QUICK TIPS: STAYING ON POINT

Spell check and grammar check your work. As an African American, your intelligence level will be closely tied to how you write, among other things. Therefore, always proof your work.

Tip #1: Use the automatic spell and grammar check feature on your software application.

Tip #2: Another good way to check your document is to read it from the end of the document to the beginning of the document. This will force you to look at each word independently, as opposed to reading left to right where you might read what you expect to see—not what is actually written. Reading a document in reverse is also a great way to catch the misuse of words, such as “their” for “there.”

Tip #3: Associated with writing email, do not send out email written in all lowercase, all uppercase or that does not contain punctuation marks. Do not capitalize the lettering in large sections of text. This amounts to yelling at a person. Only capitalize abbreviations, etc.

Tip #4: Do not use slang or write in ebonics. Yes, I’ve read email from African Americans that were written this way.

Tip #5: You are judged based on how you write. Don’t try to get cute. No one cares if you know $50 words, if you are misusing them. Speak in simple English. Keep your email brief. Always be clear about what you need and when you need to receive it. Always ask a clarifying question, if someone is being unclear. Most importantly, if you cannot complete a next step until you receive information, documents, etc. from a coworker, put it in writing. Write something like, “I’ll be waiting to receive the McNair Report, so I can proceed.” That will make it clear that you are not holding up anyone’s project.