal favours. Problem Statement: The senior director of Ottawa Valley Food Products, R.J. Jennings, is having issues with his replacement administrative assistant. His former assistant was very outgoing and willing to work long hours in order to please her boss and to get the work done in a timely manner. When she took an early retirement, the company hired a replacement assistant for Mr. Jennings. Over her time with the company the new assistant, Mary Gregory, was at times incapable of the workload she had been given, which her predecessor had no trouble with. Not only was Mary incompetent at times, she also seemed to have no sense of proper business etiquette. On the day of an important meeting Mary decided to entertain the client with stories of her weekend while Jennings was running late. When Jennings arrived in his office he found a less than impressed client and his assistant chatting him up. After Jennings had told her to leave the office so they could commence their meeting, which was already running late, Mary scolded Jennings telling him that it was rude for him to ask her to leave and then continued with her story. After the meeting had concluded Mary was asked into Jennings’s office where he demanded an explanation. Mary protested that the situation was through no fault of her own. Mary was told shortly after the incident that her duties would no longer be needed at the end of her six week probationary period. Mary rebutted this by rallying all the administrative assistants to Mr.Jennings office with demands to be met or they would go to the CBC NEWS in Ottawa to air a piece about their story. Jennings has to make a decis ion whether or not to disregard these actions. If the piece airs on CBC NEWS, it will be nothing but bad publicity for the company. If he decides to Leave Mary in her position, she could potentially lose clients and disrupt further office interactions. Internal (Strengths and Weaknesses): Strengths ââ€" ªThe company management is well respected and the company has been running for over 30 years and supplies to grocery store. Jennings is a respected manager and has a good reputation amongst other companies that OVFP have contracts with. ââ€" ªThe Company has a high rate of employment. OVFP employs 100 production workers and 18 management and support staff. This shows that the company is successful. The company has been able to expand and needed to hire more workers to finish the required tasks on time. ââ€" ªThe Company achieves corporate objectives as they are successful in obtaining their goals. The company creates all of the goods on time and has the products delivered to certain grocers on the requested date. ââ€" ªThe company is successful because employees share the same values in the company; aiming toward success. Management ensures the job is done and that it is done with quality. The values of the workers include completing current objectives on time and with good quality. ââ€" ªThe company’s current marketing objective is to have the goods ready for their clients on time and to have the food delivered on time. This marketing objective is a strength because the employees work hard to finish the jobs. The secretaries mainly finish their assigned jobs with unfortunately some miscommunications but they work hard to finish everything. Weaknesses ââ€" ªStructure is clearly not understood by some of the employees, as Mary was not aware of some of the duties she needed to accomplish. Also, Jennings expected a lot out of her, where are she believed that she did not need complete these tasks for him because they were in her job description. Because they did not agree on what each other must do to get the day running smoothly they had a conflict. ââ€" ªThe other secretaries wanted to meet with him because they were also not happy. Jennings does not treat his secretaries fairly and expects them to work as the pace of Ella. He expects them to answer his personal calls and do other personal favours such as work overtime without pay . ââ€" ª The company does not finish all of their objectives because Mary was not completing all of the tasks Jennings assigned for her. This is why they had a conflict. ââ€" ªIf Mary could not handle the tasks Jennings was giving her then his expectations were too high. He was asking too much of her. Potentially, he could have asked for her to do simpler tasks until she got used the environment. ââ€" ªJennings did not hire Mary, human resources hired her for him. He did not have a choice therefore he may not get along with her if he doesn’t have a say in who is his secretary. The human resource department did not know what Jennings was looking for. ââ€" ªAll of the secretaries were female. If they are all only women then they are violating human rights. ââ€" ª Human resources was not able to hire an efficient worker for the company. They did not hire someone fit for the job and made a mistake. ââ€" ªJennings may not be a good manager if he is asking too much from his employees. If they do not understand where he is coming from when he is asking them to do things for him they might not listen to him. Also, if he is being unreasonable the employees won’t bother doing what they are asked. ââ€" ª Human resources may not be the appropriate people to hire an assistant for Jennings. Jennings should be able to choose his own secretary to avoid further conflict. If he picked someone that he believes would fit the job description better than there would never have been a conflict to resolve. External Analysis: Political †¢Jennings had informed Mary that she would no longer be employed at the end of her six week probationary period. Mary has no real grounds to protest for her job but the administrative assistant Union is standing up for her. With a union involved, striking is always a possibility. The administrative assistants to a large load of the office work and filing. Without these workers the business will be running far less efficiently. Social †¢The way Ottawa Valley Food Products is perceived by the public is directly correlated to its sales. A local news piece that depicts the company in a negative image could have negative repercussions on the success of the company. Sometimes there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but if the company looks like it doesn’t care about its employees, that is tougher for the company to shake. Opportunities †¢With the administrative assistants up in arms, an opportunity has arisen to change the current hiring system. To ensure that no incidents happen in the future, it is possible to tweak our hiring techniques to make sure our employees are of a quality caliber and they have solid references. Jennings is however not the root of the problem, Mary is, and management should be looking seriously into this as well. The management of a corporation should not allow an administrative assistant to potentially ruin sales and lose the company money and clients. Threats †¢The threat of a unionized support staff is always looming. If the administrative assistants form a union it will be nearly impossible to fire unruly staff. Also unions usually bargain for more money, which would result in more overhead for the company. Ultimately a union would limit the amount of work that the assistants do, and give them more money. If the Assistants were to form a union, it could have direct correlation with the production of the company. †¢A new hiring standard is in desperate need at Ottawa Valley Food Products. Otherwise they run the risk of hiring more staff that could become problematic. If they continue to hire these types of staff, it could have detrimental effects on the productivity of the company. Alternatives courses of Action: Alternative #1 R.J can do nothing and continue to end Mary’s employment after the six – week probation period. This will force the 10 OVFP executive assistants to publicize their complaint on CBC. R.J. Jennings is a senior manager at OVFP who has been working with them for 31 years and Mary Gregory should treat him with respect and honor his requests. Advantages †¢R.J. Jennings has been employed at OVFP for 31 years and deserves a better administrative assistant. By continuing to terminate Mary’s employment he may be assigned an assistant that better meets his needs. †¢The cost of finding and training new employees with work equipment can end up being expensive but Mary wasn’t able to handle the duties necessary to be a successful assistant. The potential employees applying for the job can be strategically chosen through interviews so that time and money is not wasted if they hire a new assistant with extensive experience that can adapt to the new job easily and not require lots of training. †¢This option is easy to put into practice because nothing is required other than to document Mary Gregory’s progress until the six – week probation period has ended. During this period R.J. also is given enough time to search for and hire a new assistant that may better meet his needs. †¢By executing this option R.J. is also able to demonstrate his expectations to other coworkers. In future situations his coworkers will know what R.J. expects from his assistants. Disadvantages †¢By continuing to terminate Mary’s employment he will lose his assistant as well as having the potential to lose the other 10 executive assistants that are protesting this. As these other assistants do not agree with R.J.’s decision they may willingly quit. As well, by going public with this protest they can bring negative media attention to R.J. and OVFP, as thus may ruin future business deals or current business commitments. †¢The approach of doing nothing and continuing to end Mary’s employment after the six – week probation period could negatively affect the company. The company will now have to go through the trouble of hiring and training a new assistant, rather than to address and try to fix the problem with Mary. If R.J. does need to replace Mary and possibly other executive assistants, he may replace them with new employees that might not work out and in fact be worse than his current employees. †¢If R.J. does terminate Mary’s employment, lose other executive assistance and bring negative media attention to OVFP he also has the potential of losing his job. Other senior management might view him as harmful to the company and may look into putting him on a probationary period or ultimately terminating his position. Alternative #2 R.J. Jennings could bring Mary Gregory into his office and have a discussion about the situation and address the problems that he has with Mary. Allow Mary to see what Ella Arnold successfully did and how she completed her tasks for R.J. daily. R.J. also clearly needs to express his expectations for his assistant so Mary is able to understand what is required of her. R.J. can allow Mary to move forward from this point and demonstrate how she is qualified for this job. If she is given another chance she may meet his standards and adjust to being a successful assistant. R.J. may also be given the opportunity to see his demands from Mary’s perspective. Because Ella did tasks for R.J that was not in her job description, R.J. has come to expect this. Mary can be given the chance to explain that she is not there to bring R.J. his coffee and newspaper and how she felt at some of his requests. Advantages †¢The actual problem can be addressed and Mary can see what Ella Arnold did as R.J.’s assistant. Mary will be given a list of expectations that she must meet in order to continue her employment at OVFP. If Mary clearly knows what is expected of her she may be able to carry out her daily tasks successfully. If Mary does not agree with what is expected of her in this role or does not feel she can complete such tasks she may willing leave her position, without spurring the negative media attention. †¢R.J. is also given the opportunity to see how much more Ella did for him that was required. Mary may have a different work style than Ella and does not feel like she should have to be taken advantage of or do tasks that R.J. can carry out himself, such as getting R.J. his coffee. †¢This alternative allows the problem to be addressed between both parties. It can also promote further open communication between coworkers as R.J. is setting a positive example to address a problem. †¢Negative media attention can be avoided as the executive assistants will not be on the CBC newscast. Disadvantages †¢Mary Gregory might become defensive once in R.J.’s office. After R.J. addresses the problem with Mary she might have a different perspective on the situation and feel she isn’t in the wrong. R.J. may feel he has wasted time and effort trying to fix the problem with Mary. †¢If Mary does not agree with R.J. she might notify the other 10 OVFP executive assistants about the meeting she had and continue with the CBC newscast. If Mary does not agree with the discussion she had with R.J. it could fuel further negative comments being made during the newscast. †¢Mary might feel she is underappreciated because she’s always being compared to Ella. Alternative #3 Terminate Mary Gregory from OVFP as an assistant immediately without reason and without allowing the six-week probation period to expire. Mary has been given enough chances to complete what is required of her and if she still continues to struggle with the everyday tasks that R.J. assigns then she is not the right person for the assistant position. Advantages †¢Mary Gregory is no longer an employee for OVFP so they can start to find a replacement assistant immediately that can be beneficial to the company. †¢It will be easier to release Mary as an employee because she’s still on probation. †¢R.J. Jennings can get back to being an efficient, hardworking employee with no distractions to affect his work. He can find a new assistant that meets his needs and will allow him to continue to be a dedicated employee. †¢Because Mary was new to the company she does not get paid benefits or other possible layoff payments that a fulltime life employee would receive. Disadvantages †¢Employees that formed a bond or friendship with Mary might disagree with OVFP’s choice to terminate her during the probation period. These employees might show their disagreement with the company’s choice by slowing work efficiency and motivation towards their job. †¢The assistants that have threatened to appear on CBC will still do so if Mary is immediately terminated. The immediate termination may infuriate them further if Mary is fired without being given any explanation or chance to further prove her work ethic. †¢Employees might take the message in a different manner and think there not being treated fairly for the work they give to the company. The employees might think that the company feels they are replaceable and aren’t an asset towards the company’s success when that isn’t the case. This could lead to further problems such as strikes or searching for other employment. †¢Time and money will be spent during the process of finding a new assistant. Alternative #4 Allow the option to release Mary Gregory from OVFP as an assistant with reason. Again, Mary has been given ample opportunities to turn her work ethic around but has failed to do so. R.J could have a meeting and tell Mary she is no longer employed at OVFP as well as notify her of the reasons why she’s being let go. This can allow R.J. to clearly express his reasoning for the decision as well as allow Mary to express how she is feeling Advantages †¢R.J. would no longer have to work with an assistant he feels does not meet up to his standards. †¢By having a meeting and clearly explaining the reason for her termination it may diffuse the situation. Mary can be given the opportunity to see R.J.’s reasoning and may agree with some of the issues he has raised. It can also be a learning experience for Mary as she looks for new jobs she may know what is expected of her in an administrative position. †¢Mary can be given the opportunity for a fresh start at a new company. She may also be able to use R.J. as a reference or connection toother jobs. Although her job was terminated R.J. may want to help her future search and just cite the termination as a clash of personalities or Mary not being the right fit for the job. R.J. is also able to have a fresh start with a new assistant and may be more aware of how to express his expectations. †¢R.J.’s executive assistants will not go on CBC if Mary has been treated with respect and had the opportunity to have a discussion with R.J. Disadvantages †¢Negative publicity can still arise if Mary still feels she wasn’t treated equally and was terminated without given a fair chance. The other assistants may feel that it is still necessary to make this issue aware to the public by being on CBC. †¢Legal issues may be a possibility. Even though she’s a new employee she could address the situation with the labor board or human resources to see if there are any options regarding her termination (i.e. severance pay). †¢Disagreement with the decision to terminate Mary’s position by other employees might cause work ethic and efficiency to drop or other possibilities such as a strike or employees quitting. Recommendations and Plan of Action: The alternative chosen to resolve the problem statement is option four which is allowing the option to release Mary Gregory from OVFP as an assistant with reason. This alternative is favourable as Mary has been given numerous amounts of opportunities to adjust her work attitude, still chooses not to do so. By choosing this alternative, Jennings could have a meeting with Mary and explain to her why she is no longer an employee of OVFP. At this meeting, he is able to discuss the reasons to why she is being fired. Jennings will be able to justify his decision and let Mary express her feelings about the situation. By using this alternative Jennings will no longer have to work with Mary as he feels her work ethics are not to his standards of being his assistant. As a result of having this meeting, it can calm the situation as Mary is able to understand Jennings’ reasoning and may even agree with some of the issues he states. This could also allow Mary to learn from this when she looks for future jobs as she may have a better understanding of what is expected of her in an administrative assistant’s role. As a result of Mary’s termination this will allow her to have a new start with a different company. Finally, if Mary is treated with respect and given justification to her termination, the executive assistants may change their mind and withdraw from appearing on CBC. There were a number of different alternatives decided upon as well when analysing Mary Gregory’s position at OVFP. The first alternative for Jennings to do nothing and to continue to end Mary’s employment after her six weeks probation period would not be suitable. This is due to ten other OVFP executive assistants stating they would also leave the company if Mary was not employed after her probation period. They also stated they would publicise their complaint on CBC. This could result in bringing negative publicity to OVFP, which could potentially cause problems with future business deals or current business relationships. Also, by terminating Mary’s employment the company would have to go through the process of finding a new assistant for Jennings and then having to train them. By doing this, OVFP may find these new employees to not be as efficient as their previous executive assistants. Finally, Jennings may lose his own job by bringing negative media attention to the business from firing Mary and the other assistants going to CBC with their disagreements. OVFP senior management team may find this damaging to the company and its image, therefore possibly putting him on a probationary period or terminating his position altogether. The second alternative, Jennings bringing Mary into his office to discuss the situation and address any problems is also not suitable for resolving this issue. This is could result in Mary becoming defensive once Jennings begins to discuss issues with her. She might feel she is not in the wrong and have a different outlook on the situation at hand. As a result of this, Jennings may feel he has wasted his time trying to resolve the problems with Mary and her work attitude. Also, Mary might speak with other assistants once she finishes talking with Jennings and explain to them what happened. After this, they may still continue with the broadcast with CBC and if Mary does not agree with Jennings and his opinions then this could result in even more negative comments said during the newscast, again bringing destructive media attention to OVFP. Also, by Jennings doing this Mary feel unappreciated as he is always comparing her to his previous assistant, Ella Arnold. This could demotivate he r to completing her job to the best of her ability and carrying out everyday tasks Ella used to do for Jennings. Finally, the third alternative is terminating Mary from OVFP as an assistant without reason and terminating her position once her six week probation period has finished. This, again, would not be appropriate for resolving the situation as employees who have formed a working or friendly relationship with Mary might disagree with OVFP’s decision. By showing their support towards Mary, they may decide to show lack of care within their working attitudes and not complete their own jobs properly. This could bring a long, tiring issue for OVFP if their employees are not motivated to work and complete their jobs on time or to the highest of standards. Also, the assistants who mentioned they would appear on CBC will continue to do so if Mary is fired from her position. They may do this as they will be upset by Mary being terminated without any justification to why she is no longer needed at OVFP. Also, from this alternative employees may feel they are not being treated fairly for the work they contribute towards the company, therefore they may feel they are replaceable. As a result of this, employees will not feel an asset to the company or feel they are appreciated when the company achieves goals. Employees could strike due to this or seek employment in a different company. Finally, precious time and money will be wasted on finding new assistants to replace Mary and the ten executive assistants if they decide to leave OVFP. The response that Mary’s and the other executive assistants gave when they hear the news that Mary is being let go after her probation period may seem like the major key component in this case. But as stated is this report there are many other factors that play into this company problem. Mary may response in an understandings way when Jennings explains his reasoning for letting her go from OVFP or she may not. Either way OVFP must realise they need to make changes in the company to prevent a situation like this from happening in the future. Reorganizing the human resources hiring process is a great start. Job posting that clearly state what the employee duties are within the company, will avoid confuse among Mangers and assistants. Also having Managers involved in the hiring of their assistants with make sure that Managers are paired with assistants that meet there individual needs. Having Human Recourse make these changes, it will over all avoid future problems like this from arising, and will create happier for efficient, and loyal employees. Which will o ver all benefits the company with loyal employees more efficient employees the company will save money and put this money in things such as expanding or improving other components.