Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing: How to Compose Clear and Effective Reports, Letters, Email, and Memos, from TheCapitol.Net,

Courses > Course Schedule

Writing for Government and Business:
Critical Thinking and Writing
How to Compose Clear and Effective Reports, Letters, Email, and Memos
Designed for anyone who wants to improve their writing

Agenda

Client Testimonials

When

Where

Tuition

Policies

Related Resources

This is the first course in our 2-course Word Workshop, offered throughout the year. The second course is Writing to Persuade.

Do you need to improve your writing skills? This intensive one-day course helps students understand the three dimensions of professional writing: organization, format and style. In addition to reviewing and teaching specific writing techniques, our faculty show you how to:

Apply critical thinking to the writing process
Use the four keys to effective writing
Understand the five-step writing process
Develop an effective writing style

Communication skills are the key to efficient and effective operations in business and government. New employees should brush-up on their basic written communication and plain English skills, while experienced professionals, burdened by the additional workload caused by downsizing and budget cuts, can also benefit from this refresher course.

Lessons focus on writing as a process and ways to apply that process to everyday assignments. Previous attendees include all staff levels including program managers, scientists and engineers, administrative assistants, legislative and budget analysts, vice presidents, paralegals, executive directors and attorneys.

Our writing courses have been described as "really about how to get better job reviews and get promoted" because they help you improve one of your most important, and visible, job skills: written communication.

This is a required course for the Certificate in Communication and Advocacy.

The leadership competencies for this course include:

Influencing/Negotiating
Interpersonal Skills
Strategic Thinking
Written Communication
Political Savvy

Bring this course to your site.

This course and any combination of its topics are available as custom on-site training for your organization. We have tailored this course for attorneys, program analysts, administrative assistants, scientists, and others in agencies, and think tanks. For more information about how this training can help your members and staff, please contact our client liaison.

Space is limited.

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.
Click this link to add this program to your Google calendar (opens current month in new window or tab).

Next Course
November 4, 2010:
For location in Washington, DC, see below.
$295

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

Approved for .6 CEUs from George Mason University.

Communication and Advocacy

For a printable course description, agenda with dates, and registration form, click here. PDF

Course materials include

Course materials include personal copy of "The Business Writer's Handbook," by Gerald Alred, Charles Brusaw, and Walter Oliu

Plus a 70-plus page writing manual that includes a basic style guide.

Course Details

Agenda

Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing

9:00 am - 4:00 pm
(lunch on your own)

Welcome and Introductions

Discussion: Critical Thinking and the Writing Process

Keys to effective communication

The 5-step writing process

Characteristics of Good Business Communication

The Writing Process in Your Office

Rediscovering Plain English

Sentences and Paragraphs

Sentence Style

Active and Passive Voice

Journalist's Checklist for Clear Communication

Choose the Best Word and Eliminate the Redundancies

Exercise

Managing the Writing Project

Project Planning

Manager's Toolkit: Punctuation Primer

Manager's Toolkit: Usage Guide

Creating and Using Style Guides

Popular Style Guides

Manager's Toolkit: Abbreviated Style Guide

Writing Reports

Project Planning and Reports

Organizing Elements

Transitions

Exercise

Writing Letters, Email, Memos and Executive Summaries

Qualities of a Good Letter or Memo

Clarity with Topic Sentences

Bad News Letters

Memos

Buffers

Negatives

Exercise

Additional Resources

For More Information

Free Newsletters

Final Revision Checklist

For a printable course description, agenda with dates, and registration form, click here. PDF

This course is also available as a custom program, including as a 2-day custom program. We have also developed a custom "Writing Congressional Correspondence" program for federal agencies.

Do you need a training course we don't offer or coverage of an additional topic in this course?

If you have suggestions for courses or topics you would like to see us offer, please contact us or complete our online suggestion form.

Suggested Prerequisites

This course is designed for all staff who need a writing refresher: it focuses on writing as a process and how to apply that process to everyday writing assignments.

Previous attendees include all staff levels including program managers, scientists and engineers, administrative assistants, legislative and budget analysts, vice presidents, paralegals, executive directors and attorneys.

If you need help deciding which courses you should take based on your work experience or training, please contact us via email or phone: 703-739-3790.

Rave Reviews

"I called my boss during break to tell him this was a great course for clerical staff as well as professional staff in our office."
-- Legislative Specialist, DOL

"[Faculty] outstanding--engaging, helpful, and terrific at facilitating learning."
-- Management Analyst, federal agency

"Great refresher ... with concise tips for improvement."
-- Unit Chief, FBI

"I am glad that I took this class. This will be a benefit to me for years to come."
-- Legislative Analyst, Williams & Jensen

"Great tips for correcting passive writing."
-- Budget Analyst, Dept. of Treasury

"Covered all materials and explained all the topics clearly."
-- Supervisory Paralegal Specialist, FBI

See more testimonials about this course.

Time and Dates

9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Th, November 4, 2010

W, January 26, 2011

Th, April 14, 2011

Th, November 3, 2011

W, January 25, 2012

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

Location

November 4, 2010: Location in Washington, DC will be announced before course.

Other dates: Location in Washington, DC will be announced before course. Our courses are held at these Washington, DC, locations.

Course Materials

Materials include your personal copy of The Business Writer's Handbook and a 70-plus page writing manual that includes a basic style guide.

Tuition

$295

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

Certificate of Training
and
CEUs

A Certificate of Training is available for this course. To get a Certificate of Training, your registration fee must be paid in full, and you must attend the entire course.

This course is approved for .6 CEUs from George Mason University.

This is a required course for the Certificate in Communication and Advocacy.

Policies

For this course, substitutions, cancellations, and transfers must be submitted in writing to us. Our transfer and cancellation fees are outlined below.

Transfer and Cancellation Fee
Time Before Course	Substitutions Allowed	Transfer Fee	Cancellation Fee
More than 4 weeks	Yes, in writing	None	None
2 to 4 weeks	Yes, in writing	25% of tuition	50% of tuition
3 days to 2 weeks	Yes, in writing	50% of tuition	75% of tuition
1 to 2 days	Yes, in writing	75% of tuition	100% of tuition
day of program (no refunds to no-shows)	Yes, in writing	100% of tuition	100% of tuition

No refunds for no shows. We reserve the right to change this fee and time period.

TCN reserves the right to cancel any course in the event of insufficient registrations.

All statements and discussion at all of our courses, workshops and seminars, public and custom, are off the record and not for attribution, unless specified otherwise. The resulting confidentiality ensures a frank and free exchange of views.

FAQs

FAQs about our training including suggested attire.

Register

Payment methods we accept include checks, EFT/ACH, and Intuit Payment Network (IPN).

If you get a "Wait List Only" message when registering, please select the next available date.

For a printable course description, agenda with dates, and registration form, click here. PDF

Fax or Mail: Print out and complete the registration form (in Adobe pdf). The completed form should include your method of payment.
Fax the completed form to us at 703-739-1195.
Mail the completed form to us at TheCapitol.Net, Inc., PO Box 25706, Alexandria, VA 22313-5706

Related Training

Related Resources

Educational Tracks

Communication and Advocacy

Available as custom, on-site training?

Yes. This program can be tailored for on-site agency, association and corporate training. When customized for government agencies, materials can include government correspondence manuals and style guides. We have also developed a custom "Writing Congressional Correspondence" program for federal agencies.

Please call 703-739-3790 for information.

Need more information?

Phone: 703-739-3790
Email: registrar -at- TheCapitol.Net
Complete our online information request.

Non-Partisan

TheCapitol.Net is a non-partisan firm, and the opinions of its faculty, authors, clients and the owners and operators of its vendors are their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net.