Dr. Steven Shepard interviews his old friend and colleague Bob Dean of Dean Learning (and formerly of EY, Grant Thornton and Heidrick & Struggles), about the state of the online learning world and the importance of rigor in business writing.
Bob Dean discusses the importance of writing skills in the future workplace with Bill Sheridan of the Business Learning Institute.
Our colleague Eddie Turner works in the leadership development area and believes that business writing effectiveness is a key leadership competency. This podcast explains his thinking on why the ability to communicate clearly in writing is essential to anyone in a leadership or management position.
Our colleague Josh Bersin has written a great article for Chief Learning Officer about the concept of the “flow of work” and how people can learn new things efficiently while still getting their jobs done. Josh notes: “While the goal of microlearning is to solve a problem, the goal of macrolearning is to develop a new skill, obtain a complete understanding or provide context for deeper knowledge.”
The average worker spends 12 hours a week writing, reading, sorting and deleting email. The typical office professional receives 60 emails per day. Sixty-two percent of people check work email on weekends. Yes, the volume is uncontrollable.
A survey by The National Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE) found that written communications skills are in the top three abilities employers want from college graduates.
“According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, written communication was the number three most desired quality overall, behind leadership skills and ability to work as a team member… According to national surveys by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, employers want to hire candidates who can write coherently, think creatively, and analyze quantitative data…”