Something About You and I

We were forwarded a Wall Street Journal article about grammar in the workplace. It’s was so spot-on, that we had to share this paragraph below with you, and then give you a link to the article:

“Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors …”

Click here to read “This Embarrasses You and I*:Grammar Gaffes Invade the Office in an Age of Informal Email, Texting and Twitter” in the Wall Street Journal (and notice that they left out the Oxford Comma in the subtitle).

It is so easy for people to be happy with the short, quick messages (OMG, LOL!). Of course this is appropriate for personal emails and texts. However, many have adopted this style of writing even for more formal communications. And were you aware that because many schools have reduced, or even removed, teaching the rules of grammar, the upcoming workforce is the least prepared for the task of good writing!

Does good grammar matter anymore? The short answer is “yes.” The long answer is, it depends. There are a few CEOs out there who say they won’t hire people who use poor grammar, that applicants with good grammar skills are better at details and tasks. There are others who say that it is outdated and not indicative of the quality of work by an employee. The debate continues.

The specifics of Grammar have been downplayed in the US education system since the 70s. The up and coming workforce was raised on a more usage-based style of learning. And with each successive year, in the US, at least, there are fewer English teachers who really know basic grammar, let alone how to teach it. The business writing skills of the incoming workforce reflects that new style.

Bottom line, poor grammar and writing skills can reflect back on you and your organization. Don’t get caught with your comma spliced! Check your writing and grammar carefully before you send anything.

Special thanks to A. Lavin Communications for sharing this article with us.

This information is from the Effective Business Writing training class. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our upcoming public classes , or reach out to us to bring our training services to your company.

Other Resources:

Good Grammar: Does it even matter anymore?

Yes, Good Grammar Is (Still) Important, And Here’s Why

Image by PDPics from Pixabay