🟡 Intermediate 15 minintermediate path
Business Communication: Written and Verbal
Clear communication is the single most valuable skill in an office. Master professional written and verbal communication with a bias toward brevity.
Learning objectives
- Structure written messages around the audience's next action.
- Handle difficult conversations with empathy and precision.
Step-by-step
1. Written: BLUF
Bottom Line Up Front. First sentence tells the reader what to do or what to know. Details follow only if needed.
2. Verbal: signposting
Say what you'll say, say it, say what you said. In meetings, restate decisions before ending.
3. Conflict
Acknowledge the other perspective in your own words before defending yours. This alone resolves most disagreements.
4. Customer communication
Acknowledge, apologize when appropriate, act. Never argue — solve.
5. Internal communication
Match channel to urgency: chat for quick, email for record, meeting for discussion, doc for depth.
Key takeaways
- Structure written messages around the audience's next action.
- Handle difficult conversations with empathy and precision.
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