Diplomacy, Tone, and Voice: writing in complex contexts

Communicating at work through writing is challenging to even the most adept writers. Most of us constantly ask ourselves questions like, Is this email too blunt? Am I going to be misunderstood? Is there a better way to couch this?

In this workshop, we’ll practice striking the right tone and reading our own work critically with an eye towards how our work will be received. We’ll use real-world writing scenarios to talk out challenging writing situations and develop a cadre of strategies to use when we inevitably encounter them. Finally, we’ll consider individual writing style and voice as tools for better communication overall—whether writing for yourself or on behalf of the organization.

Outcomes

In this workshop, participants will learn to:

• Define the terms diplomacy, tone, and voice—and analyze any document for these characteristics

• Assess writing situation rhetorically in order to determine the appropriate language choices for the best possible outcome

• Write with diplomacy even in difficult or conflict-driven situations

• Deliver bad news in the best way possible

• Capture the voice and style of your organization (or a particular member of it, if you’re ghost-writing)

• Write with more confidence and less worry about being misunderstood or coming off in a way that’s unintended

Standard workshops are typically limited to 12 participants to ensure active engagement and individual feedback. If you have a larger group, please get in touch to talk about your options.