Welcome to Ubiquity’s Communication Corner
The Communication Corner is dedicated to helping you better write and speak about your professional specialty. It is a monthly feature, programmed to help you progressively acquire the skills of professional writers and speakers.
Each monthly installment will have three parts: An essay on a fundamental aspect of effective writing or speaking, a do-it-yourself exercise to help you practice the topic being discussed, and an invitation to submit your exercise for a possible (but not guaranteed) commentary on your draft.
Philip Yaffe, a retired journalist for the Wall Street Journal and a member of the Ubiquity editorial board, is the moderator of the Communication Corner.
We invite you to subscribe via the signup box at the left. We will send you announcements of new installments of the Communication Corner, approximately once a month.
Readers who subscribe will be able to download a free PDF copy of Philip Yaffe's book The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional.
Articles
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Creative Writing and Expository Writing. Flip Sides of the Same Coin?
by Philip Yaffe
August 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," and then read each succeeding essay.
Creative (fiction) writing and expository (non-fiction) writing have fundamentally different objectives. Creative writing seeks to amuse and entertain; expository writing seeks to inform and instruct. But while aiming at different targets, they share fundamentally important approaches and techniques. Ignoring these commonalities does serious harm to both genres.
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Learning From Established Writers
by Philip Yaffe
July 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
It is almost cliché to say that to be a good writer (or good speaker), you should read (or listen to) good writers and speakers. This is true. However, it must be taken with a grain of salt because being too attentive to how others write and speak can lead you into dangerous territory.
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How to Write a Company Image Brochure People Will Truly Want to Read
by Philip Yaffe
June 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Well-run companies, associations, and organizations pride themselves on spending their money wisely. However, when it comes to producing a so-called "image brochure," i.e. a (usually) glossy document to present the company's philosophy, history, structure, and achievements to the public, too often they end up throwing their money away. Why does this happen? And what can be done about it?
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Common Fallacies in Speaking and Writing … and What to Do about Them
by Philip Yaffe
May 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Expository (non-fiction) speaking and writing are almost always about trying to affect the audience's opinion or perception of something. The best communicators do so by presenting logical explanations supported by verifiable facts. Less diligent communicators do so by presenting logically fallible explanations supported by questionable facts. Sadly, they often do so not because they are dishonest, but rather it is because they themselves are unaware that this is what they are doing.
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Misused Words and Phrases
by Philip Yaffe
April 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Using commonly recognized colorful words, phrases, and quotations can enhance the interest and impact of an expository (non-fiction) text. However, pay close attention when doing so, because those words, phrases, and quotations don't always mean what you might think they mean.
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Funny Headlines: Laugh at Your Peril
by Philip Yaffe
February 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Have you ever been reading a newspaper or magazine and come across a headline that seemed unclear, or puzzling, or that made you laugh out loud because of its apparent stupidity? Almost certainly you have. But how do these bizarre lapses happen---and what can they teach us about our own writing?
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Speaking and Writing: Essentially the Same and Importantly Different
by Philip Yaffe
February 2024Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
If you have been following these Communication Corner essays, you have read the above paragraph many, many times. However, this essay will be radically different because is not self-contained; rather it is the summation of everything that has gone before. Every effort has been made to make each section self-contained. Where this was not possible, links to previous Communication Corner essays have been included.
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Fundamental Writing Tips and Techniques
by Philip Yaffe
December 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
The principles of good writing are universal; they apply in all languages. However, different languages have different ways of expressing things. For example, English has a predilection toward using the gerund form, erg, "Running is good for health" rather than the infinitive "To run is good for health." By contrast, other languages, such as French, prefer the infinitive and would view the gerund as unnatural, and therefore distracting. However, in whatever language you write, such differences will always be secondary to the fundamental principles and techniques.
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How to Write and Speak Clearly and Concisely without Insulting Your Audience's Intelligence
by Philip Yaffe
November 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
People who are serious about effective writing and speaking are eager to learn and emulate the principles and practices of professionals in the field. In particular, they often worry about their text or presentation being too long, i.e., "over-explaining" for fear of insulting their audience's intelligence. This is a legitimate concern. However, "too long" doesn't actually mean what many people think it means. Let's correct this damaging misapprehension.
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Lost and Found in Translation
by Philip Yaffe
September 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Most people write in their native language, which is why too many pay too little attention to how precisely they say what they want to say. "Well, everyone will understand." People who write or translate into other languages know this isn't true.
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The Seven Rs of Effective Editing
by Philip Yaffe
August 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
This essay is based on an article originally published in 2012. Although aimed specifically at journalists, it contains considerable good advice for all expository (non-fiction) writers. Not the least because it twice cites advice from my book The Gettysburg Approach to Writing & Speaking like a Professional.
I have edited the original text to direct it away from the fast and furious world of news reporting to adapt its very useful advice to the slower, more reflective pace of most other writers not subservient to daily deadlines. In most cases, my editing has shortened the text.
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How to Write and Speak Better in English
by Philip Yaffe
June 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Throughout these "Communication Corner" essays, the assumption has always been that most readers use English as their native language. However, there is a not-insignificant number of readers around the world for whom English is a second, third, or even fourth language. Nevertheless, they too must often write and speak in English.
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On Writing Well…and Not So Well
by Philip Yaffe
May 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Books on good writing are virtually ubiquitous. They number in the hundreds if not the thousands. Occasionally one comes along that seems to stand head and shoulders above all the rest. But the question is, why?
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Why Over-explaining Is Underrated, and What to Do About It
by Philip Yaffe
April 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
The purpose of most expository (non-fiction) text is for the reader to understand and retain as much as possible of what it has to say. Too many people who write such text seem (subconsciously) to adopt exactly the opposite point of view. Here's how not to be one of them.
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What To Say When You Don't Know What to Say
by Philip Yaffe
February 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Formal public speaking is when people are invited to come to hear what you have to say and for which you usually have plenty of time to prepare. Impromptu public speaking is when you are asked to say something of consequence at a moment's notice. For example, as a student during a class, as an employee during a company meeting, as a participant in a public forum, etc.
On the internet, you can find loads of tips and tactics for successfully handling impromptu speaking. Here we present a tactic you won't find on the internet because it was invented (or rather discovered) by Philip Yaffe, Ubiquity's very own communication consultant, and has never before been published.
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How to Properly Use Quotations
by Philip Yaffe
January 2023Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Using quotations from prominent people, or even clever quotations from not-so-prominent people, is always a useful addition to a text or speech. However, not all quotations are created equal. It is important to know how quotations differ in order to use them to their best effect.
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Why is the Ultimate Visual Aid Spelled with 26 Letters?
by Philip Yaffe
December 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Many people believe for ultimate success an audio-visual presentation should fill the screen with a maximum of pictures and a minimum of text because: "Pictures are visual; text is not." Objectively, it can be demonstrated that this simply isn't true. On the contrary, when properly used, text can often be more visual than virtually any picture (image) you could imagine.
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How to Avoid Using Too Much of a Good Thing
by Philip Yaffe
November 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
We live in a visual age, which has led many public speakers to believe every formal speech they give requires visual aids. This is too simplistic. Visual aids are supposed to aid the speech, not distract from it, i.e., they are useful when they are useful and not useful when they aren't.
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Fog index: is it really worth the trouble?
by Philip Yaffe
October 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
The Gunning Fog Index is supposed to provide a means of determining how easy or difficult a text will be to read. But does it? Can any formula really provide valid insights into the readability of a text? And if so, does it really matter?
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Different words, same message
by Philip Yaffe
September 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
All good writers (and by extension public speakers) who stop to reflect on what makes them so good generally come to the same conclusions. However, the way they express these common conclusions can be quite different. One formulation of a key idea may strike a responsive chord with one reader but not with another. To improve one's writing and speaking skills, it is therefore useful, in fact imperative, to seek out and evaluate the advice of at least two or more professionals.
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Can the fundamental principles of non-fiction writing be applied to fiction?
by Philip Yaffe
August 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
So-called "creative writing" (fiction) and "expository writing" (non-fiction) are often thought of as distinct (and even antithetical) disciplines. True, there are significant differences, but there are also significant similarities. These should not be ignored.
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Why is expository writing so undervalued---and what to do about it
by Philip Yaffe
July 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Expository (non-fiction) writing is the kind of writing most people do in their jobs and elsewhere. Yet the importance of good expository writing is generally underrated, often severely so. This Communication Corner essay explores why undervaluing expository writing is so costly and detrimental, and what might be done about it.
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Just who do I think I am?
by Philip Yaffe
May 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Good advice is good advice no matter the source. However knowing something about its source can significantly reinforce one's desire to put that good advice into practice.
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The surprising benefits of a pre-first draft
by Philip Yaffe
March 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Good expository (non-fiction) writers are good because they have interesting and important things to say. Wrong. Virtually everyone has interesting and important things to say; it's just that we aren't aware of them. Here is a technique to help you find your inner voice.
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Slips of the tongue and what to do about them
by Philip Yaffe
February 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
One of the most dreaded hobgoblins of public speaking is the pervasive fear that you will say something you didn't really mean to say. This is indeed a problem, but perhaps much less so than you might imagine.
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Making sense of nonsense: writing advice from Lewis Carroll and the "Jabberwocky"
by Philip Yaffe
January 2022Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Lewis Carroll is justifiably world-renowned for his whimsical and sometime apparently ridiculously incongruous works of fiction, e.g. Alice in Wonderland. However, underneath the charming facade, there is very good advice which, once uncovered, can help expository (non-fiction) writers significantly improve their work.
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The elements of style: a critical look at a venerable friend
by Philip Yaffe
December 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Over the decades, hundreds if not thousands of books have been published on the keys to good writing. However, barely a handful have reached the status of "must reading." Here is one of them.
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Creativity and common sense in writing and speaking
by Philip Yaffe
November 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
A previous essay ("What Advertising Can Teach Us About Effective Writing and Speaking") posited what at first glance may have seemed to be a radical idea. And that is: However superficially it may appear, print advertising copy (text), which is designed to sell things, represents some of the best, most carefully constructed writing you will ever see. It must be, because to achieve its objective, advertising copy must say a world of things to the potential consumer in just a thimbleful of words. With this fundamental idea as a foundation, we can now explore this fruitful subject more deeply.
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What Advertising Can Teach Us About Effective Writing and Speaking
by Philip Yaffe
October 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
As a form of writing, advertising copy has a poor reputation because in many minds its objective is to "sell people things they don't want and don't need." This is debatable. What is not debatable is that advertising copy represents some of the best writing you will ever see. It has to because its objective is to say a world of things in just a thimbleful of words. Writers of more meritorious texts (articles, essays, book reports, business reports, research papers, etc.) can learn a lot from understanding how these consummate wordsmiths go about their work.
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When saying the wrong thing doesn't really matter
by Philip Yaffe
September 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Getting one's tongue tangled is an ever-present fear for most public speakers. But it shouldn't be. Occasionally saying the wrong thing seldom does any serious damage, or any damage at all, to the effectiveness of a presentation. Here's why.
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Notes on writing from writers of note
by Philip Yaffe
August 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
A distinction is often made between creative writing (fiction) and expository writing(non-fiction). However, they are more alike than most people think. Creative writers can learn from expository writers, and vice versa.
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Say it well, say it often
by Philip Yaffe
July 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Two people can give a speech on exactly the same subject, using almost exactly the same information, yet one speech will be a brilliant success and the other a dismal failure. How does this happen? Many factors contribute to success or failure, but only one factor virtually guarantees that your speech will stand out like a shining light or be clothed in darkness like a burned-out bulb.
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How verbal variety kills comprehension
by Philip Yaffe
April 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
The purpose of expository (non-fiction) writing and speaking is usually to inform or instruct. To do either successfully, you must present your ideas more than once. Otherwise, people who read it or hear it, even if they completely understand it at the moment, over time (often a very short time) will either confuse it or forget it. Presenting information and ideas more than once is not simply a matter of saying the same things the same way two or three times. It is more subtle than that.
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Laugh your way to persuasive communication
by Philip Yaffe
March 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Have you ever noticed that people who tell jokes well usually give good speeches? This is not a coincidence. Telling jokes and giving speeches have more in common than it might appear. We can benefit from these similarities.
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How to effectively use body language
by Philip Yaffe
February 2021Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Learn how to use body language when delivering a speech or presentation. This installment of Communication Corner presents the practical aspects of body language such as eye contact, gestures, and vocal intonation to name a few.
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Don't let good grammar spoil good writing
by Philip Yaffe
December 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
It seems that if your grammar is good, your writing will be good. However, being overly concerned about good grammar can actually be detrimental to good writing. Here's why.
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The secrets of writing a truly useful executive summary
by Philip Yaffe
November 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
The purpose of an executive summary is not to summarize, but to direct the reader's interest. The wider the intended audience, the wider will be their range of specific interests. But however diverse the readership, they want the document to clearly direct them to what they must read, leaving any additional text they may wish to also peruse to their own judgement.
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What can a bumbling, inarticulate Los Angeles cop teach us about effective communication?
by Philip Yaffe
October 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Creative (fiction) writers have an advantage over expository (non-fiction) writers. Fiction is designed to amuse and entertain, which most people look forward to. Exposition is designed to instruct and inform, which most people do not look forward to. "Columbo," the perennially popular TV series (re-runs are still being shown around the world), demonstrates how this inherent handicap can be overcome.
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How to write a corporate image brochure people will truly want to read
by Philip Yaffe
September 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Most companies and organizations of any size produce and distribute glossy brochures to enhance their image. Most such publications are largely a waste because they are seldom read, even by employees and members of these companies and organizations. But it doesn't have to be that way. Here is an approach to help ensure that such image brochures are actually worth the time and money expended on them.
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Myths and realities of writing for the web
by Philip Yaffe
August 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
It is often said that the advent of the World Wide Web has changed everything, including how people read texts and therefore how writers should write texts. Don't believe it. Good texts written for the web are essentially the same as good texts written for print.
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How to excite reader interest
by Philip Yaffe
July 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Unless under duress, such as a school assignment or work assignment, people will read only what they want to. However, many will read at least the first couple lines before saying yes or no. Here are five techniques that greatly increase the chances they will say yes.
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How to make a microcosm into a universe
by Philip Yaffe
July 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
In general you can't get people to read something if they believe it is totally outside their domain of interest. Some will nevertheless read the first couple of lines to confirm what they believed that already knew. Here is a technique that could rapidly change their mind.
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How to get the most from your word processor
by Philip Yaffe
May 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
The personal computer has revolutionized how we work, and that's all because of software development. One of the most important of which is word processing. Since the 1970s word processing has created efficiencies in writing and editing. This article explains how word processors can make you a better thinker.
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How spelling reform would promote better writing and speaking
by Philip Yaffe
April 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Instead of mastering the chaos of learning to read and write in English, perhaps we should start spelling things the way they sound.
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The purpose of punctuation
by Philip Yaffe
March 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Language is ever changing as geographic boundaries morph and populations age. So-called grammar rules can often be arbitrary. Good writing sometimes means using punctuation and sometimes not.
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Active voice, active writing
by Philip Yaffe
February 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Knowing when to write in the active or passive voice can fundamentally improve your work, but understanding how to use either can be tricky. Keep reading to learn the difference.
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Why clear communication means aiming for the lowest common denominator---and then some
by Philip Yaffe
January 2020Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
If you say something the audience doesn't understand, you will lose some (if not all) of their attention---especially when discussing complex subjects. Limiting the assumptions you make about your readers' level of understanding is a key element to good writing.
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How not to be overwhelmed by obvious advice
by Philip Yaffe
December 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
With unprecedented access to information, the internet can be a source of useful material. However many times, so-called experts share specious advice. In this article, Phil Yaffe addresses a widely discussed topic, clear writing, and dives deeper to fix the flaws found in regurgitated writing advice.
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Don't write short texts, write concise ones
by Philip Yaffe
November 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Applying specific communication techniques can only be achieved by first understanding the fundamental principles. In this article, Phil Yaffe shares a new one: Your writing should be as long as necessary, and as short as possible.
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Professional writing tips and techniques
by Philip Yaffe
October 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Good writing is not easy, but these 12 tips and techniques makes things easier.
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How to do a naked presentation
by Philip Yaffe
September 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
A "naked" presentation solely relies upon good storytelling. Learn how to enrapture an audience without the use of visual aids.
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If you write it better, you will say it better
by Philip Yaffe
July 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Preparing a good text for reading and preparing a good text for speaking are often considered to be unrelated activities. This is incorrect. A good text for reading and a good text for speaking are distinct, but they are not alien. They are complementary.
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How to avoid death by powerpoint: Steve Jobs' secret weapon
by Philip Yaffe
June 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Bite the bullet and learn how to organize your presentation slides to get the greatest effect.
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Why visual aids need to be less visual
by Philip Yaffe
April 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Public speaking is not only about communicating your ideas orally, but also visually. Too many presentations are undermined by poorly chosen slides. An outstanding presentation is one that addresses two fundamental objectives, with the end goal of leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
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How to instantaneously improve your speaking voice
by Philip Yaffe
March 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Although we spend much more time speaking than we do writing, the fact remains that most people speak very poorly. Phil Yaffe provides some tips on how to purposely redesign your articulation.
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Silence is golden, especially when you need to say something important
by Philip Yaffe
February 2019Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
How well you speak will always be an indicator of how well you know the subject at hand. And while nerves can often lead novice speakers to resort to distracting sounds and placeholders, a second or two of silence will help focus you as well as your audience. In this installment, Philip Yaffe reminds us that silence is golden.
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How to untie your tongue
by Philip Yaffe
December 2018Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
Communication is not only the written word. In this installment, Philip Yaffe shares tips and exercises that will help improve your skills in both writing and speaking.
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The 7% rule revisited
by Philip Yaffe
October 2018Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
In this installment, Philip Yaffe debunks the myth of verbal versus non-verbal communication.
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Banishing the fear of public speaking
by Philip Yaffe
October 2018Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
In this installment, Philip Yaffe explores how speak to a crowd.
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How to make dull information exciting
by Philip Yaffe
June 2018Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
In this installment, Philip Yaffe explains how to give the reader what they want.
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First write like you speak, then write like you write
by Philip Yaffe
April 2018Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
In this installment, Philip Yaffe introduces a two-step plan to create well-written text that will not only impress the reader, but also engage the reader to digest and comprehend new ideas or concepts with ease.
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Why putting yourself in the mind of your reader is easier---and more challenging---than you might have imagined
by Philip Yaffe
January 2018Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
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How to say what you mean and mean what you say
by Philip Yaffe
October 2017Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; this week learn how to construct truly effective sentences. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
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Why writing short sentences may be short-changing your reader
by Philip Yaffe
August 2017Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.
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How to improve your writing by standing on your head
by Philip Yaffe
June 2017Newspapers provide the best examples of clear, concise writing you can find anywhere. Learning how journalists work their magic can help you write better, and it all begins with the "inverted pyramid."
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The three acid tests of persuasive writing
by Philip Yaffe
March 2017Each Communication Corner essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, if you have not already done so, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay sequentially.
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How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan
by Philip Yaffe
December 2016The thrust of the Communication Corner is to offer step-by-step advice to help you become a better writer and speaker. This first essay explains how Phillip Yaffe went from being a very poor writer and speaker to being a recognizably good one, almost despite himself.