Posts Tagged ‘positive writing’
Keep Your Tone Positive
Question: I’ve had a few staff attend your business writing course recently and am wondering if you have a ‘shopping list’ of positive phrases. As their manager, I’m having difficulty in having staff recognizing the sharpness in their writing. For example, instead of using ‘you must comply’…try ‘you need to consider’…would you have a resource that you could share so that I can mentor them further? A Manager, York Region
Answer: I can definitely give you pointers to share with your team. And you’ve even inspired me to create a new quiz and a writing contest.
Being positive is always better—it’s easier to understand, easier to remember and helps build better relationships.
Yes, there’s a time to be negative. For example, when you give bad news, come right out and say it: “You aren’t getting the job” or “We can’t give you a refund,” or “We can’t provide you with life insurance.” But that doesn’t mean you have to load up your document with all kinds of regret.
Also, sometimes people don’t comply with reasonable requests, they persistently break rules or laws, or they don’t meet their obligations or responsibilities. You don’t want to come out swinging—start out by asking for their cooperation politely and assume their noncompliance was due to oversight. If they still don’t comply, then you can start to use a more aggressive tone.
Here are some strategies we teach in our courses:
Avoid the word NOT
Look for the word ‘not.’ It’s usually part of a negative phrase that you can replace with positive alternatives.
| Instead of | Use |
| not accept | decline |
| not certain | uncertain |
| not unlike | similar, alike |
| does not have | lacks |
| not unless | only if |
Avoid negative trigger words
These are words and phrases that carry negative energy. They can trigger a strong negative response in your reader. Take a look at the list and notice which ones you find upsetting. Scan your own writing for negative triggers as part of the editing process and try to remove them.
| afraid | regret |
| argue | should |
| blame | terrible |
| but | unfortunately |
| complain | wrong |
| can’t | it’s not my responsibility |
| delay | it won’t work |
| fail | I’m fed up |
| fault | screwed up |
| must | you can’t |
| obvious | huge problem |
Prefer positive trigger words
| agree | increase |
| alternatives | loyal |
| approval | opportunity |
| best | positive |
| confident | a new perspective |
| easy | achieve goals |
| flexible | fresh thinking |
| improve | good point |
Express your ideas in positive terms
Instead of saying what something isn’t, say what it is. Instead of telling someone what they can’t do, say what they can do. Expressing your ideas is positive terms makes them easier to remember, and easier to understand. Remember that when you express something in negative terms, the reader needs to flip it over to positive in order to act on it. If you tell them what they can’t do, they have to figure out what they can do. Make it easy for them.
Before: Don’t forget to submit your expenses.
After: Please remember to submit your expenses.
Before: You can’t edit your file while the printer is printing it.
After: You can edit your file when the printer is finished printing.
Here’s an example from the SEC’s A Plain English Handbook.
Before: Persons other than the primary benefactor may not receive these dividends.
After: Only the primary benefactor may receive these dividends.
Want some more practice? Test your skills with the new Make it Positive quiz and enter our current writing contest, which challenges you to change a passage from negative to positive.