How Good Are Your Leadership Skills?

As part of Nyansa Nibbles, we introduce people to resource websites that can help them and their organisations to develop. One such resource is Mindtools (http://www.mindtools.com) This week we ask the question:

How Good Are Your Leadership Skills?

You can start by analyzing your performance in specific areas of leadership. Complete the quiz below to help you identify where you already lead effectively, and where your skills need further development. In the analysis sections underneath, you will be directed to the resources you need for exceptional leadership.

Click here: Leadership Skills Assessment

Nyansa Nibble: Business Writing Skills

 

Business Writing Nibble

Video:  Business Writing Tips 

Whether you are a story teller; strategic planner; audit reporter; product pitcher or the one having to summarise quarterly reports - when it comes to writing, most people struggle finding the right balance.

One of the first things to think about, before structure, language, tense or format, is

"Who is the reader?"

In business writing, this is probably the least thought about as we are all inherently driven by our desire to write volumes and volumes that would indicate how much time andeffort was spent doing the work... when in fact, it is our readers that should dictate what the result should look like...

Once we understand our reader and how they read, we formulate our work around them as is explained in this short clip:

For more than just a nibble, join us on 8th August 2012 for our one day Bussiness and Report writing skills Course.  

When: 8 August 2012 (8:00am-4:30pm)

Where: Coconut Grove Hotel, Accra, Ghana

Fees: GHS350.00 (Includes Venue, Snacks, Lunch and Certificate)

Alexander Vroom:
Ghana: +233 244 222 766
Nigeria: +234 816 885 3362
E-mail: vroom@nyansa-africa.com

About Nyansa Africa

OUR VISION 

To offer world class solutions to Business Development and Expansion in Africa

OUR MISSION

We strive to achieve our Vision through offering integrated management consulting, training and product expansion solutions; designing, building and implementing channels through which our international clients can apply the resources of Finance, People, Infrastructure and Information, as they grow their business in Africa

ABOUT US

Nyansa Africa is a specialist consulting and training company focusing on emerging markets. With our Head offices conveniently located in Ghana and braches in Nigeria and South Africa, we bring our expertise and experience in emerging markets to you. Our people are internationally experienced training facilitators, as well as practising consultants in their own right, enabling them to bring solutions to your doorstep through their vast global experience, focussing on Africa.

Nyansa Africa is accredited by the International Accreditation Organisation (IAO). We pride ourselves in providing world class training throughout the African continent, tailored and customised to address our client’s exact challenges and needs. Our services include training, workshops, specialist training courses, focussing on the technical skills development of individuals in organisations across the continent, as well as management development programmes, developing tomorrow’s business leaders and managers.

Nyansa Africa knows the best way to learn is by examples and hands-on experience, therefore our training courses are packed with effective practical and interactive exercises which help delegates to quickly grasp different learning aspects. We follow the experiential learning model which requires the trainer play the role of facilitator of learning rather than just the dispenser of knowledge.

Experiential learning appeals to adults because it is maximally sensitive to their experiences and insights. It also can result in a broader application of learning; because trainees develop the learning for themselves, they “own” it.

Leave them begging for more, not ready to snore

There have been more changes in the way we do business, including writing, in the last few decaders than in the past few centuries. With each passing year, these changes become more evident and hard to ignore. Improved technology, innovative research and marketplace competition require business leaders to upgrade their communication and online writing skills.

Those who possess an effective writing skill are quite valuable to their organisations as they can provide invaluable inputs and make all the difference in winning proposals, negotiations and pass their technical skills to others as efficiently as possible.

Consider these two simple questions before you start your next report and master the art of creating user friendly memorable reports:

Who are your Readers

Anything you write should always be written with the reader in mind. The more you understand your typical reader, the more you can target them with concise and clear writing. Many reports are generated without considering the type of readers who might read them and subsequently results in bored readers who don’t understand the content and simply give up reading.

How Reports are Read

Another way to work out your strategy when writing is to understand how your readers read:

• Details. Reports are not novels. Reports are scanned and large chunks are skipped.
  
• Volume. Many readers usually have a lot more to read. They want you to get to the point as quickly as possible.  
  

• Speed. Readers also want you to make it easy for them to consume the content as quickly and as easily as possible.

Once you know what your readers expect, you can write much better content. It pays to understand the psychology of your readers. Always plan to get your draft reviewed by a representative reader and expect comprehensive constructive feedback. Make sure you act on what they tell you. Don’t take anything personally, it is just that it is easy to view everything from your own point of view and not see it from a reader’s point of view.