The reason the BBC seems so much more British than the CNN

Have you ever heard of a style guide? Style guides spell out the details of a particular organization or publication's writing style. The BBC has a published style guide that is actually really enjoyable to read. For example, the section on parts of speech is called "The bits that matter -- parts of speech." There is a lovely section called "Americanisms" that castigates Americans for their tendency to turn nouns into verbs: euthanize, authored, and miniaturized are offered as examples of this dubious trend. Now, perhaps I am alone in thinking this makes interesting reading, but have a look and see if the description of how to write in the "Basics" section doesn't make you smile.

A turn of phrase

I have been giving this blog short shrift this week while I prepare for a new semester, but I did find this great site that offers explanations and origins for a bunch of phrases and idioms. In business writing, it's generally a good idea not to use idioms, because they can confuse others, particularly if you are attempting to communicate with people of another culture. You really need to knuckle down, or work hard, to remove any trace of cultural bias in your communications.

It's not about the money

A study by LeadershipIQ shows that CEOs don't get fired for poor financial performance - there are a host of reasons cited, but that isn't one of them. The top reason listed is that the CEO mismanaged a transition, and specifically didn't communicate to the managers and employees of the company why a change was necessary. The second reason listed is that the CEO ignored customers. A good communicator has to listen as well as speak. Have a look at the list, and note that communication is at the root of four of the top five reasons cited.