Writing Is Harder Than It Seems
Writing is hard work, even if we think it isn’t supposed to be.
Leadership
Explore the latest leadership tips and career development guidance for federal employees looking to grow, lead, and advance. This category covers workplace leadership skills, communication strategies, career advancement advice, team management, professional development, and federal workforce leadership best practices. Find practical insights from our authors on becoming a more effective leader, improving performance, and navigating leadership challenges in today’s federal workplace.
Write Less, Say More
When it comes to writing, the author says that shorter is better.
It’s Okay to Add a Little Humor To Your Writing
Are your emails, presentations and other work documents a little lifeless? Who says we should equate being professional with being boring?
Watch the Sarcasm In Your Emails
Sarcasm requires gestures, facial expressions, word inflections and all sorts of tiny nonverbal cues. Your recipient can’t see or hear any of these things in your email.
Words and Phrases You Don’t Need In Your Writing
These are four words and phrases that are best left out of your written material.
What Do Your Colleagues Say About Your Writing?
If you regularly dash off sloppy, informal emails to colleagues in instances when serious messages are called for, your colleagues will notice and it can harm your reputation.
Write Your Hardcopy Documents Using Serif Fonts
If you’re writing a document that you will need to print and hand out (report, memo, newsletter, etc.), consider using a serif font to make the material easier to read and digest for your readers.
Don’t Start Your Presentation With…
The worst thing you can do to start a presentation is thank people. What they hear in those all-important first few seconds is not you being polite — it’s you being boring.
Will We Be Better Off in Four Years?
The author says that holding elected representatives accountable for results from policies and systems requires that information be transparent, accurate, and timely, and that the availability of the right information supports the “art of reasoning” which is often missing in current political discourse.
