This past Saturday, I spent the afternoon with my writing group submitting poetry to literary magazines. While many of us poets publish at least some work on our personal blogs, literary journals are the best way to increase the visibility of our poems and, of course, to build credentials toward one day publishing a “real” […]
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Purpose: The Starting Place for Strategic Alignment
When I talk with potential book clients, I begin by asking, Why do you want to write a book? What is your purpose in writing it? What do you want it to do for you? A book may support their business purpose, or their personal purpose—and ideally it supports both. And of course the book […]
Considering Scrivener? Here’s My (Cautious) Endorsement
If you’re working on a book, at some point you will curse the clunkiness of Word (too many clicks!) or the inadequacy of Google Docs (not enough functionality!). As your manuscript grows and morphs into sections and chapters, you will think, “There’s got to be a better way.” If you hang around other writers, you […]
My Top Business Writing Tips
Lately I’ve been fielding invitations to speak about general business writing—from talking with an NC State MBA class about making a strong business case to speaking with nonprofit arts organizations about writing strong grant applications. I realized I have some common principles for business writing that I consistently offer as feedback. First and foremost, whether […]
Crafting Strategy: Visionary, Intuitive, or Both?
In my first real corporate management job, I was tasked with guiding our operations leadership team through a strategic planning process. One of my older, wiser colleagues gave me a 1987 Harvard Business Review article called “Crafting Strategy” by Henry Mintzberg. His article resonated strongly with me and became a touchstone over the years. As […]