Media Release
Lack of executive writing skills increases costs for business
AUCKLAND, 10 September 2012 – Time-poor managers are reducing their productivity and increasing costs for their companies because of a simple lack
of writing skills, says a leading New Zealand business consultant.
Ken Grace, Director of business writing firm Department of Writing, says that senior staff in New Zealand businesses
generally have good writing skills, but lack the ability to write fast and efficiently.
“Research shows what business people most want is time, and what employers want is greater productivity. Training people
to write faster is arguably the easiest, most cost-effective way to achieve both goals,” says Mr Grace.
He cites a recent Boston Consulting Group survey* that said managers in complex organisations can easily spend 40 per
cent of their week writing reports.
“It’s easy to see the difference that cutting that by even 20 per cent would make to business costs and productivity.
The problem is most writing courses set out to refine people's writing skills and end up producing slower writers. At
best, people end up writing a little better or more 'correctly', but not faster or more effectively.”
To address this problem, Grace’s company has launched what he describes as an “anti-writing-course writing course”,
called Writing for Results: Need for Speed.
“What we do with this course is take away the impediments that hinder people's natural ability. The bonus is that people
end up writing not only faster, but more clearly and effectively too.”
Grace says clients who have already undertaken the course have reported that it has cut writing time by as much as half,
which has improved productivity and business results.
The one-day course is currently scheduled to run in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, with other centres likely to
follow next year.
Grace's 25-year career includes medical publishing, journalism, advertising and business writing. His clients have
included Vodafone, Z service stations, Air New Zealand, most major banks, and AgResearch.
Department of Writing delivers business writing and training to clients throughout Australasia. They come from virtually
every sector, including communications, health, technology, primary industry, tourism, financial services and
government.
For more information on Writing for Results: Need for Speed,visit http://www.departmentofwriting.co.nz
ENDS