Writing matters: 8 strategies for improving yours

Ex-employees want to return. Is your culture ready? | Writing matters: 8 strategies for improving yours | practice Created for {EMAIL} | [{NAME}]( at [{NAME}]( [For more relevant content - Update Your Profile]( | [Web Version]( May 1, 2023 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading the Way [] [Ex-employees want to return. Is your culture ready?]( [Ex-employees want to return. Is your culture ready?]( (iQoncept/Getty Images) Data shows 71% of employees want to return to companies they left at the height of the pandemic, something business psychologist Martina Doherty says points to a need for companies to distinguish themselves from the competition by "creating and cultivating a positive working culture," that welcomes so-called "boomerang employees." "As an organization or leader, you will never make everyone happy and healthy, or motivate them to perform at their best every single day ... but you can create the conditions for this to become the norm," Doherty says. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (4/27) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Real Talk: a 5G discussion series. Join T-Mobile for Business and other industry experts as we explore the ways 5G is optimizing operations, empowering teams, enhancing customer experiences, and accelerating new products and services—all in five minutes or less. [Watch now.]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] SmartBrief on Leadership [] [Writing matters: 8 strategies for improving yours]( [Writing matters: 8 strategies for improving yours]( (Alexandr Kolesnikov/Getty Images) Leaders and employees often are judged by how well they communicate -- in writing as well as orally -- asserts author and speaker Paul Thornton. Writing and thinking work in concert, and Thornton explains how to clarify your thinking to better focus your writing and communicate more effectively. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (4/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Determine your objective, and organize your key messages. [Thornton also suggests]( using bullets, short sentences and precise words, rather than vague phrasing such as "as soon as possible." [] Smarter Communication [] [How to kick your own complaining, blaming to the curb]( Blaming, complaining and defensiveness are signs of stress, but negativity can drag others down and can be counterproductive, communication coach John Millen writes. Ideally, you can learn to just let go of your frustration without commenting, but Millen offers several other ways to adopt a more positive approach. Full Story: [John Millen blog]( (4/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Put it into practice: Learning to accept that change is natural can lessen the desire to complain, [Millen explains](. Other strategies include giving yourself a time limit for venting and turning the desire to complain into an opportunity to devise solutions. Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [2023 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report for Marketers]( - [Best Practices for Email Etiquette]( - [70+ Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows (Free Cheat Sheet)]( - [Creating Positive Habits - The Ultimate Guide]( [] Smarter Strategy [] - [Use this framework to unlock hidden capabilities in your company]( Stern Strategy Group (4/27) [] - [Capital is not out of reach for companies in uncertain times]( Harvard Business Review (tiered subscription model) (4/26) [] - [How the CAARE framework can better support hybrid workers]( MIT Sloan Management Review (tiered subscription model) (4/26) [] Smarter Working A weekly spotlight on doing more without working longer [] [Pay transparency good for productivity, studies suggest]( [Pay transparency good for productivity, studies suggest]( (Pixabay) New studies have found pay transparency in the workplace can motivate employees and improve engagement and productivity, but a compensation consultant points out salary disclosure only has this effect if people think they're paid fairly and the employer is open about how it determines pay. A perception of unfair pay practices can lead to lower morale and increase the chance that workers will shop for another job, says Muriel Taing, senior compensation consultant at Mercer. Full Story: [Society for Human Resource Management (tiered subscription model)]( (4/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Playing an instrument keeps the brain young, study says]( Playing an instrument keeps the brain young, study says (Pixabay) Playing a musical instrument boosts cognitive abilities in older people, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. A neuroimaging study of older musicians, older non-musicians and young non-musicians revealed that older musicians maintained strong neural specificity of speech representations and higher neural alignment, indicating that playing music keeps the brain young and sharp. Full Story: [Fox News]( (4/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Most Read by CEOs The most-clicked stories of the past week by SmartBrief on Leadership readers [] - [Why overworking is breaking your employees]( Substack [] - [Go beyond just managing with these 5 leadership traits]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] - [Are you "quiet quitting" on your employees? Quit it!]( Charter [] - [Use empathy to avoid going viral as a bad leader]( Chief Executive [] - [Uncover more time with a major calendar cleanup]( SmartBrief/Leadership [] SmartBreak: Question of the Day [] "May Day is Lei Day" is an informal holiday celebrated May 1 by Hawaii's residents. Who originated it? Check your answer [here](. [Vote]( [Poet Don Blanding]( [Vote]( [Reverend Abner Hale]( [Vote]( [Queen Liliuokalani]( [Vote]( [Singer Minnie Pearl]( [] About The Editor [] Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Candace Chellew Another church rents the space from our spiritual community on Saturday and often, we find things out of place, or sometimes broken, when we arrive on Sunday morning. My first reaction was to complain -- out loud and loudly -- about the state of the building. When others began to do the same, I realized I had made a mistake. I had partaken in [what John Millen calls "CBD" -- or complaining, blaming and being defensive](. I had role modeled it for others! I am trying to reel that back in, being generous out loud to our renters and speaking kindly to them about respecting the space and the stuff in it. They are improving, thankfully, and so am I. I didn't even think about how my open irritation could affect those around me, but as the community leader, people take their cues from my words and actions. Millen's article is a good reminder of how we, as leaders, are closely watched by those around us, which means we need to watch ourselves even more closely and remember, we're setting the example. If this newsletter helps you, please tell your colleagues, friends or anyone who can benefit. Forward them this email, or [send this link](. What topics do you see in your daily work that I should know about? Do you have praise? Criticism? [Drop me a note](mailto:candace.chellew@futurenet.com). And don't forget to send me photos of your pets, your office and where you spend your time off. [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy and share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] I know both what I want and what I might gain, And yet, how profitless to know ... [Robert Browning](, poet [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036