The course helps participants produce clear and compelling writing. It does so through engaging them in intensive analysis of logic, language and the very purpose of written communication. The course is extremely practical and tailored to each client, using their own written work sensitively in examples and exercises.

 

Who should attend?

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Anyone who needs to produce reports with clear, concise content. This course is particularly popular with audit, risk and fraud teams, as well as with departments that want to revise their current report structures and templates..

 

Objectives

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After attending this course, participants will be able to communicate more effectively to a variety of audiences through:

• going to the root of their own thoughts, objectives and assumptions;

• recognising bad habits that make written communication hard to read and understand; and

• using proven techniques to produce clearer, more concise writing.

They will then be able to produce reports that meet the business’ or client’s needs, having practised:

• analysing both the overall structure and the individual components of a report for maximum effectiveness; and

• reviewing their own and others’ work in a focussed, efficient and productive way.

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Course Programme

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Clarity – the theory:

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• The link between clear thinking and clear writing

• How well do businesses currently communicate?

• Good writing and the link to performance (yes, there is one!)

• Advice from professional bodies – how useful is it?

• Clarity – the practice: How can we say the same thing in fewer words?

• Cutting wordy phrases

• Active and passive

• Zombie nouns
   

Grammar, punctuation and usage
 

• Why do good grammar, punctuation and usage matter?

• The logic of grammar and the legal implications of poorly constructed sentences

 

Reports
 

• What is the purpose of a report?

• Organising your own thoughts for greater effect

• Structuring a successful report

• Findings, issues and recommendations

• The executive summary
   

Reviewing and editing
 

• What makes the reviewing process work well?

• What are both parties’ responsibilities?

• The editorial process in publishing – useful advice for reviewing reports

 

Sara I. James
 

With over 30 years' teaching, writing, publishing and corporate experience in the US and Europe, Sara provides report-writing training worldwide through her business, Getting Words to WorkTM. She has written numerous articles on language and reporting, and spoken at national and international conferences. As a member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors’ Technical Guidance Working Group, Sara provides resources for members in the UK and abroad. She recently published Radical Reporting: Writing Better Audit, Risk, Compliance, and Information Security Reports with CRC Press (Routledge/Taylor & Francis). 

 

For more information, please visit www.saraijames.com.