Koala-T Assistant (MyKTA)

Sometimes life is a circus and everyone else is the Ringmaster. Don’t let that deter you from getting what you are after. Push through and enlist help whenever and wherever you can. Most people are more than willing to help, 1. if they can, and 2. if it costs them nothing more than a little bit of time and effort, without burden or expectation.

Over the past month I have been focusing on couple of my goals. At times, there are moments that seem to be effortless. At others, I feel stuck and frustrated. I feel like I have hit a wall and my progress has become stilted. It is in these moments that I must remember to forge ahead, think of alternate and different methods of getting to the next desired step of the process.

In getting a task completed, I must talk to various personnel in different state departments. Some people will have an attitude right out of the gate. Well, a less than helpful one anyway. I believe that there are many people who do not appreciate what they do or do not see the value in what they do. Instead of being helpful, they go to lengths to make it difficult for the person on the receiving end to get what they are looking for. So it is my goal to get them on my side by letting them know that I appreciate everything they are doing to help me. They probably feel unappreciated, underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. Well, I appreciate and value what they are doing for me even if in the end I still need to seek out another resource to get the task completed. And, I will let them know that too by thanking them for their time and effort at the conclusion of our conversation.

When enlisting help or getting someone on your side, tell them what you are trying to do and why. Sometimes it brings out the cheerleader in them. It creates purpose instead of just doing the job. They now have a reason to help you succeed and who doesn’t like seeing someone achieve their goal. They get to be a part of your success. And, to be honest, we really can’t do it all on our own without the help of others doing what they can on their side to get to the finished result.

If they are not able to provide you with what you need, ask questions. Ask them where or who you can talk to get the information you need. Ask for suggestions or solutions. Ask for names and phone numbers of possible resources. If they have information, but need some time to collect or process it, follow up with them later. Let them know that you will be following up and when so they don’t feel like you are taking up their time when there is nothing else they can do on their end. They will let you know if they have done everything they can and a nice courtesy would be to thank them for their time and to let them know that you will not be contacting them until you have the information you need to provide to them.

You may feel like you are running around in circles. It is possible that you just might be. Forge on. Move on to another portion of your task and it is possible, with time, the information you are seeking will appear. Sometimes, things need a little bit of time to work themselves out and come together.  I call that,

Giving it time to marinate.

I have found that many things work in an ebb and flow kind of manner. Some things seem to just roll through and you find yourself speedily getting what you need done. Then there are the times when you are at a standstill or even lost in the process. Take those times to recharge, come up with creative solutions, ask for help, and muster up determination. Also, start your day out with a positive affirmation. Something like,

Today is a great day. I will get so much done and everything will come together perfectly for me.

Create a positive attitude in that if you do not get what you need at that instantaneous moment, there is a perfect time that it is supposed to be resolved that is to your advantage. Pushing harder on something that doesn’t give just elevates frustration and stress. Step away and take a look at the situation in a different perspective or angle. Just like a wall, you might need to dig a tunnel to go under it, or you may need to go around it, or find a way to climb over it. Many times our biggest hurdle is our own attitude.

You are the Ringmaster of your life. Don’t let others make you feel like you don’t have the controls. You get to make the decisions and that includes how you treat people along the way. Be gracious, helpful, and accommodating and they will do whatever they can on their end to help you get through the hoop.

We understand the value of lists, but do we really use them to our best advantage? Is your life complicated? Lists can uncomplicated it and give it more structure. Is it uncomplicated? A list can give you direction in where you want to go in life. Is your life controlled externally, making you feel like your days are dictated by the urgencies of others or circumstances? Make a list.

There are lots of different kinds of lists:

• The To-Do List
• The Christmas List
• The Wish List
• The Shopping List
• The Goals List
• The Procedures List
• The Master List

What got me to thinking about lists were a couple of things:

1. During the week, I work my 8-hour shift, eat dinner, and go to the gym. Needless to say, my place blows up through the course of the week and I am left with lots of cleaning and organizing through the weekend.
2. Two things I need to make a priority to do each day is going to the gym and sending out resumes for promotional positions.

This would consist of a list for each day.

1. Create lists of goals.
2. Break those goals down into their respective tasks of what it takes to achieve them.
3. Incorporate a task from each important goal into the list for each respective day.

Doing something small each day removes it from being a large task later on.

Here would be an example of my Monday:

As you can see, from 7:00am to 5:00pm and the end of the day would be pretty consistent. If I workout 2 days on and 1 day off, that would give me Wednesdays to run an errand during that time, write on here, get in some reading time, or go out with friends or family. My weekends would have room to go to the lake, ride my motorcycle, go to a museum or gallery, have coffee with a friend, have a spa day, or do absolutely nothing. I will be accomplishing all the things that are important to reaching my goals without making me feel like I don’t get a day off to just relax. Those days are important too.

So start creating your lists.

Create a list for:

• Work
• Family
• Home
• Social
• Community
• Spiritual
• Health / Fitness
• Educational
• Fun

You will be amazed at the progress you make in only a couple of months, how much you will rediscover and nurture you, and how much more joy you will bring into your life by living more consciously. You will still have time for the spontaneous, probably more time by living your life with purpose and on purpose.

I just finished reading an article about whether or not blog comments are essential to a site, such as this, or not.  The biggest issue that  comes up from having a comment section on a site has to do with controlling spam, self-advertising, and just random crap.  I take a couple of precautions for this.  One is that I moderate comments seeing that it reflects what is written, as well as information that contributes to others using a plugin called Diques Comment System.  I also use the WP-SpamFree plugin.  I have found these two tools to be very helpful in managing the degree of random comments and allows me to focus on the quality comments.  It is an extra step, but it also allows me to stay on track and respond in a timely manner.

I don’t plan to discontinue them at this time because I believe there is more than one point of view.  This allows others with similar experience in what I write about to contribute or an alternative way of doing the same task.  It also allows a person to disagree and detail why, an alternative point of view.  I use Feed Reader to manage quite a few blogs that I like to keep up with that provides me lots of ideas and suggestions, and some purely for entertainment.  Personally, I find the comments entertaining and informative.

It could be viewed as self-aggrandizing that is if you are merely looking for a “pat on the back.”  I appreciate the comments for two reasons, the opportunity for someone to give their feedback and the opportunity for others to provide their experience and suggestions.  Personally, I comment on someone’s blog when I feel I have something of value to contribute.  Many times, as I generally read through my Feed Reader, I don’t get to view the comments, but can quickly read through the articles.  I will click on the article link if I am interested in what comments others have made or would like to contribute a comment myself.

At this point, I don’t believe that a comment section is a “make or break” option for a website.  However, I believe it is the quality of the content that dictates a websites traffic.  If you provide quality content that is written well, your followers will come.  I must admit that I don’t believe I get that much commenting.  I don’t know if that is good or bad, but do find my website traffic increasing over time.  This I track with both a Google Analytics plugin and FeedBurner.  If people find your information interesting, they will keep coming back and will refer others who may enjoy it as well.  As you will see on my sidebar, I share many of my favorites to you as I love sharing really great things, opportunities, and ideas.  As if you couldn’t tell by the information that I write on here to share.

I would love to know your view on comments, whether you use them or not, and your personal experience with them.  So feel free to share your experience on both the commenting and the moderating sides of commenting.

Writing is an art. It’s about providing information that is, not only informative, easy on the eyes, with the reader’s perspective as the objective. In reviewing written material, I come across the same issues over and over, and they are easy to overcome. Here are my observations and suggestions.

1. Use lists.

Lists break up thoughts and allow each item to “pop.” When used throughout a paragraph, it can make the paragraph long and cumbersome and the likelihood of passing over information can happen when reviewing later. A great example is writing about a process. It is easier for the eyes to follow down a list and make sure that a process in the series isn’t missed. Kind of like a checklist. Use a numbered list when it is important to follow a series of steps to a specific procedure. Use a bulleted list when the order in which you do things is not important.

2. Use heading formats, bold, and italics.

These will delineate thoughts and ideas, create sections of information, and allow certain words to stand out. Published works should always be italicized. Bolding is great for headers to divide sections, and also to make a word more emphatic for understanding, without using all caps and come across like yelling. Such as, “It is not required to include attachments or documents to your submission.”

3. In memos, letters, and reports, use full-justified paragraphs.

The page flows better and visually appears less choppy; your lists and headers pop more, and the page actually appears cleaner and more organized.

4. Clean up your commas.

I regularly see works where the commas are random. Commas are actually pretty easy if you have some guidelines and are the worst offenders in written material.

• Use in a series. When listing three or more things, put a comma after each one. Such as, “Chicken, fish, and salad are healthy choices.” When you say, “Chicken, fish and salad are healthy choices,” the fish and salad appear to go together. I will also see within the same document the comma used before the last item and not used in the last item in other sections of the document. I will comment about consistency in a little bit.
• Always put your comma inside the quotes. No explanation necessary here.
• When using sets of series, be sure to use a semi-colon. For example, “I have lived in Cleveland, Ohio; St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota; San Francisco and Sacramento, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Austin, Texas.” This clearly breaks up each one, defines each section, and eliminates confusion.
• Use commas for introductory thoughts or phrases. Such as, “such as,” “also,” “however,” “in reviewing….” Introductory clauses set up the sentence that is coming. Also, make sure that the sentence following can stand on its own and makes complete sense without the introductory sentence. Use a semi-colon or a period when both sentences each stand on their own and make sense.

5. Use em dashes when appropriate.

The only time you use one dash is in a hyphenated word, it is a hypen. Use an em dash when reinforcing a thought. Also put a space between the words on each side of the em dash so it does not appear as a long hyphenation. In Word, and most other programs, all you have to do is type two hyphens and when you hit the space bar it will automatically convert to an em dash.

6. Us the active voice when possible.

I discussed the active voice in a prior article, which you can access here. The active voice is just that, stronger and active.

7. Consistency.

Use consistency in your formatting, headers, footers, and overall look. Otherwise the piece will look unorganized and reduce the flow of clarity and readability. It creates a work that appears well-thought, organized, and professional.

These are just some very simple suggestions to the most common errors I come across. It is all in the presentation to the reader. If it is difficult to read, understand, or follow, your reader will move on. It’s all about presentation to keep the reader engaged and to clearly assist the reader in understanding the point you are trying to get across.

Please let me know your thoughts and ideas on best presenting written works. Also, what common mistakes do you come across? Also, if you like what you read here, pass this information on to your fellow professionals who could use little tips like this. And, thank you for coming by my little website.

In goal setting, the method is to make a list of what it is you want. I’ve done this and I have lots of lists. But in order to achieve your goals, you need to break them down, set tasks, research, create a plan that gets you from Point A (where you are now) to Point B (where you want to be).

I am now in my third year returning to California where my family lives. My first year focus was getting work and then, shortly after that, finding a place of my own after helping my mom through surgery. Those were goals that weren’t written down, but came from necessity. Goals that a person takes immediate action on at the moment because it at level-urgency.

My second year consisted of getting settled into the new job, settling into my new place, and setting up my website and blog. Three things that I knew I wanted to create and design, but the individual tasks weren’t necessarily written down. Needless to say, I designed my life on the fly last year. I’m thrilled with the results, pursuing the things I wanted, but it would be interesting to know what would have been different if I had made a plan or mapped it out as a goal.

So this year, with things more settled and my mind space uncluttered with urgencies, and with the beginning of a whole new decade, this is a great time to map out exactly what I would like to achieve and see how it plays out.

Mindmap Tools

Mindmapping is a great technique to use. It’s kind of like throwing spaghetti on the wall to see if it sticks (an old technique that tells you if your spaghetti is done if you have never heard of it). There are several tools you can use that can help you mindmap.

1. Drawing it out on a piece of paper.
2. Visio by Microsoft is a great software.
3. Mindjet MindManager 8 (this is the software I use).

What I love about the software MindManager 8 by Mindjet is that it incorporates your already existing software to help you achieve your goal.

1. You can add start and end dates to a Task that will populate into your Outlook.
2. You can add an Appointment that will populate into your Outlook.
3. You can add a Note that will populate into your Outlook.
4. You can add a Contact that will populate into your Outlook
5. You can assign “markers” to indicate each goal and task priority.
6. You can give pictures to your goals.
7. You can assign people and resources to each task.
8. You can add goal and task details and information in its individual notes.
9. You can add website hyperlinks to your tasks.
10. You can attach documents.
11. You can connect databases or incorporate specific Excel ranges.
12. You can view as a MindMap or you can view it in outline form.
13. You can also track it in Microsoft Project.
14. You can send it as a Presentation, Word document, PDF.

I’ve already started my Goals Mindmap and it will take some time to break everything down and utilize the various components that make it actionable. Set dates, the people I need to talk to, information that is already available on the internet to let me know what I need to do. Really this is the easy part.

Action

Ultimately, it is about taking action. Once you see it on paper, I believe it makes it real and attainable. You have done your due diligence in getting all the information you need to make it happen. It’s creating your own personal step-by-step process. So, wondering what I could achieve with a detailed plan, it will be interesting to see what I can achieve in one year.

And, by default, it appears that me posting this, I am extending my accountability to all of you. I really hope you will do the same because you deserve it for you. You deserve and are entitled to all the successes you dream. Map your path and then go after it.

If you feel you’re doing it alone, I hope you will share here with me. I hope our successes inspire each other and you will be surprised to find you have a lot of other people out there who want to cheer you on too.

I extend my sincerest wish for you to have your most amazing year ever in 2010 and with great love,
-Layne

Anything worthwhile is worth doing with passion. Christmas is only a couple of days away and one week later the new year opens. I love New Year’s! It is probably my favorite day of the year. I always feel like, to a certain extent, everybody has the opportunity to start with a new slate. Dreams, wishes, and goals come flooding back making me think this is my year to accomplish something great.

It also means looking back on a whole year gone by and asking myself, “What did I accomplish this past year?” and “What do I appreciate that came into my life this past year?” Each year I reflect on the amazing opportunities that have come, the new people who have enriched my life, accomplishments and successes. It also means reflecting on where I fell short.

Make Goals for 2010

Make goals that mean something to you. If it helps, write down each goal and detail why it is important to you. Try writing down the pros and cons. The pros being the great things you receive from reaching the goal and the cons if you let it go another year. Goals really are as unique as you are. We each have our own reasons for attaining a specific goal, so own it and create the person that is inside you just waiting to break out.

Passion

Love it! Love it in your heart and soul, and feel it in your bones. It will make the journey more amazing. When the struggles come, you will see them more as a challenge. We live in an age of information. Anything that you want to know is out there and all this information is FREE. On my sidebar you will find some of my favorite websites. What the internet does not provide is YOU. Ultimately, it will take the action on your part to traverse the hills and valleys, the ups and downs, the good and the bad.

Give Back

There is an African proverb that states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Isn’t this so true? This relates to adults as well. You’ll be amazed at the people who are out there to encourage you and if they can help, they will. If you find that the people around you aren’t encouraging and even go to lengths to discourage you, be it by what they say, or what they do, or how they treat you and your dreams, replace those voices and that energy with people who do encourage you. Winners love winners, losers try to keep others at their level. Don’t let other people determine who you are and your value.

With access to people who believe in you, encourage you, and help you to reach your goals, remember to give back. It means helping others in their journey, believing in them and their dreams. I believe you get what you give. Life really does work in cycles. There are moments when we all need a little help along the way, you will find yourself in moments where you can help because you can.

And, who knows, maybe those who gave you the most grief end up becoming your biggest fans. Be an inspiration, be a catalyst.

In Conclusion

Because this is real for me and is written to share my hopes for you, I would like to wrap this up by letting you know what is important to me for the next year. I’m not coming up with something like 25 goals I would like to get done in one year, but to really focus on the ones that mean the most to me. Here is a list of what I love and would like to achieve and see become excellent. In no particular order:

• Health & Fitness. Since my car accident three years ago, my weight has gradually been increasing. I walk pretty much everywhere I need to go, but I am now older and my body and metabolism doesn’t let me get away with what it used to. I was involved in whatever sport was available when I was in school; working in an office, behind a desk all day doesn’t quite get the heart rate up.

My goal is to be 125 pounds. I’ve rejoined a gym. I have also joined SparkPeople that gives me a lot of information and a community of like-minded people.

• This Blog. This blog actually happened on accident. I created and started this blog this year, 2009. Working as a professional assistant for 20 years, I wanted to put out information to and for the administrative professional. To elevate the profession to a level of respect that so many of my fellow administrative professionals bring to their work each day. This profession has some of the most talented, creative, intelligent, and amazing people I know.

My goal for this blog is to write content that informs and inspires. I would like this website to be a great place for professionals to come to for ideas, encouragement, vent frustrations, share their achievements, and feel welcome to contribute their ideas.

• My career. I love what I do and I hope that is reflected in how and what I write on this blog.

My goal is to continue to advance and excel; expand my network of really great professionals; continue learning, whether taking classes, the vast resource that is the internet reading information provided by other really great bloggers, books, and just learning by doing.

Finally, let me just say that everyone who comes by my little blog home, you inspire me. I look forward to your comments, participation, and suggestions. I wish you great success in the year 2010!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Layne

This is your life. Don’t let other people tell you who you are. We are all unique and each of us are set apart with our individual talents. We try to conform to the masses and end up feeling lost. We adjust our personalities to feel a part of and end up feeling misunderstood, different, or weird. To tell you the truth we all feel like that.

If we were meant to be cookie-cutter replicas, creation would have been designed that way. And how boring would that have been? When something bad happens to you, learn from it, take something away from it, and use the experience to become a better person and your choices in the future.

Get pissed off enough! Get passionate. Do something about it. If it truly is the system being unfair to a select demographic that you fall in, do something about it. Complaining about it doesn’t change it. Being passionate is the motivator, taking action makes changes happen. Let your passion come through and then do everything you can to change it. Be a force to be reckoned with.

Some Examples of Very Unique Individuals.

• Lady Gaga

• Isaac Mizrahi

• Mother Teresa

• Oprah Winfrey

• Rosa Parks

• Helen Keller

• Amelia Earhart

• Florence Nightingale

• Anne Frank

• Margaret Thatcher

• Sandra Day O’Connor

• Harriet Tubman

• Marie Curie

• Harriet Beecher Stowe

There are so many others, but I hope this list gets you to thinking about people who inspire you, that your story can make a difference. Did any of these people think they would be remembered in history? They are the hero in their own stories and took action to make happen what they believed in. They are unique and different and found their voice along the way in the process.

Every story is made up of a sequence, or series, of events. The way events are ordered to create your story is called the plot. The plot is all the action that takes place during your story. Every story has the following elements:

The Setting.

The setting of a story is the place and time of when a story takes place. Does your story take place at home, work, school? Is it in the past, present, or future?

The characters.

The characters are the people, animals, and other creatures in your story. There are generally two types of characters in a story: the hero and the villain. The hero is the main good character of the story. The hero is the character we are hoping will succeed, defeat the villain, and be happy. It’s safe to say that you get to be the hero as you are the star of your story. The villain is the bad character in the story. The villain tries to prevent the hero from succeeding or being happy. You can have more than one villain.

The Sequence.

Exposition. This is the beginning of your plot. It gives the background, history, and details of the characters past to understand the personalities and present lives of the individuals. It is important to understand these background details in order to understand the plot. The exposition is background information on the characters and setting that provides information about events and may explain what happened before your story begins.

Conflict.

The conflict is the problem faced by the characters. The hero wants something or is trying to help others. The villain is trying to stop the hero from succeeding. The conflict is the most important part of the story. This is the part that makes the story so interesting and exciting. The hero must confront the conflict and find resolution. The story does not end until the conflict is resolved. You can’t cheat the story and give up. Besides that is way to easy and your story goes on as is without resolution. To end the story, you must resolve the conflict. Have you identified the actual conflict of your story? It may not be what you think. It could be something quite simple or something much more complex.

Climax.

This is the part of the story when the conflict of the plot is resolved. This is usually the most exciting part of the story. The climax is sometimes referred to as the “turning point” where the plot of the story changes for better or for worse for the hero. This is where we want the hero, you, to defeat your villain in the climax.

Resolution.

The resolution is the end of your story. It occurs after the climax. This is where you learn what happens to the characters after the conflict is resolved.

You already have elements of your story. You have your setting, characters, and conflict. Detail your exposition; some history and background on your setting and your characters that bring clarification to the conflict you are facing. Then describe your conflict. What are you trying to accomplish and what is holding you back? What or who is your villain?

This part of your story has already been written.

Let me say this again… This is your life. You are the star in your own movie. How do you want it to turn out? Do you want people to remember you, after meeting you, that you were authentic and interesting? That you inspired them to remember what makes them special and unique?

Now take a few moments to write out the rest of your story. Really put yourself in it. Feel it, touch it, smell it, breath it. Be very descriptive in everything that you do as if you have already done it. Etch it in your mind the exact process of what you did to achieve your resolution. Exactly what steps did you take in the course of your climax? Detail what you saw, the people you met along the way, what you did. Feel it in your bones and write it down. Then read it aloud. If it does not resonate with you and inspire you to act on your story, edit it, rewrite it, bring it to life.

In everything you do, aspire to be the hero of your own story. I know you can do it and that inspires the rest of us.

You leave an impression and establish an image with every correspondence you make where you are not able to present yourself visually. This is your visual presentation of how you look. This is your pressed suit and tie, and crisp white shirt with polished shoes. Let people know that you are a professional and know what you are talking about. It also impresses upon people the respect you have for others and your compassion as well. The email says a lot about the person you are and the values that you hold. People like nothing better than dealing with people they like. Make it count.

Communication is everywhere and unavoidable. Really great communication is hard to find. If we can’t be in the same room with someone or know their specific location, contact is not that far away. I remember when there was a phone booth at every gas station and in every restaurant. It was like having access to a bathroom. You could always find one somewhere nearby. Today, I don’t think I can find a single phone booth anywhere. If you don’t have a cell phone, you have been living under a rock.

Today we have mobile phones, computers, faxes, On-Star, voice mail, e-mails, texting, and now we are “tweeting.” It’s amazing that we can communicate nearly everywhere, I don’t know about under water. I would have to ask an oceanographer. I don’t even keep a home phone, I just use my mobile phone as my primary communication for talking on the phone. I do have a desk phone. It pretty much just looks nice sitting on the desk, as most of my communication is done through email or face-to-face.

Electronic mail consists of e-mail and voice mail. I prefer email over voice mail, as it leaves record to both the sender and recipient of the exchange and the specifics of the message. Documentation of an interaction is sometimes preferred.

Here are some suggestions for using electronic mail effectively.

Choose email when information is better conveyed in writing.

Some information can be quite detailed when leaving several names, numbers, and addresses. The recipient will need to write the information down anyway and guess at the spelling, unless you are spelling everything out over the phone as well. Still, it reduces error in communication specific information that would be more difficult in retrieving over a voice message or phone call.

Use a phone when you need immediate feedback or need to follow-up.

Some communication requires tact and more of a personal touch. A computer screen can be a bit “cold” and impersonal. Some communication just shouldn’t be done by email, but rather communicating where the other person can hear the inflection in your voice, such as a call of condolence, or in person if possible. Determining the sensitivity of the information will help you select the right medium to use.

I would probably say that firing, laying someone off, or breaking up with someone should only be done in person. If extenuating circumstances dictate that this is not possible, first consider something like Skype, then, as a last resort, by email or correspondence.

Bad news, in general, is best done in person, unless your safety is a concern or the other person is unreachable for some reason. Take ownership and responsibility of the information you need to convey, giving the other person the respect and opportunity to respond. It’s a tough thing to do, but has the capacity to create respect and a level of compassion rather than coming across like a jerk or someone who is just looking for an easy way out.  Ultimately, negatively impacting your image and professionalism.

Write an eye-catching subject line.

Don’t forget the subject line. Also, make sure that you get to the point in your subject line so the recipient can determine its importance. Avoid using words that have the probability of landing in their “spam” folder, such as using the word “free.”

Preview the content and limit the information to one screen if possible.

Get to the point early and organize the information so that it is easy to scan through and retrieve the necessary information by using lists, bullet points, headings, etc. The first paragraph should be your summary and the rest is your supporting information.

Review.

Before hitting the send button, review. I cannot stress this enough. The impression you leave will be immediate, so don’t let typos and incorrect language detract from your message or your image. If it has some length to it, print it. For some reason, a printed document will expose some glaring errors that may have otherwise been dismissed or missed altogether. If it is information that reveals a high state of emotion, such as stress or anger, leave it for a day and go back to it once you have had time to get yourself back to center.

Signal your close and wrap it up.

State or restate what it is that you seek from the recipient what you would like to get from them from this email and a nice complimentary close with your name is always a classy and professional touch.

What important elements would you suggest to our readers that I missed? The more you write the easier it gets. Well, most of the time. Leave me a comment and let me know if this information helps to make it easier for you put your emails together. Let readers know what you find to be the most difficult aspect of writing and sending emails. Or just share your nightmare email elements that you have received, giving us an idea of what not to do.

This is a referral post.  More self-improvement for your writing.

One of the many things I do for work is review memos, reports, presentations, really anything that must form a coherent sentence and structure a thought. A big misunderstanding is the use of commas. Sometimes the rules may be flexible, but the idea is to be consistent. For example, using commas in a series. If you use it to separate every item, then make sure you use that style throughout. I prefer using the comma to separate every item because there are times when some things go together and the comma ensures that each thing is distinct in being presented. Just my preference.

I am attaching the link here for you to get some insight into the use and misuse of the comma. I couldn’t have put it better.

http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/10/dumblittleman-guide-to-comma-use.html

You have something to offer: friendship, partnership, a service, a product, information, even an experience. There are two considerations involved in the process of every selection. 1. The mental process: this consists of evaluating the logic and facts in order to make an informed decision. Assessing and evaluating information available and researching choices and alternatives. 2. The emotional process: when considering something, we ask ourselves various questions. Do we want it, do we trust it, do we need it, do we love it? Just a few of the questions we may ask ourselves.

So with 50 percent of our decision process consisting of the mental process of the facts and logic and the other 50 percent based on emotion, what puts us over the edge in making the decision?

I have to admit, I love Sony. When researching electronic equipment that I considered to purchase, I looked at the various choices out there: the price, options, consumer rating. Along the way I got emotionally involved. Which brand made me feel like it I would enjoy it the most? Which brand did I feel was dependable? Which brand did I feel the company presented itself in establishing a reputation of excellence? Once I made my decision and purchased a Sony I was hooked. I loved it. From then on, and because they showed their brand to be everything I expected, I make Sony my first choice in selecting electronic products. I still look a great deal and sales, but I will pay that little bit more for something that believe in.

So here’s your cheat sheet to Persuasive Writing.

1. Assess your readers’ needs and objectives.
2. Define your own role and objectives relating to those of your readers.
3. Collaborate with your readers to generate persuasive solutions and benefits.
4. Design a message that speaks clearly, effectively, and persuasively to your readers.
5. Maintain a credible position so the reader has reasons for agreeing with you and your ideas.

You can switch “readers” to “customers” or “clients” works too.

In assessing your readers’ needs and objectives, determine who they are. Profile your readers with the following questions:

1. Who are they, their jobs, their profession, responsibilities?
2. What level and type of decisions do they make?
3. Whom do they work for and whom do they supervise?
4. What problems are they trying to solve and what are they working on now?
5. What do they already know about you and what you have to offer?

Define your own role and objectives relating to those of your readers. Your role and objectives involve your ethics and where you stand, your honesty, dedication, and integrity. The easiest way to lose your persuasive credibility is to hesitate on an ethical question. Know what yours are and make sure your actions speak as loud as your words. Ultimately, they are going to believe what they see and forget what you said. Or, in the alternative, they will remember what you said and believe you to be dishonest and a liar.

Collaborate with your readers to generate persuasive solutions and benefits. Continue working with your readers, clients, or customers. Ask questions. Be available. Make them feel special. You never want your readers, clients, or customers to feel neglected.

Design a message that speaks clearly, effectively, and persuasively to your readers. Your message should clearly focus on your reader, client, or customer. You and your interests should be in the background. Use more you’s and less I’s. Here are some principles to follow in focusing on your reader, client, or customer:

1. Be as clear as possible. This involves the visual presentation of the material with the use of formatting and style, as well as writing that defines technical terms and assumptions. Your message should convey as unambiguous and as effectively as possible.
2. Organize your information with your readers, customers, and clients needs. You have organized the information of your logic of the points and arrangement of your points for maximum effectiveness to your readers, client, and customers.
3. Choose effective and forceful examples. Determine your readers’ background. Is your reader limited in their technical background, choose non-technical terms? What generation do they relate to? Use terminology and examples they can understand and identify with.

Maintain a credible position so the reader has reasons for agreeing with you and your ideas. Are you seen as honest? Knowledgeable? Professional? A good listener? How and what you write, as well as the presentation forms an impression of the details you pay attention to. Is your writing free of misspellings and punctuation errors? Is the document presented with formatting that is visually appealing with appropriate bolding, italics, separations, white space? Is the message clear and effective?

In covering what I have written, I will ask myself the following questions to see if I have covered everything I think my reader would want to know:

1. Who. Who am I trying to reach? Who am I writing to? Who is my demographic? Who is my target market?
2. What. What I am talking about? What is the message I want to convey? What do they need or want that I offer? What makes my service better, easier, more fun, more dependable, or whatever you are offering, than someone else?
3. When. When is the service or product available? When can the reader get what I’m offering?
4. Where. Where can they get the service or product? Where is the information?
5. How. How can they use my product or service? How can I help them that distinguishes me from the rest? How can I make a difference? How can they get my service or product?
6. Why? Why should they want to choose me over another? Why would they want my service or product?

Your questions would identify your niche and who you are trying to reach.

Let me know what you think. What processes do you use to put together the message you want to covey? What techniques do you have that makes your communication stronger, clearer, and more persuasive? Do you find that writing is a skill that gets better with practice? Do you find that you are better at providing a strong clear message, but not quite as good at putting the information together so that is visually appealing and attractive? Would love to hear your feedback on what you think about writing.