This programme can run as an online or classroom training
(Available also for Customised Training by Duration, Venue & Fee)
Programme Description
For effectiveness in business communications, this course focuses on making managers to:
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Become highly skilled in the use of English Language
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Write memos, letters, reports, proposals excellently by presenting contents with mechanical precision
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Organise thoughts clearly before writing
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Know the techniques of outlining, drafting and revising written messages
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Practice writing reports with graphical presentation of data
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Prepare proposals with project management value proposition
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Pay attention to spellings and punctuations.
Course Contents
DAY ONE
Develop Correct Writing Skills
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Writing inertia and how to overcome it
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Essence of effective writing
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The Communication Process
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Elements of Crucial Communication
Common Writing Problems
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Common errors in the use of English by Nigerians
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Word usage
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Improving your vocabulary
Your Attitudes as a Writer
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Simplicity and conciseness
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Confused words
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Effect of Culture on language use
Formatting Your Writing
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Style and tone
DAY TWO
Prewriting & Planning
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Establishing purpose
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Clarifying readership
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Researching for facts.
Doing the Writing
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Word usage
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Common errors in our use of English by Nigerians
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Word economy.
Attention to Grammar
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Verb exercises
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Passive and Active Verbs
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Noun and pronoun exercises
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Spellings
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Punctuations
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Formatting the Writing
- Style and tone
- Paragraphs
- Headings
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Editing techniques.
Letters
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Salutation
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Body of letter
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Complimentary closure.
Email Guidelines
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The recipients
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Keeping it short
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File attachments
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Plain texts.
Memos
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General principles guiding Memo writing
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In-house styles
DAY THREE
Reports - the Purpose
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Informing
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Selling
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Persuading
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Instructing
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Advising
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Explaining
- an Analysis
- a Research outcome
- an Information
- an Experience.
Types of Report
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Information/investigation report
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Progress Report
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Formal Reports
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Informal Reports
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SOPADA formula
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The “Need-to-know” v. “Nice-to-know” reports
Executive Summary
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The Purpose of an Executive Summary
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Main Stages and Techniques of Summarisation
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Types of Summaries
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Qualities of an Effective Executive Summary
Writing the Report
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Organizing thoughts clearly before writing
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Selection of the most appropriate main message
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Structure
- introduction
- body of report
- references
- bibliography (as necessary)
- appendices (as necessary).
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Contents & Formats
- chronology
- functionality.
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Outlining, drafting and revising techniques.
Packaging the Report - Data reporting and conversion to graphs
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Data analysis
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Applications of Excel formats
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Graphic presentations
- Bar Chart
- Pie Chart
- Line Chart
- Frequency Distribution
- Frequency Polygon
- Scatter Diagram.
Writing Minutes of Meetings
Minutes – what it is, what it is not
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The Importance of Minutes
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Types of Minutes
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Minutes Format
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Steps to Effective Minutes
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Qualities of Good Minutes.
DAY FOUR
Proposals Outline
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Our Understanding of your requirements
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Our Point of View
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The Proposed Project
- Objective and Scope – Objectives, Covered Areas, Minimizing risks that
could hinder successful completion of project
- Methodology - Integration and linkage between various components of work
to deliver maximum value
- Approach – Phases of Project and duration, Teaming Approach, Our
requirements, Knowledge transfer
- Schedule & Releases – Rationale of Phases/releases. For example, there will
be a pilot test to generate excitement and communicate success, followed by
a major Release to minimise the change impact and build ownership.
- Major Work Activities
- Key Deliverables
- Resources – Resources requirements from your company and ours, their
availability (full/part time) and duration on Project
- Project Team Structure
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Our Value Proposition - What we have to offer:
- Operating environment
- Methodology/experiences
- Commitment
- Relevant previous work done
- Solutions tailored made for organization
- Provision of pragmatic, practical and easy to understand approaches
suitable for company
- Transfer of skills and knowledge to Company’s resources.
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Fee Arrangement
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Credentials