Peer to Peer Magazine

PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGA ZINE OF ILTA 84 Thank you for the Bully Pulpit, Randi. (Since you're all dying to know what "Bully Pulpit" means, here's a trivia tidbit; please take it and $3.95 to your favorite Starbucks for a free latte. Teddy Roosevelt coined the term "Bully Pulpit" when he became President in 1901 and saw the White House as a great platform or "pulpit" for pushing an agenda. Back then "bully" meant "superb" and "wonderful." And way before that it meant "pimp," but that's another story.) Back to our Superb and Wonderful Pulpit for another true story, told to Randi and me over lunch in Seattle: The Mariners are playing the Oakland A's at spring training in the Arizona Cactus League. It's the seventh-inning stretch. Never mind the score. The real story is in the stands, where WordRake CEO Jim Figel sits with the managing partner of a Seattle law firm. Right behind them sit a father and his law student son. Jim chats them up and asks the son why he plans to leave Ohio. The son says, "Me and my girlfriend want to live in Seattle." Later, Jim asks the managing partner, "Would you hire him?" The managing partner says, "I wouldn't even interview him." The managing partner explains. "Everyone who works for our firm represents the rest of us. If anyone — lawyer, HR, IT, marketing — says 'me and my girlfriend' to a client, to the media, even to a colleague outside the firm, we all sound ignorant. I can't afford that." That law student might be number two in his class and editor of The Ohio State Law Journal. Doesn't matter. It's the impression. Let's look at that impression on paper. If you write poorly, the damage lies not in the miscommunication — others still might understand what you were trying to say — it lies in the impression you create, just like the Buckeye law student. If you do not care enough to get it right in this intra-office memo, this email, this report, how much will you care to get anything else right? Think of what you write as your user interface with co-workers and colleagues: It has to be intuitive, one-click smooth. Gary and I are kindred spirits; we share a deep respect for the power of the written word. We've both preached the gospel of clarity and brevity to professionals whose "product" is often the written word. You've heard my sermon many times: Brothers and sisters, good writing is the hallmark of professionalism. In each issue of our magazine, Gary and I will provide tips on how to improve your writing. Gary's the real expert; I'm the avid supporter. We launch this series with a simple truth: Your writing speaks volumes about you — often in undesirable ways. Sloppy grammar, poorly constructed sentences and scores of other writing faux pas are just as off- putting as that big piece of spinach stuck between your teeth. ;-) Lesson One: Care. Lesson Two: Now that you care, acquire knowledge. Lesson Three: We're here to help. Gary tells us about the lasting impression our words create, and he gives us some tips on how to enliven our sentences. Preach it, Gary! Randi Mayes Gary Kinder

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