Effective Writing Skills: How to Draft Summaries, Emails and Reports
13th Oct 2010
Summarising complex information, keeping e-mails simple and focussed, engaging the reader and writing under time pressure.
Today’s civil servants need –more than ever before-to provide written information faster, analyse and summarise information from a greater number of sources, be aware of FOI implications, compete for the readers attention amongst a wide field of written material.
Whether writing for senior officials, ministers or external stakeholders there are common essential writing skills that help you do your job better and meet the PSG competences.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the importance of language, style and tone
- Understand how to use plain English in your written work
- Develop your report writing skills
- Learn how to construct effective emails
- Learn how to communicate essential information in a concise and clear manner
- Learn how to write an executive summary
- Learn how to increase the impact of your writing
Programme
| 9:15 | Registration |
| 9:45 | Welcome and introductions
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| 10:00 | The basics of better business writing
discussion and tutor input on the importance of language, style and tone |
| 10:45 | Effective emails
When was the last time you opened an email with a badly-thought out message, style and tone? Learn the ten key points at which you can influence your reader before you press the ‘send’ button
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| 11:15 | Coffee |
| 11:45 | Practical exercises in effective emailing
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| 12:00 | The Executive summary
Does your audience read every word in every document you write? This session will introduce the fine art of précis and how to get your vital information into the visible parts of your work
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| 12:45 | Practical exercises in creating superb summaries |
| 13:15 | Lunch
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| 14:15 | A structured approach to report writing
A walk-though of a useful framework for creating a robust report or convincing business case
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| 14:35 | Practical exercise in report writing using case-study materials
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| 15:45 | Peer group review
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| 16:15 | Close
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Please note that the programme is subject to change without notice
