Write for Business - Blog

English contains many words that are used as different parts of speech, with different meanings. One such word is account, a term that often crops up in business and elsewhere.

As a noun…
account may mean

• a description, whether written or verbal: He gave an account of events that happened at the conference.
• a reason for one's actions: It was on that account that she decided to sign the contract.
• a financial tool, such as a checking or savings account in a bank, or a credit-card account.
• importance, often used in the negative to refer to something of low value: That detail is of no account.

As a verb…
account may be transitive (needing an object) or intransitive (not needing an object).

In the transitive form, the verb account may mean

• to analyze: After accounting the situation thoroughly, we will act.
• to consider: You should account yourself lucky to have escaped that situation.

In the intransitive form, account is usually followed by the preposition for, and may mean

• to cause: Her careful preparation accounted for much of our success.
• to provide a reason: He was asked to account for his extra hours.

In idioms…
account is often used in the following ways:

• The phrase on account of suggests a reason for something: On account of that embarrassing interview, I didn't get the job.
• Another phrase, hold to account, suggests blame or responsibility: She will hold to account anyone who arrives late.

Conclusion
As you can see, the word account can be applied in several different ways. Use the term carefully to ensure clear business communications.

—Joyce Lee

Photo by o5com

More than half of the U.S. workforce will be independent by 2020, according to a forecast by consulting firm MBO Partners. That's 70 million people, compared to a reported 16 million today. Members of this expanding independent workforce include

• people with fixed-term contracts,
• freelance consultants,
• people working through temp agencies,
• on-call workers, and
• business owners with fewer than five employees.

Nor is this increasing shift simply a matter of a depressed economy. Among those currently independent, the vast majority say they intend to stay so.

The 2020 forecast makes four further predictions:

1. The future workforce will reflect a "growing demand for experts and seasoned skilled workers," including people aged 55 and up, who are moving their on-the-job knowledge to independent careers.
2. "Independence [will be] fueled as new social communities and collaborative technologies continue to rise."
3. State and federal governments will respond with "increased regulation and tighter enforcement" of labor laws.
4. "Independent workers will require a 'passport for independence'" to carry benefits such as retirement and healthcare from project to project, employer to employer.

Seasoned Skills
Obviously, one of the "seasoned skills" mentioned is clear communication, especially given increased "social communities and collaborative technologies." Writing skills will be especially valuable. While increased bandwidth and interconnectedness will certainly improve videoconferencing, scheduling meetings won't be any easier (especially across time zones). Nor will need for textual documentation decrease.

As people use cloud computing and shared applications more extensively—working on project documents at whatever time best fits their schedule—they'll undoubtedly leave notes for one another, connecting in real time only for brainstorming or clarification. Naturally, the better the written communication, the less the need for clarification.

Implications for Individuals
Implications for individual workers are clear: Learn to communicate well, including in writing, and adapt to evolving technologies.

Implications for Businesses
Businesses will also need to prepare, of course. Beyond putting new technologies in place, they'll need to establish best practices for communicating with this independent workforce. Some of their own full-time employees may become independent contractors, so training invested in them will pay off in the long run.

As Ben Cashnocha points out in "When Talent Can Easily Find New Opportunity, How Do You Retain Talent?" by fostering employee skills—even knowing those employees may then move on—companies encourage an alumni spirit, create goodwill ambassadors, and expand their own business connections. Weigh the cost of training against these benefits, together with the reduced overhead of a smaller office, and the equation looks pretty simple.

Conclusion
This then is a glimpse at the working world of the near future. The Information Age is truly dawning. It's an era of networking and communication. Are you ready?

—Lester Smith

Photo by Ross Angus

In our increasingly interconnected world, English plays a dramatic role in business. Consequently, it pays to recognize that many English words can serve as different parts of speech, often with very different meanings. One such example is the word counter.

As a noun…
counter is commonly used in the following ways (among others):

• a flat marker used in games
• a long, level surface where transactions are conducted (e.g., a display counter) or where food and drink are prepared or served (as opposed to a table, which is generally lower and not as long)
• a person or device that counts
• a stiffener around or within the heel area of the upper part of a shoe

As a verb…
counter is typically used in one of the following ways:

• to oppose (as in working against a current trend)
• to defend or react (as in a debate or in the game of chess)

As an adjective, adverb, or prefix…
counter conveys negation, opposition, or reverse action, as in these examples:

• The results were counter to expectations. (predicate adjective)
• Jeeves acted counter to my express wishes. (adverb)
• We added a counterbalance to even the scales. (prefix)

In idioms…
counter can be used to indicate the sale of nonprescription drugs (over-the-counter medications) or a secret, perhaps illegal transaction (payment under the counter).

Conclusion
For both native English speakers and for those who use English as a second language, being aware that a single word can convey many meanings is helpful—especially as we strive for clear communication within a global business community.

—Joyce Lee

Photo by Thomas Bresson

Take a look at the Beatles in 1964, arriving in New York for their first U.S. television appearance (on the Ed Sullivan Show). Note those skinny ties and narrow jacket lapels. Now skip over the broad sweep of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s to today: Thin is back in style.

That's as true of business writing as of haberdashery. Text messaging, Twitter, and Facebook have driven us to write leaner copy. People just don't have time for lengthy messages. With its PLAIN Writing Act, even the U.S. government is driving this push for succinctness.

Happily, the shift to leanness is also making information presentation increasingly visual. Graphic elements like headings and bullet lists have become commonly accepted for highlighting key points, of course. But well-designed infographics are used more and more to make complex data digestible. Further, with increased bandwidth available, online audio and video are replacing text for quick consumption of information. (I recently repaired my washing machine, for example, after watching a home-appliance store's YouTube video.)

Given the rise of smartphones and tablet computers, this trend toward "thin" is only going to continue, especially online. Short text is helpful text. Multimedia options that help viewers quickly find what they need (as opposed to multimedia dress-up) will be rewarded with more visitors.

For a further glimpse of this slim-lined future, take a look at HTML5. It's a match made for mobile computing. The days of Flash-heavy or (heaven forbid) Flash-only sites are numbered.

If you're writing for the Web, or anyhow influencing your company's Web presence, and you're not already browsing with a mobile device, it's high time to start. It's the only way to really understand how well your site works for your visitors, or doesn't. You may also want to begin chanting this mantra: "Thin is in."

—Lester Smith

Photo by JonoMueller

"Like" is a frequently misused word nowadays. Basically, there are just two correct uses: as a preposition when presenting a comparison…

"Time creeps like a turtle."

and as a verb meaning "to have positive feelings for"…

"Bears like honey."

Often, however, "like" is misused as a conjunction, when "as" should be used instead. Consider the old cigarette advertisement that erroneously declared, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should." While the ad campaign was memorable, the grammar was wrong. So wrong, in fact, that you can use it as a memory aid for how not to use "like."

In recent decades, "like" has also become used as a casual "filler" word in popular vernacular, especially among the young: "So we were, like, going to meet, like, at the park. But then it, like, started to rain." It is also often coupled with a form of "be" for use in place of "said": "So I was like, 'I don't believe it,' and he was like, 'It's totally true.'" Neither of these uses is acceptable for business.

That casual employment has, however, led to one possible permanent addition to "like's" repertoire. In a Vanity Fair article a couple of years ago, Christopher Hitchens quoted novelist Ian McEwan as suggesting that as an interjection, "like" creates hyperbole and emphasis, as in the statement, "It was, like, the worst movie ever." Still, we would not suggest this usage for business communication.

So why bother discussing these casual usages of "like" at all? Well, language does slowly shift and change, especially spoken language. (See our blog entry, "Not Just One but Four Grammars—And Why That's Good.") So what might be unthinkable in one context (such as a report or a formal speech) might be more acceptable in another (a casual brainstorming session, for example). Only by understanding the difference between formal rules and casual usage can we be certain to communicate effectively.

—Joyce Lee

P.S. As a fun exercise, count how many times a construction with "as" appears above. In which of them might someone mistakenly use "like"? J.L.

Photo by Paolo Camera