by Sharon Ernst | Jan 5, 2026 | Business Writing Class
(Updated January 2026) Looking for a business writing class? Good! I teach them so I believe in them! But I also know there’s plenty to learn during your workday when you start to see how not to do business writing. All you need is the writing of others and a critical eye… Learning from Other’s Mistakes Maybe it’s just me, but I am a big believer in learning by seeing how not to do something. It helps me learn, sometimes even more than seeing the proper way to do something. I think it’s because when I can spot the error in someone...
by Sharon Ernst | Nov 24, 2025 | Business Writing Skills
Published August 2024, updated November 2025–Word puking gets in the way of better business writing because it says nothing and wastes time. As the amount of information inundating us daily continues to increase and our ability to pay attention to it continues to decrease, it becomes ever more important to communicate well…if we want to communicate at all. Yet I continue to see countless examples of what I call word puking. What is word puking, you ask? Writing with lots of words but zero intention of actually communicating...
by Sharon Ernst | Apr 18, 2025 | Business Writing Skills
Originally published October 2019, Updated April 2025. Let’s talk about business writing essentials. Why? So we can avoid several common mistakes that get in the way of clear communication at work. How Business Writing Essentials Help You Avoid Common Mistakes Have you ever realized you’ve been making the same mistake over and over, unaware it was a mistake? I have. Growing up I had a friend who would say “for all intents and purposes.” I thought she kept saying “for all intensive purposes.” I didn’t know what it meant but she...
by Sharon Ernst | Apr 15, 2025 | Business Writing Skills
Originally published March 2020, Updated April 2025 When writing in business, we are wasting a lot of time and money, at least from where I sit. And the more examples of writing I see, the more I believe no one bothered to teach most of us three critical things about writing in business. What are the three business writing essentials you need to know? You must write for the audience You should know the writing process Details matter I don’t need to keep telling you business writing skills have spiraled downward in this country. You...
by Sharon Ernst | Mar 1, 2025 | Business Writing Skills
(originally published 2019, updated 2025) Do you think you’re a mediocre or even a bad writer? That mindset is probably working against you. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy because you might not try to improve thinking there’s no point. And that attitude hurts you at work because you don’t try to improve. I’ve been pondering this mainstream attitude that so many people seem to have, thinking they are bad writers. I think they’re wrong. And I’m about to dispel that myth for you, because I want you to recognize that you’re not a...
