You can tighten up your writing by getting rid of unneeded words. Here are a few examples: Advance planning. Just say planning. Isn’t all planning done in advance? Past experience. Past adds nothing to your sentence. Absolutely essential. It’s either essential or it isn’t. What’s the difference between essential and absolutely essential? Predict in advance.(…)
Thoughts on influence, leadership, and identity One of the best known “personality” tests in use today is the Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI). This assessment measures a person’s preferences among four dichotomies; the extent to which a person expresses these preferences determines how they experience the world — and how others experience them. The MBTI can(…)
In a previous article, I described the work of Sir Ernest Gowers, an advocate of plain language. His message is “be short, be simple, be human.” Medical professionals need to master the art of communicating simply and clearly almost more than anyone else. Why, for example, would anyone believe that it’s better to say, “Do not exceed(…)