Writing Board Papers Course
1-day training, in person or online
What’s my approach?
Choosing strategic info, not operational content
Most of the people who write board papers also write for senior leadership teams. Senior leaders need operational information to make good decisions, but it’s different for board members. We start by clarifying the strategic type of information board members need.
Giving board members the best chance to think critically
We want board members to have plenty of brain space available to think critically about the content they’re reading. We don’t want them to waste their precious energy just trying to understand!
I’m a plain-language expert. I help your people understand why impressive, jargon-filled corporate speak is the opposite of what board members need.
Helping your people embrace a plain style
On the workshop, we’ll unpack why we think we have to write in a dense, formal style. Your people will unlearn all those unhelpful rules and know the why and how of writing in a clear, precise style.
How to plan, write, and edit a board paper
With my strong practical focus, I’ll guide your people through constructing a board paper for their own context. They’ll put all the training content into practice by writing their own papers.
Doesn’t sound like fun?
Prepare to be proven wrong. I’m up for the challenge!
Case studies of my board paper training
How I helped a government agency write better board papers
How I helped a council-controlled organisation improve its board papers
“Colleen’s amazing energy transformed a day workshop on writing into a session which grew us as a team. She used writing as a tool to coach us on collaboration – it was hugely worthwhile!”
Andrea Cooke, Head of HR, Civil Aviation Authority
What the training covers
Reader-centric tools
Focus on the reader for success
Why board members need strategic content
What’s the difference between strategic and operational content?
Plain language
What is plain language, according to the iso standard?
Why use plain language? (the benefits)
Unlearning the writing rules
Why is it hard to let go of complex language?
Which rules are unhelpful and which are helpful?
Plain language approaches
Speakable language
Sentence length
Active voice
First person – you and we
Deciding what’s in and what’s out
Separating thinking and writing so you can write
more efficientlyIdentifying your paper’s goal
Prioritising the needs of multiple readers
Filtering and ordering content
Creating informative, logical headings
Writing time
Writing a first draft as if you’re speaking to the most influential reader
Answer the board members’ questions as you write
Guided editing
Assessing readability using Word’s inbuilt tools
Tightening sentences using the plain language
approaches
The specifics
Who’s it for?
Up to 14 people who write board papers at work
How long?
1 full day at your venue
How much?
All trainings are $8,000 + gst per day plus travel
What format?
In person or online, but not a mix of both
Before the training
You can give me document samples to use in the training (optional)
To bring on the day
Laptops
Your own documents to work on
Download the full course outlines
Plus the ROI information you need to make a strong business case for this training!
Course descriptions
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Managers and senior leaders can make all the difference in their team’s writing process by upping their own skills in commissioning documents, and reviewing them against principles of clear communication.
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When you write regulations, or write to people about regulations, you walk a fine line between accuracy and clarity.
This day-long workshop explores the art of being clear and approachable at the same time.
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You know, you really should know how to write a report. (Read that in a whiny, snarky voice for full effect.)
Ahhhhmm, no, you shouldn’t. Because every report is different. There is no one right way. But I can give you the tools and the confidence to figure out how to write the right report, every time.
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This course helps anyone who writes at work to do it better, faster, and more effectively. We cover emails, reports, and literally any kind of writing from content-writing to legally-binding documents. Increase your confidence, learn the latest best ways to write, and save some time and sanity!
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This stuff really is some kind of magic. (Well it’s actually neuroscience, but, you know…)
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Board members need clear information to help them make good decisions. It needs to be strategic, not operational, information.
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Do you recognise good writing when you see it? But are you not sure how to get people’s writing up to standard without rewriting it yourself?
This training’s for peer reviewers, managers, and senior leaders.
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What even is technical writing? Well, if you’re communicating complex information, you’re doing it. And most of us do technical writing without any guidance or qualification. Take a couple of days to find out what you should be doing. What’s current industry best practice? A few powerful tools will make all the difference!
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Although it would be nice to do a Jerry Maguire and scream SHOW ME THE MONEY at the top of your lungs, that doesn’t seem to get the best results in a business setting. So here’s a training to teach you the art and skill of persuading (so people will show you the money).
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If you want to write policies to tick a box and sit on a shelf, find another course! Our focus here is to write policies that both work for your business AND get used by the people who need them. We’ll cover all the good foundational stuff of clear, modern business writing, then we’ll focus on the requirements of policy and procedural writing at a specialist level.