New business book doesn’t mince words
Ignoring the power of the written word is costing New Zealand business and government big money according to a New
Zealander who is an international expert on the business benefits of clear communication.
Plain English crusader Lynda Harris, CEO of Write Limited, is so passionate about the subject, this Thursday (4th June)
she launches her new book to encourage business decision makers to read between the lines. Rewrite: How to overcome daily sabotage of your brand and profit draws on the 25 years of experience of Harris and her team. The book highlights the alarming costs of bad writing in
business and government and the daily erosion of both brand equity and profit.
Rewrite is a practical handbook for improving bottom-line results by changing the way businesses think about how they write.
Feedback has already been overwhelmingly positive and Harris believes this is the only book of its kind.
The theory described in the early part of the book is brought to life by interviews with senior corporate, government,
and legal staff who have successfully pioneered the widespread use of plain language in their organisations. Most of the
stories are from New Zealand organisations such as the Commerce Commission, Gibson Sheat Lawyers, DTR New Zealand and
the Cancer Society of New Zealand. Rewrite also includes overseas success stories from organisations like TIAA-CREF (USA) and Aegon (Netherlands).
Rewrite emphasises the role of the CEO in influencing organisational writing style. But it also proves that almost anyone with
vision and determination can transform the way their company communicates. A focus on the human side of change
management, plus case studies and a large resources section, make the book comprehensive, honest, and practical.
On her inspiration for writing the book, Harris says, “Rewrite is intended to be a catalyst for change. We’ve seen over and over again that good writing helps organisations achieve
their purpose and improve their bottom-line results. We know that better writing leads to better decision making and
saves time and money — and that it has a major impact on reputation.”
Harris says, “Business success is intimately linked to the quality of an organisation’s written communication.
High-quality writing is one of the most important determiners of success and yet its importance is least likely to be
recognised. In producing Rewrite, I wanted to help leaders in organisations understand that it is possible to radically change writing style for the better. And I wanted to show how to implement a proven model that
has seen dramatic results regardless of the size of the organisation, how widespread its offices are, or how technical
or complex its writing.”
The book is supported by a website that will help build a worldwide community of people and organisations intent on
improving their bottom line through clear communication.
ENDS