Written Communications: Being Heard and Understood

By: Professor Allison Friederichs Atkison, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Allison Friederichs Atkison

We’ve all encountered bad writing at some point in our lives. We’ve possibly even authored some ourselves. And it’s pretty clear when writing is bad. Whether you’re writing business letters, memos, emails, reports, announcements, or some other professional communication, the pragmatic communicator can be far more effective than the multiloquent one.

Because we are judged by our ability to communicate with direction, focus, and confidence - along with inspiration and empathy, no matter who you are and what your goal is - getting the right message across is absolutely essential to achieving your objectives.

In the 12 rewarding lectures of Written Communications: Being Heard and Understood, Professor Allison Friederichs, associate teaching professor and the associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Denver, University College, will share the secrets to sharpening your written, oral, and interpersonal communications skills.

Bringing plenty of humor and enthusiasm, along with dozens of tools, examples, and exercises, Professor Friederichs takes you through each component of writing a successful business communication - from picking the right words; to ensuring the grammar and punctuation are correct; to analyzing, crafting, and editing your message.

Most important, she will show you how impactful communication isn’t about you: It’s about your reader. Once you understand your audience, she’ll show you how to target the message, make appropriate word choices, incorporate sound logic, and untangle complex syntax using a combination of examples and activities.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 The Great Courses (P)2020 The Teaching Company, LLC

Can't believe she says ex-cetera.

She points out other people's mistakes, but repeatedly says ex-cetera. She did in another book I listened to too.

Great Addition To My Toolbox

The techniques outlined in this course are already helping me. I am excited to use the ACE method on my writing tasks. The method has provided a map to becoming a better writer!

Great refresher course.

I learned business writing many years ago, before the existence of word processing and email. After reading many social media posts in recent years, I became concerned that the plethora of bad writing might have a negative effect on me. I feel better now that I've completed this course on Written Communications. I don't do much writing these days but I might buy a style guide anyway.

Very good

this professor has an outstanding speaking voice and as with everything that the Great Courses produces the content is outstanding this particular course I found to be very helpful to me as a businessman she has a lot of very powerful ideas

Useful for niche audiences

Useful just for aspiring editors or those who write long, formal business reports.
Grammar/punctuation focused on minutiae (em dash vs en dash vs hyphen)
Some parts here and there may be useful to a broad audience, such as being very clear on exactly who you are writing to and what you want them to do.
Still, not super useful to the average professional.