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:

• Become highly skilled in the use of English Language

• Write memos, letters, reports, proposals excellently by presenting contents with mechanical precision

• Organise thoughts clearly before writing

• Know the techniques of outlining, drafting and revising written messages

• Practice writing reports with graphical presentation of data

• Prepare proposals with project management value proposition

• Pay attention to spellings and punctuations.

Course Contents

DAY ONE

Develop Correct Writing Skills

• Writing inertia and how to overcome it

• Essence of effective writing

• The Communication Process

• Elements of Crucial Communication

Common Writing Problems

• Common errors in the use of English by Nigerians

• Word usage

• Improving your vocabulary

Your Attitudes as a Writer

• Simplicity and conciseness

• Confused words

• Effect of Culture on language use

Formatting Your Writing

• Style and tone

DAY TWO

Prewriting & Planning

• Establishing purpose

• Clarifying readership

• Researching for facts.

Doing the Writing

• Word usage

• Common errors in our use of English by Nigerians

• Word economy.

Attention to Grammar

• Verb exercises

• Passive and Active Verbs

• Noun and pronoun exercises

• Spellings

• Punctuations

• Formatting the Writing

- Style and tone

- Paragraphs

- Headings

• Editing techniques.

Letters

• Salutation

• Body of letter

• Complimentary closure.

Email Guidelines

• The recipients

• Keeping it short

• File attachments

• Plain texts.

Memos

• General principles guiding Memo writing

• In-house styles

DAY THREE

Reports - the Purpose

• Informing

• Selling

• Persuading

• Instructing

• Advising

• Explaining

              - an Analysis

              - a Research outcome

              - an Information

              - an Experience.

Types of Report

• Information/investigation report

• Progress Report

• Formal Reports

• Informal Reports

• SOPADA formula

• The “Need-to-know” v. “Nice-to-know” reports

Executive Summary

• The Purpose of an Executive Summary

• Main Stages and Techniques of Summarisation

• Types of Summaries

• Qualities of an Effective Executive Summary

Writing the Report

• Organizing thoughts clearly before writing

• Selection of the most appropriate main message

• Structure

                  - introduction

                  - body of report

                  - references

                  - bibliography (as necessary)

                  - appendices (as necessary).

• Contents & Formats

                   - chronology

                  - functionality.

• Outlining, drafting and revising techniques.

Packaging the Report - Data reporting and conversion to graphs

• Data analysis

• Applications of Excel formats

• 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

• The Importance of Minutes

• Types of Minutes

• Minutes Format

• Steps to Effective Minutes

• Qualities of Good Minutes.

DAY FOUR

Proposals Outline

• Our Understanding of your requirements

• Our Point of View

• 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

• 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.

• Fee Arrangement

• Credentials