Better writing, better communication with your audience

Course description:

This one-day program will equip you with the tools and expertise needed to elevate your everyday government writing. In today's environment, the key challenge is comprehending your audience's requirements and capturing their interest. Mastering the art of effective and efficient writing is crucial for establishing a meaningful connection and achieving your desired business goals.

What to expect:

Improve your connection with your audience through written communication
Align your written communication efforts with business outcomes
Build your confidence to write clearly and concisely
Understand the common mistakes and pitfalls and how to avoid them
Tailor your writing to your audience and engage them with your key messages
Understand the tools that can help you become a more efficient writer

Who should attend:

Government professionals who wish to gain more confidence and become more effective and efficient writers.

Career Level: All career levels

Course outline:

Upon completion of this course, you’ll be able to:

Developing professional Writing Skills

Your current status
Identifying well-written vs poorly written communication
Exploring styles and how they will help you:
Establish a purpose to your writing
Understand and segment your audience
Create key messages and incorporate them into your communication
Define the most appropriate framework
Structure written communication

Government channels and formats

Explore the 4Cs of effective writing
The importance of plain language, grammar and punctuation
Government writing dos and don’ts
Using clear, concise and inclusive language with the right tone of voice

Writing for impact and influence

How to communicate with your reader in mind for impactful engagement
Set clear objectives and build a logical structure
The importance of planning, drafting, editing and proofreading
Communicate key messages with the right level of detail
Use technology and AI to help you become more efficient

Writing for different purposes

How to respond to get what you want from stakeholders
Effective short-form writing – News Brief
Writing to get buy-in and decision – Three minute drill

About the trainer

Melissa Dark

Melissa has had a long career in government and the private sector and has spent many years delivering training for people in communication, change, facilitation, and business writing. In amongst all that, she also found the time to write and publish a few novels! Her company, Common Place Communication, works to create change and collaboration in workplaces that brings everyone to a common place, through commonplace language, communication and approaches. She’s passionate about enabling everyone to positively contribute to aligned outcomes. Melissa empowers leaders and stakeholders towards meaningful progress through expert guidance in leadership, strategic involvement in change processes, and by fostering communication and collaboration.