Often the best way for numerical information to be communicated in a document or presentation slide is in a table. I’ve written before about the need to declutter tables so that the reader/audience can easily see what is important. If you decide that you have numerical information that
The readers of your finance reports are busy and you need to grab their attention right upfront. Here are three ways you could open up a finance report that will keep the reader reading. - An unexpected or controversial statement (followed by supporting evidence). If making a bold statement is
In *[Politics and the English Language](https://www.orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-foundation/orwell/essays-and-other-works/politics-and-the-english-language/)* (1946) George Orwell wrote this list of rules: 1. Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. 2. Never use a long word where a short
<p>I have said several times that slide decks should include more images and fewer words. If you make an image-heavy presentation it will have more impact on your audience than a wall of text. </p> <p>However, the images you use need to
I think somewhere during the journey towards our professional accounting qualification we adopt accounting-speak. Some of the words we learn to use are very specific and we have to use them. I’m thinking of words like depreciation. But there is tendency also towards overwriting and using words that are
Before you begin to write your next email or letter or report spend a few minutes collecting your thoughts. If you don’t know what you want to say before you write you will find what you do write drifts and meanders as you are figuring out your point. With
A hammer and chisel, in the right hands, can be used to create wonderful works of art. In most hands they create rubble. I feel much the same way about Microsoft Word.
The 3rd edition of my book, _Financial Management and Accounting in the Public Sector_, is published in March. If you're a lecturer or teacher [you can order an inspection copy from the publisher](https://routledge.pub/Financial-Management-and-Accounting-in-the-Public-Sector). <img src="https://garybandy.micro.blog/uploads/2023/eb809a3632.
Here’s a writing tip: Sometimes it’s best to write nothing at all. There are countless places where you can find tips for better writing. They’ll all say you should be brief. Cut out the waffle and the jargon. Well, sometimes I think you should cut out 100%
Teaching accountants how to write is like teaching smart people how to learn. Chris Argyris wrote a seminal article for Harvard Business Review entitled, Teaching Smart People How to Learn. The gist of the article is that smart people are *almost* always successful at what they do. They pass exams
Top performers warm up before they perform. This goes for writers as well as athletes and singers. John Steinbeck wrote with pencils on yellow pads. He started the day sharpening his pencils and writing letters. I’m sure the letters mattered to him and their addressees but this was how
Ernest Hemingway had a unique writing talent. He had a distinctive writing style. He used lots of short words and sentences. He avoided adverbs. (It is better to choose the right verb rather than amplify the wrong one.) The Hemingway Editor (hemingwayapp \[dot] com) is a free service. You write