
By Lisa Schievelbein
In my six years of serving the CEC membership, I’ve learned one truly fail-safe technique to provoke conversation among communicators (which admittedly is not that hard to begin with). To wit: if I’m ever hosting a lunch-table of members at an executive retreat where, after a while, the conversation is getting a little dry…some BlackBerry action is happening under the table…all I have to do is ask a single question: “Do you think it’s still important to be a great writer in the profession today?” [Insert passionate declarations, high-fives, generous exchange of business cards, etc.]
So, the fact that communicators tend to be passionate about writing is something of an understatement. Whether you’re on the cutting-edge of the profession or just trying to keep the lights on in a 1-woman shop, everyone seems to agree that writing skills are the most important characteristic of a top-notch communicator.
That said, the mark of a great writer in Communications today is about as stable as the ground moving fast beneath our feet. With apologies to other Strunk & White acolytes, it has to be said: effective writing today is about SO much more than the mechanics of language—at the end of the day, it’s about getting your message heard. And in today’s networked environment, that often depends on people wanting to share your message with others.
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