Better Business Writing Skills For Administrative Support Professionals

This programme will help participants develop their abilities to overcome the difficulties of putting thoughts into words, and forming words into presentable and effective email messages, suggestions and minutes.

At the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• develop a clear understanding of the writing process.
• organize thoughts and ideas effectively.
• avoid common errors in business writing.
• reduce false starts and rewrites.
• write email messages, suggestions and minutes in a well-toned, clear and concise manner.
• achieve readability and the desired results from internal and external customers.

1. Fundamentals of Good Business Writing
   • The writing process.
   • Barriers to good business writing.
   • The 7″C”s Principles of effective writing.
   • Organising thoughts and ideas – using Mindmapping or Random Techniques in brainstorming.
   • Possible ways to get started and writing within context.
   • Tone of message, clarity of expressions and style.
   • Good and bad examples of business writing.
   • Grammar power-up – Choice of words, Active/Passive Voice, Malapropism, Tautology, Jargon, Pompous language, Ambiguity, Sentence Structure, Tenses, Punctuation, Abbreviations.
2. Types of Written Messages
   • Email correspondence for action, collections, complaints and sales.
   • Business netiquette.
   • Job-related exercises and case studies.
   • Writing suggestions for work improvement.
3. Minutes Writing
   • The administrator’s duties before, during and after meetings.
   • Agenda, previous minutes, chairman’s agenda, meeting planning guide.
   • What to look out for when ranking importance of topics and emphasizing coverage in note-taking and presentation?.
   • Mistakes encountered in note-taking and how to overcome them?
4. Summary and application back-at-work
   • How to be write more effectively?
   • How to enjoy writing?

A highly interactive adult-focused programme consisting lecture input, case studies, discussions, group work, individual and team practices, assignment, quizzes and game exercises.

For administrators, secretaries, administrative assistants and other support personnel who are committed to write better, faster and more effectively.

“My writing is more concise as a result of the training. I’ve received strong tools, ongoing support, and knowledge.”
– Account Executive, ABB Industry

“My writing is more concise as a result of the training. I’ve received strong tools, ongoing support, and knowledge.”
– Human Resources Executive, Wah Yang Production

“Feedback from the instructor was very helpful and highlighted some areas of my writing that I need to be more aware of and work on going forward.”
– Secretary, Toshiba Singapore

“I became more aware of the gaps in my writing capabilities. The instructions, exercises and the feedback help me to even more focus on the receivers/readers and the action I expect from them.”
– Admin Manager, Nanyang Polytechnic

Catherine Syn has conducted both public and in-company seminars and workshops in Secretarial & Office Administrative Practices, Business Correspondence, Report, Proposal and Minutes Writing, Customer Service, Handling Complaints & The Difficult Customer, Teambuilding, Time & Stress Management, Communication & Relationship Management. She has been working closely with individual client companies on the development and design of training programmes to their specific organisation’s training and developmental needs. An approved lecturer with the Singapore Ministry of Education, Catherine studied Business in Australia, was a Corporate Member of the Institute Of Administrative Management (U.K.) and a WDA ACTA certified trainer for WSQ courses including Certified Service Professional. She has held the positions of Executive, Manager, Corporate Trainer and Consultant for the past three decades.

Since 1990, she has been training management professionals, managers, executives, secretarial, administrative, front-line sales, engineering, operations and service staff of both public and private sectors in Singapore, ASEAN and China. As an experienced trainer, she has successfully applied service qualities principles and competency assessments in all her communication courses in the areas of business writing, face-to-face communication, customer service, managing difficult customer-situations using effective interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills. A versatile and bi-lingual trainer, she relates well to all participants and has excellent delivery and presentation skills that meet the motivational needs of each and every participant.

Among the many companies she has provided training for, some of them are: Ritz Carlton, Swiss Hotel Merchant Court, Marina Mandarin, Becton Dickenson, Sony Asia Pacific, NTU, Singapore, Ngee Ann and Nanyang Polytechnics, ZhengHua Primary School, Carrier Transicold, Marsh Brokers, China Taiping Insurance, AIA, Etiqa, Liberty Insurance, SIA, Komatsu, DSO, DFS, NYK, AET Tankers, Du Pont, Senoko Power, John Crane, Hewitt, SembCorp Marine, Nippon Express, Nippon Koa, German Centre, Tanaka Electronics, SOXAL, Speedy Tech, NatSteel, Philips Singapore, Teck Wah, PSA, LTA, HDB, CPF, DSTA, RSAF, MCMD, Ministry Of Education, Traffic Police, Ministry of Home Affairs, GSMB, CSIT, CAAS, CIAS, SATS, LTA, A-Star, Toshiba, AWWA, SingStat, Department of Statistics, Crown Worldwide, Schenker, Keppel Shipyard, Alpine Engineering Services, Sanmina-SCI, Geotronics, ABB Industry, ICPAS, Loreal, Shisedo, Sa Sa Cosmetics, Cummins Diesel, EM Services, Esmaco, M1, Sankyu, Snap-On Tools, Makino, Bureau Serve, PerkinElmer Singapore, ST Aerospace Engineering, Chartered Semiconductors, AGC Flatglass, Hunting Energy, Orange Business, Cristofori, LF Contennial, Wah Yang Production, Malayan Natural Liquidfied Petroleum & Gas in Sarawak, Coca-Cola In Thailand, Maldives International Airport and MNCs in China.