The Empowerment of People from a Vulnerable Segment of Society Essay

The Empowerment of People from a Vulnerable Segment of Society - Essay Example I would like to reach the highest level of professional excellence, both in terms of gaining knowledge and experience and at the same time, gaining appropriate status. My short term objectives are to gain experience in the field and strive to establish a good reputation as a person with an innovative and progressive approach towards the welfare of society. My focus would be on the empowerment of people from a vulnerable segment of society. Hence, efforts would include the creation of facilitating a platform for the acquisition of skills and necessary knowledge for their professional growth. University education has made me well equipped to meet the challenges of the current time. I am a highly creative person and my degree has further facilitated and widened my area of knowledge that would greatly help me to apply the informed choices in the manner that befits the needs of the people. Hence, five years hence, I see myself as a CSR consultant who would be devising ways and means for t he global businesses to fulfil their corporate social responsibilities. Last but not the least important would be the adoption of reflective practices in my personal and professional arenas. Looking back at our actions and critically assessing them provides an opportunity to improve and improvise the working techniques. In the professional arena, the feedback from the peer population and colleagues give important insight into the flaws of the methodologies adopted and give us a valuable chance to develop professionally. Thus, reflective practice in my personal and professional life would continuously help me to grow in the fast evolving environment of competitive business dynamics.

Simon Flores Essay Example for Free

Simon Flores Essay Simon De La Rosa Flores was descended from a family of artisans originally from Balayan, Batangas. Uncle Pio De La Rosa taught Simon the rudiments of the arts when he was in his teens. Later, he enrolled at the Academia de Dibujo y Pintura, studying under Lorenzo Guerrero and Lorenzo Rocha. Flores first gained attention in 1871 when the colonial administration commended him for the portrait of Amadeo I, which he presented to the province oil Pampanga. During this time he might already have made the acquaintance of Mons Ignacio Tambungui who introduced him to the wealthy families of several towns of Pampanga, for whom he executed many portraits and religious paintings. Simon married the monsignors sister, Simplicia. Flores must have executed as many as 20 portraits which include the two versions of the Familia Quiason, and the portraits entitled Miguela Henson, Andrea Dayrit, Quintina Castor de Sadie, Severina Ocampo de Arroyo, Anastasia Sandiko Panlilio, and Lucila Panlilio. All these are known for the fine miniaturistic detailing of the embroideries of the pina costumes of the sitters, their elaborate jewelry as well as the appurtenances in their homes. Among Simons religious paintings are El bautismo de Cristo (The Baptism of Christ), San Roque, Parabola de la mujer arrepentida (Parable of the Repentant Woman), La Inmaculada Concepcion (The Immaculate Conception), and two versions of La Virgen Maria, (The Virgin Mary), inspired by a painting of Carlo Dolci. He decorated the interiors of the churches of Bacolor, Betis, Mexico, and Santa Rita towns of Pampanga. He also did mortuary portraits. Only two of his genre paintings are known in existence, Primeras Letras, (Learning to Read), and Alimentando Pollos (Feeding Chickens). Simon Flores was the first Filipino oil native blood to garner a prize from an international exhibition. In 1876, he was awarded a silver medal at the Philadelphia Universal Exposition for his painting La musica del pueblo (The Music of the Town). In 1891 he won the highest honors for Despues de la Ultima Cena (After the Last Supper) and El Prendimiento (The Arrest) in the art contest to commemorate the tercentenary of San Juan de la Cruz. In 1895 he won a silver medal for La Expulsion (The Expulsion), his entry at the Exposicion Regional de Filipinas. Before his death, he was able to submit paintings for the Universal Exposition of St Louis, Missouri, USA including a portrait of Andrew Carnegie.

Ciceros De Amicitia Essay -- Friendship Death Love Essays

Cicero's De Amicitia Cicero’s De Amicitia brings a unique perspective to the topic of friendship and how it relates to death. The word amicitia comes from the Latin root word amor which is translated to mean â€Å"love†. In this day and age the word friendship has taken on a slightly different meaning from the ancient meaning. Cicero’s De Amicitia seeks to define what friendship is, its characteristics and principles. He has challenged us to reconsider what constitutes a true friend. Upon observing a typical friendship it becomes clear to us that this relationship is actually devoid of true love; the love in which Cicero speaks of. A genuine friendship is a rare and beautiful thing; a mutual relationship formed between two virtuous people of the same sex in which both individuals love the other as much if not more than themselves. â€Å"In the face of a true friend a man sees as it were a second self.† To love another person as much as you love yourself, to give without the expectation of receiving something in return is indeed an amazing concept. It is sometimes hard to comprehend its existence in this world where friendship is more for utility; â€Å"serve for particular ends - riches for use, power for securing homage, office for reputation, pleasure for enjoyment, health for freedom from pain and the full use of the functions of the body. But friendship embraces innumerable advantages.† The structural foundation upon which a friendship is built is a key determining factor concerning the quality, life and longevity of a friendship. When this foundation is weak and built on the selfish desires of those individuals, that friendship is ultimately put to the test. A utility based friendship is impermanent; giving way to the changing circumstances it faces over time as Cicero stated â€Å"For if it were true that its material advantages cemented friendship, it would be equally true that any change in them would dissolve it.† It does not have the qualities to endure and will fail to thrive in the face of such trials and tribulations as â€Å"conflicting interest; differences of opinion in politics; frequent changes in character, owing sometimes to misfortunes, sometimes to advancing years.† In this type of friendship the individual takes pleasure in each other’s company only in so far they have hopes of gaining an advantage from it. For Cicero, true friendship can only be achie... ...h act. â€Å"I am disposed to think, therefore, that in his case mourning would be a sign of envy rather than of friendship. If, however, the truth rather is that the body and soul perish together, and that no sensation remains, then though there is nothing good in death, at least there is nothing bad.† This statement shows a certain level of jealousy for you envy the freedom your friend has now achieved in death whereas you are still encased in your human form, your soul trapped and yearning for knowledge and wisdom. Feelings of joy would wash over the surviving friend if indeed their friendship were true. Feeling joyful that this person he has loved with all his heart and soul has moved on to a beautiful place, free from the human condition. Reading Cicero’s work has helped validate that which I have always felt to be true; not just of friendship but of death. I conclude with a passage in which Cicero touches on the purpose of forming friendships; †For it is not so much what one gets by a friend that gives one pleasure, as the warmth of his feeling.† One day I hope to understand through first hand experience rather than just through speculation and dissection of Cicero’s writing.

Sordaria Lab

Effects of Crossing Over in Sordaria fimicola Abstract Sexual reproduction in organisms is a cause for genetic variation. This can be seen through the process of meiosis in Sordaria fimicola because of the effects of crossing over and independent assortment that occur in meiosis I. Before performing this experiment we hypothesized that we would be able to see that crossing over did indeed occur in the S. fimicola. We tested our hypothesis by growing our own culture and observing it under a microscope. By counting and recording the types of asci we were able to find that our hypothesis had been correct.This has now led us to know that sexual reproduction causes an increase in genetic variation in organisms such as, Sordaria fimicola. Introduction Organisms reproduce in two ways: asexually and sexually. Sexual reproduction can be defined as the reproduction involving the union of gametes or when genetic material from two parents combine to form offspring (Cyr). Offspring produced from sexual reproduction have a unique genetic make-up, which can either be beneficial or destructive to them (Saleem). Close to all known organisms use this kind of reproduction during some moment in their lifetime.If this is true, however, why is not every species seemingly genetically identical? To answer this, one must observe the chromosome behavior during the sexual reproduction life cycle also known as meiosis. Meiosis is the process of cell division in which gametes are produced. It results in four haploid (IN) cells from two diploid (2N) cells (Cyr). In meiosis I, crossing over and independent assortment of the chromosomes occur. These two processes increase the genetic variation within the cell either benefiting or hurting the cell’s ability to adapt (natural selection).After these two events have occurred, the chromosomes will then proceed through all four stages and produce two daughter cells (Cyr). In meiosis II, the two daughter cells each again proceed through all f our stages and produce a final four distinctly different daughter cells (Cyr). Sordaria fimicola allows us to see observe the process of meiosis. This is because its life cycle is rapid and allows scientists to observe many generations in a short amount of time (Meiosis). Also, the size of S. fimicola makes it easily viewable under a microscope.Experiments with â€Å"Evolution Canyon† have shown exactly how S. fimicola is a representative organism for crossing over. Evolution Canyon represents the whole idea of different locations in Israel containing two mountain slopes exposed to vastly different climatic conditions that converge with a valley between them (Meiosis). In each of these cases, one slope has been exposed to harsh conditions while the other has been exposed to temperate conditions (Saleem). Because each slope undergoes different conditions, we can observe how genetic variation is affects the S. imicola that live on each slope. Scientists gathered samples of the organism living on both slopes and analyzed the differences in crossing over and the differences in crossing over frequencies. The purpose of our lab is to observe the different cross over frequencies. We want to compare and contrast the crossover frequencies in different color strains of S. fimicola. We hypothesize that in this experiment we will observe crossing over occur in the Sordaria fimicola after two weeks of growth in the agar plates.To test our hypothesis, we will grow our own asci spores in an agar plate and observe the organism under the microscope while recording the different ascus types which can either be type A (4:4), type B (2:4:2), or type c (2:2:2:2). Materials and Methods From the ‘Meiosis and Genetic Diversity in Sordaria’ handout, we found the materials and procedure for this experiment. Equipment that we needed to perform the first part of this experiment were two agar plates, a marking pen, a scalpel, and two different color strands of S. imico la. The first step in this lab was to mark two separate agar plates with the marking pen in such a way as to create four separate quadrants on each agar plate. Second, each plate needed to be labeled, identifying it as either the plate with tan fungi or gray fungi. Next, using the scalpel, a small piece of the samples of S. fimicola had to be sliced and placed in the corresponding spots in the agar plates. The plates then were taped and allowed two weeks to grow. After two weeks, the samples had flourished.We first scooped up small portions of each of our samples and put them on a slide with a drop of water, creating squashes, to be viewed under the microscope. When viewing under the microscope, each of the four group members counted and recorded their own twenty asci. While recording, each member categorized whether the asci they found had represented type A, type B, or type C recombination type. Last, when each member had attained their individual data, we combined our data to cre ate a total data for our entire group. Then we proceeded to combine our data to find a section and a course total.Results Four separate sectors analyzed the data of this experiment, the individual, the group, the class, and the section. The results were as follows: Cross Over Frequency Percent of Cross Over = (Number of Recombinant Asci / Total Number of Asci ) X 100% Individual Cross Over Frequency = 12/20 X 100% = 60% (gray) Combined Group Cross Over Frequency = 24/40 X 100% = 60% (gray) Combined Group Cross Over Frequency = 28/40 X 100% = 70% (tan) Combined Section Cross Over Frequency = 128/220 X 100% = 58% (gray) Combined Section Cross Over Frequency = 163/260 X 100% = 62. % (tan) Combined Course Cross Over Frequency = 4054/7066 X 100% = 57% (gray) Combined Course Cross Over Frequency = 8277/13946 X 100% = 59% (tan) After examining the cross over frequencies of the four sectors of data, we can see that for both the gray and tan spores an average of 60% were recombinant. This me ans that on average, 60% of the time S. fimicola will cross over resulting in spores of type B (2:4:2) or type C (2:2:2:2) Map Distances Map Distance from Cross Over = Percent Cross Over / 2 Individual Map Distance = 60%/2 = 30 mu (gray) Combined Group Map Distance = 60%/2 = 30 mu (gray) Combined Group Map Distance = 70%/2 = 35 mu (tan)Combined Section Map Distance = 58%/2 = 29 mu (gray) Combined Section Map Distance = 62. 6%/2 = 31. 3 mu (tan) Combined Course Map Distance = 57%/2 = 28. 5 mu (gray) Combined Course Map Distance = 59%/2 = 29. 5 mu (tan) Again, the map distances for both the gray and tan spores averaged about 30 mu. This means that on average there were 30 units between the cross over and the centromere of the chromosome. The fact that all of the map distances are around the same number also helps to represent the accuracy in our results. Discussion After observation of the Sordaria fimicola, we were able to depict the different types of crossing over.This supports our hypothesis– crossing over did occur in the S. fimicola. Because we were able to see that crossing over did occur and examine the three different cross over types, we can now say that sexual reproduction attributes to increases in genetic variation. We can see this by the 60% cross over frequency of the recombinant (type B and type C) spores in both the gray and tan strands. This example of the process of meiosis shows us that independent assortment and crossing over attributes to the variety of offspring that are produced in Sordaria fimicola.This large variety leads us to know natural selection plays a large role in the life cycle of fungus and especially S. fimicola. Our experiment showed baseline data under the same conditions as ‘Evolution Canyon. ’ While ‘Evolution Canyon’ showed the effects of cross over frequency as the two spore strands adapted to their different environmental conditions, our experiment showed the cross over frequency of S. fimicola under normal conditions. This baseline allowed for the comparison of the strand types that had become adapted to their different environmental conditions on ‘Evolution Canyon. ’Errors that could have occurred during this experiment were the recounting of asci. There may have been replication of certain asci strands. The experiment, however, is still reliable due to the large number of spores counted. This large number of 7066 gray spores and 13946 tan spores allowed for a reliable average to still be found. Future experiments may find this information useful because it gives insight into the how often crossing over occurs and therefore at what rate genetic variation is happening. By knowing more about genetic variation rate, we can learn more about evolution and how that effects natural selection.Experimenters could use this information to compare the rate of genetic variation to the effects it has on natural selection. References Cyr, R. 2002. Heredity and the Life Cycle. In, Biology 110: Basic concepts and biodiverity course website. Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University. http://www. bio. psu. edu/ Meiosis and Genetic Diversity in the Model Organism, Sordaria. Written by Hass, C. and Ward, A. 2010. Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Saleem, Muhammad. 2001.Inherited Differences in Crossing Over and Gene Conversion Frequencies Between Wild Strains of Sordaria fimicola   From â€Å"Evolution Canyon†. University of Haifa, Israel. Figures and Tables Table I. Individual Data Non-recombinant| Recombinant| Recombinant| Total # of Asci| Total # Recombinant Asci (B +C)| # of Type A Asci| # of Type B Asci| # of Type C Asci| | | 8(gray)| 7(gray)| 5(gray)| 20(gray)| 12(gray)| This represents the 20 asci counted individually. Of these twenty, twelve were recombinant meaning crossing over took place. The other were not recombinant and therefore crossing over did not occur.The cros sover frequency was 60%. Table II. Combined Lab Group Data Non-recombinant| Recombinant| Recombinant| Total # of Asci| Total # of Recombinant Asci (B+C)| # of Type A Asci| # of Type B Asci| # of Type C Asci| | | 16(gray)| 15(gray)| 9(gray)| 40 (gray)| 24(gray)| 12(tan)| 13(tan)| 15(tan)| 40 (tan)| 28(tan)| This represents the spores counted for our entire group of four people. Of the 40 gray spores counted, 24 were recombinant meaning crossing over took place while 16 were non-recombinant. The crossover frequency for the gray spores was 60%. Of the 40 tan spores counted, 28 were recombinant while 12 were non-recombinant.The crossover frequency was 70%. Table III. Combined Section Data Non-recombinant| Recombinant| Recombinant| Total # of Asci| Total # of Recombinant Asci (B+C)| # of Type A Asci| # of Type B Asci | # of Type C Asci| | | Gray Spore 92| 67| 61| 220| 128| Tan Spore 95| 72| 91| 260| 163| This represents the spores counted by the entire class. Of the 220 gray spores count ed, 128 were recombinant and crossing over took place while 92 were non-recombinant. The crossover frequency was 58%. Of the 260 tan spores counted, 163 were recombinant while 95 were non-recombinant.The cross over frequency was 62. 6%. Table IV. Combined Course Data Non-recombinant| Recombinant| Recombinant| Total # of Asci| Total # of Recombinant Asci (B+C)| # of Type A Asci| # of Type B Asci| # of Type C Asci| | | Gray Spore 3012| 2081| 1973| 7066| 4054| Tan Spore 5669| 4301| 3976| 13946| 8277| This represents the spores counted by the entire section. Of the 7066 gray spores, 4054 were recombinant while 3012 were non-recombinant. The cross over frequency was 57%. Of the 13946 tan spores, 8277 were recombinant and 5669 were non-recombinant. The cross over frequency was 59%.

Love Poetries Essay

Personal Advertisement I am currently in the most enjoyable stage of my life where I wish to find the best person to share it with me. I am passionate with everything I do and I wish to share that passion with someone who knows how to live a passionate life too. I am the Man in the â€Å"Love Poem† I consider myself to be the narrator in John Frederick Nims’ Love Poem because it immensely reflects my current feelings for a particular person. Nims refers to his lover as his â€Å"clumsiest dear,† (Nims, 2003, p. 67) which quite bears a resemblance on the nature of my own special someone. His subject’s palms are compared to the â€Å"bulls in china, burs in linen, / And have no cunning with any soft thing† (Nims, 2003, p. 67). This metaphor that insinuates roughness and clumsiness also reflects some of the characteristics of my lover. Being a â€Å"Misfit in any space. And never on time. † (Nims, 2003, p. 67) surely creates an image of a person entirely different than other people. He or she does not always fit in any common group of people and is expected to break most rules. However, like the narrator’s last two lines in the fourth stanza, â€Å"In traffic of wit expertly manoeuvre / And keep us, all devotion, at your knees. † (Nims, 2003, p. 67), I still find myself adoring him for his remarkable wisdom. Simply put, despite all the imperfections of this particular person, I still love him or her without any doubt. Stage of Love in â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† In Blanche Farley’s parody of Robert Frost’s â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, the woman and the blonde guy are obviously in a â€Å"getting to know† stage as suggested by the last line on the first stanza where the blond is initially referred to as â€Å"the new guy† (Farley, 1937. n. p. ). However, it is also important to consider that the relationship in this poem does not only include the woman and the blonde but also Jack whom the woman has been with for a long time. This is validated on the 3rd and 4th line of the second stanza where the narrator introduces him as, â€Å"the other, jack, had a claim / On her already . . . / He understood her. His long, lithe frame† (Farley, 1937. n. p. ). Hence, it is clear that there are two stages of love in this poem in dependence to whose relationship in the love triangle we are speaking about. Two Figurative Languages that Compares the Love in â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† The first figurative language is a metaphor that speaks of the new guy’s physical description as â€Å"smooth as a yellow wood† (Farley, 1937. n. p. ). His physical beauty is compared to that of the yellow wood which can mean several things like the end of summer or the beginning of fall which can also be considered to be nice to look at. Perhaps, it can be a literal comparison of the man’s smoothness to a smooth yellow tree. The second comparison is on the first line of the second stanza. The narrator’s statement â€Å"She liked his hair,† (Farley, 1937. n. p. ) obviously compares the superficial relationship of the woman and the blonde. If one would deeply analyze, the attraction of the woman to the blonde is too superficial or simply physical. Liking his hair and smile obviously just symbolizes her extreme lust for the blonde guy that she is actually willing to risk her long-term relationship with a complete stranger who has a beautiful smile and hair. The Lover Not Taken is Most Likely Doomed to Misery As for my opinion, guilt leads a person to misery. In this poem’s case, it is most likely for the woman’s relationship with Jack to be miserable if guilt would consume the woman’s relationship with him. Honesty and loyalty to a partner are two of the most important elements that determine the stability of a relationship. However, since this poem consists of two relationships of a particular woman; the answer would still depend on whom she would end up with. If she ends her relationship with Jack and start a new one with the blonde, there is a possible occurrence of a â€Å"happily ever after story†. On the other hand, if she stays with Jack and continues her affair with the blonde guy, it is most likely to end up in misery. The Tone of â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† By analyzing the atmosphere being suggested on the first stanza of the poem, â€Å"And, mulling it over, long she stood, / Alone on the road, loath / To leave, wanting to hide in the undergrowth. † (Farley, 1937. n. p. ), the initial seriousness of the narrator’s tone is evident. There is too much concentration on the woman’s part as she mulls over her future decision whether to have an affair with another man or not. However, the tone changed abruptly on the last two lines where she suddenly stopped contemplating on which decision to make by taking the fast way home and phoning the blonde. Setting of â€Å"The Lover Not Taken† Obviously, this poem is inspired by Robert Frost’s famous poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† which tackles the difficulty of deciding what path to choose in life. However, Farley similarly illustrates the difficulty of making decisions by pointing out a particular situation such as being torn between two lovers. Like Frost’s original piece, a person is facing a certain road pondering about a situation he or she needs to handle. By basing the setting and theme on Frost’s poem, Farley has further emphasized the central message of Frost’s poem. Since, it is inspired by Frost’s â€Å"Road Not Taken†, it is important to consider not only why it is set in that particular setting but more importantly why Farley chose Frost’s poem to communicate her own message. References Farley, B. (1937). The Lover Not Taken. Geocities. Retrieved December 3, 2008, from http://www. geocities. com/cailinliet/lover. html Nims, F. (2002). The Love Poem. Master the GED language arts, reading 2003. New Jersey: Peterson’s.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty compare and contrast essays

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty compare and contrast essays Is it possible for your perception of what life should be or what you want it to be cloud the reality of what life really is? Well in the story The secret life of Walter Mitty that is precisely what happens. Walter Mitty has a life which is not really pleasurable. Others, especially his wife, look him down upon him. So he creates his own perception of reality; his daydreams. In his daydreams he is a hero. He is a leader and he is in control. Unfortunately those are only the daydreams. In Mittys first daydream he is a Naval Commander. Hes all dressed up and ready for anything that life throws his way. As the men on the boat say hell get us through anything. Then his nagging wife who is forever victimizing him pulls him out of his daydream. In reality is hes not ready for anything. Hes not in control, his wife is. She is the commander that is all dressed. However she is not respected as Mitty was respected in his daydream. She orders him around, where as in his dayd ream he is the one giving orders. She brings Mitty down, like he is nothing. Mitty in his dream seemingly respects everyone and in turn they respect him, and gladly follow his orders. They know that he would never knowingly hurt them in any way shape or form. Unlike the reality where it seems that everyone is out to hurt him. It is as if the table turns 180 degrees and his wife is now in authority and abuses it. The realization in this dream is that he feels that he should have the control that his wife has. Instead he is lurking in the background, being pushed around. Mrs. Mitty talking about Dr. Renshaw brings about his second daydream. In this dream he sees himself as a doctor, famous Doctor Mitty, who thinks fast on his feet and is again respected and honored by everyone. He shuns weakness and does not let any pessimistic views ruin the complete genius of his ideas. Then of course Walter...

How to avoid the biggest mistake in business writing

How to avoid the biggest mistake in business writing How to avoid the biggest mistake in business writing Mention writing skills to most people and they will roll their eyes before launching into a confession about how spelling/grammar/punctuation/all three have always been their weakest link. Yet, when they do, they’re missing the point. These things matter, for sure. An email full of typos or a poorly punctuated proposal will almost certainly undermine your credibility and potentially leave the people who read it confused. But there are other mistakes that can do far more harm. Chief among these is failing to focus on what your reader needs and wants. Where it all goes wrong The trouble is that too many documents and messages focus on the needs of the writer rather than the reader. This is a big mistake, although it is understandable. After all, when were writing, our primary focus is to get the job done. Think about it for a few seconds. Imagine it’s Monday morning and you’re faced with a to-do list as long as the Great Wall of China. Right at the top is a board report that you’ve been putting off for the last three weeks and it’s due in by 5pm today. Is your primary focus to (a) carefully consider the members of the board and their individual priorities or (b) get the damn thing written so you can cross it off your list and relax again? Congratulations if you picked (a). Treat yourself to a cup of tea or latte from that artisan coffee shop around the corner. You’re on your way to being a business-writing superstar and don’t need to read any further. Probably. (Maybe read on just in case.) If you picked answer (b), congratulations too – for your honesty and for being a normal human being. You vs. the deadline This is because focusing on your own priorities first is a perfectly normal survival mechanism, developed through millions of years of evolution. Our Stone Age brains find it hard to differentiate between a looming deadline and a predator outside the cave that wants to eat us for lunch. Our first instinct is therefore to run away from it (which is why you didn’t write the report three weeks ago). And, when you can no longer run away from it (remember, youve now only got until 5pm, and you’re in a cave), your natural priority will always be just to get rid of the threat. So you muster all your courage and run directly at it, focused solely on your needs (avoiding the disapproval of the boss – although admittedly thats still marginally preferable to a grisly, violent death). Unfortunately, this rarely produces the best results, at least where deadlines are concerned. (If there’s a real predator outside the cave, you’d best go deal with that and come back to this blog post later.) Maybe you finally fire up a board-report template and fill in the blanks under the standard headings. Success soon becomes a word count that rises in fits and starts. And you’re done when you’ve filled enough pages, changed the date on the default title and emailed it to the chief executive’s EA. It won’t be your best work. But don’t worry: it also won’t be in any danger of changing the status quo or standing out from the other 17 board reports that were written in similar circumstances. It will just be another one on the pile. When business writing goes bad Board members are used to struggling through sub-optimal documents that look just like all the rest. Yours will be no different. Unfortunately, it’s also unlikely to mark you out as someone who’s above average and therefore wont advance your career either. To produce something that will do both these things, you need to step into the reader’s shoes. Yet most people don’t, because they’re naturally focused on their own priorities (which is why all those reports look the same). In fact, failure to step into the reader’s shoes is not just normal but usually the chief culprit when business writing goes bad. Nor are we just talking about board reports here. It also produces customer letters or emails that alienate the customer. And it’s why so many live chat helpdesk responses end up being no help at all. Remember that instant-chat conversation with your home broadband provider that took 20 minutes to tell you what you stated in your original question? The person who did so was probably distracted by answer targets and a big, red LED display in the centre of the office showing how many customers they still needed to respond to. This failure to connect with the readers perspective is also why so many proposals to win new business start with page upon page about how great the supplier is. Believe me, the client will only care about this if she thinks you can solve her problem. So focus on her problem first, then on your solution. (Do those things well and shell reach her own conclusion about your suitability. Then its just a case of confirming that view and reassuring her by describing your experience and perhaps giving a few client testimonials.) It can also lead us to give the wrong impression in even the simplest communications. For example, a notice from a store about opening hours that just says, ‘We are closed on Wednesdays’ is stressing the negative and essentially telling customers what the store can’t do for them (ie serve them on a Wednesday). It’s also missing an opportunity to say that they’re open six days a week – including at weekends. Beat your brains default wiring But, as I say, it’s still what most of us do, because it’s how we’re wired. And, given this natural bias towards ourselves, it can take an almost superhuman level of willpower to switch your focus to the person you’re writing for or to. So what can you do? One of the best ways I know is to start by writing down what you already know about your intended reader, including what they need and want most from the exchange, as well as what they know already. In a short communication (such as an email or helpdesk response), this may well be enough to shift your mindset from its default setting. Longer documents need a bit more effort. This is partly because they’re more complex and therefore contain far more traps that can lure you back to the writer-centred mindset. And partly it’s because we tend to put off writing them, so we’re more likely to be under a lot of pressure to finish by the time we do. (In other words, we’re focused again on our needs rather than the reader’s.) The five-step solution So you need to do something to snap yourself out of this mindset. Here’s how: 1. First, download our reader-profile questionnaire here (PDF) and print it out. 2. Then complete it (with a pen, not just in your head). This will start the process of reorientation. 3. From there, plan your document, using your preferred method. (I like mind maps, as they help me to see connections that might not otherwise be obvious.) But – and this is critical – continually refer back to your completed questionnaire so that you avoid defaulting to your needs. As you plan, put a question mark alongside anything you still need to check or find out. 4. Find the answers to any of the questions in 3. This is also crucial, as you need to do most of your thinking and address any uncertainties before you start writing. 5. Then, and only then, write your document. (I’ve explained how to do this quickly here.) Note that steps 1–4 should take most of the pain out of 5. So don’t think of them as wasting time. They’ll actually save you time in the long run. You should now have a document that is much more focused on the person you’re writing for and their needs, rather than on you and yours. That person may even thank you for it. But even if they don’t, you can take comfort from the knowledge that your document now stands a very good chance of being better than the others they’re reading, which can only be a good thing. Now youve definitely earned that latte. Just make sure you still check your document for typos and spelling mistakes. Image credit: Mircea Costina / Shutterstock