HBR guide to better business writing : engage readers, tighten and brighten, make your case /
Bryan A. Garner.
- Boston, Mass. : Harvard Business Review Press, 2013.
- 207 p. ; 23 cm.
- Harvard business review guides .
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ntroduction : Why you need to write well Section 1: Delivering the Goods Quickly and Clearly 1. Know why you’re writing 2. Understand your readers 3. Divide the writing process into four separate tasks 4. Before writing in earnest, jot down your three main points—in complete sentences 5. Write in full—rapidly 6. Improve what you’ve written 7. Use graphics to illustrate and clarify Section 2 : Developing Your Skills 8. Be relentlessly clear 9. Learn to summarize—accurately 10. Waste no words 11. Be plain-spoken: Avoid bizspeak 12. Use chronology when giving a factual Account 13. Be a stickler for continuity 14. Learn the basics of correct grammar 15. Get feedback on your drafts from colleagues Section 3 : Avoiding the Quirks That Turn Readers Off 16. Don’t anesthetize your readers 17. Watch your tone Section 4 : Common Forms of Business Writing 18. E-mails 19. Business Letters 20. Memos and Reports 21. Performance Appraisals Appendixes A. A Check List for the Four Stages of Writing B. A Dozen Grammatical Rules You Absolutely Need to Know C. A Dozen Punctuation Rules You Absolutely Need to Know D. Common Usage Gaffes E. Some Dos and Don’ts of Business-Writing Etiquette F. A Primer of Good Usage.
Don't let your writing hold you back! When you're fumbling for words and pressed for time, you might be tempted to dismiss good business writing as a nicety. But it's a skill you "must" cultivate to succeed: You'll lose time, money, and influence if your e-mails, proposals, and other important documents fail to win people over. The "HBR Guide to Better Business Writing," by writing expert Bryan A. Garner, gives you the tools you need to express your ideas clearly and persuasively so clients, colleagues, stakeholders, and partners will get behind them.