MARCH 2018
6
Does your business writing need updating?
By Rhonda Scharf
Times change. The rules change, and
we need to change with them.
Hairstyles change, music changes,
cars change, language changes, and
business writing changes too.
Just because you learned your
business writing techniques one way
doesn't mean that is still correct today.
Some of the changes I like, some not
as much, but we still need to keep up
with the changes and change the way
we are doing things as well regardless
of how we personally feel about the
changes.
If we always took the stubborn,
"I'll never change" approach, we
would never update our clothing style
(it's not like you actually ever wear
out your clothes, right?), our laws, or
our technology. Are you still using an
Underwood typewriter to create docu
-
ments? Of course not.
In fact, if we want to live in the
past, then we should all still be happy
to bring the boss "his" coffee and pick
up his dry cleaning.
Fortunately, times have changed.
Are you keeping up with the changes?
Here are some of the changes that
have happened to business writing. If
you didn't know that they've changed,
this is a good time to update your
business writing. If you did know
these changes have occurred, then
this is a good reminder that you are
current.
• Indenting paragraphs is no longer
necessary. I learned that we pressed
the tab key with each new para
-
graph. Stop doing that now as it is a
dated style.
• Right justification is no longer
necessary. I find that square style of
documents ugly as it takes so many
extra spaces to make the left and
right line up perfectly. I was glad to
get rid of that.
• Only one space after a period.
• The Oxford comma is back. That
means within a list of three or more
objects you place a comma between
each item. For example, I like my
sandwiches to have peanut butter,
jam, and banana. Notice the comma
before and? That is the Oxford
comma. It's still optional, though, so
make sure that whether you choose
to use it or not, you are always con
-
sistent.
• We no longer use the th or rd when
writing a date. For example, January
1, 2018, instead of January 1st, 2018.
The meeting is on January 1.
• We don't need to put our initials
on the bottom of a letter indicat-
ing we were the one who typed or
transcribed it. For example /rs is no
longer needed.
• Outdated phrases such as "attached
herewith please find enclosed" don't
have a place in today's business
communications. If you wouldn't
actually speak like that, don't write
like that either.
Keeping up our skills is why we at-
tend training courses, read newsletters
such as this one, and pay attention to
the world at large.
I'm glad we don't speak Shake-
spearean English, we don't smoke in
the office, or wear tie-dye anymore. As
a professional, it is important that we
keep our skills current as well.
Rhonda Scharf (HoF) is a certified speaking
professional and president of ON THE RIGHT
TRACK Training & Consulting.
www.on-the-right-track.com
Credit: bfk (Shutterstock)
Rhonda Scharf
