P.T. Barnum, the iconic 19^th century showman liked to say: “All publicity is good publicity.”

That may be true. But I can’t tell you how many financial professionals contact us wanting to do “PR” for them. “We have such a great XYZ, but no one has heard of us,” they lament, assuming media outlets should be breaking down the door to do stories about them.

In today’s era of shrinking newsrooms, that kind of “earned media” coverage is harder and harder to do. It’s simple math. Newsrooms are shrinking at even the best newspapers, magazines and broadcast outlets. The editors and reporters who remain are completely overloaded and don’t have time for coffee, lunch, golf or 15-minute meet-and-greets just to get to know you. They’re under constant pressure to meet tight deadlines with timely, relevant content that will keep the audience engaged and advertisers happy.

And now thanks to crowdsourced pitching services like Qwoted, Source Bottle and HARO (Help a Reporter Out), journalists are receiving more pitches than ever for fewer and fewer coverage opportunities.

That’s why we recommend writing authoritative bylined columns for reputable media outlets cover your industry.

Here are some of the advantages of bylined columns over simply being quoted:

• Recognition and Authority: Publishing establishes you as an expert in your field, whereas a quote often places the spotlight on the person who cited you.
• Control of the narrative: When you publish a bylined article, you control the narrative. When you’re simply quoted in an interview, your comments are just there to fill in the blanks in the reporter’s story – and there’s always the danger of being misquoted or being taken out of context.
• Career Advancement: Peer-reviewed publications directly lead to paid speaking gigs, new clients, podcast guest appearances, job opportunities, and consulting opportunities.
• Professional Development: The process of publishing improves writing and critical thinking skills, forcing the consolidation of complex ideas. After a few articles, you’re presentations and “elevator pitches” will get even better.
• Greater Impact: A published work allows others to build upon your findings, contributing to the broader development of a field.
• Validation: Being published means a publisher or reviewers validated the work’s quality and value. That’s what cements your status as a bona fide thought leader.

• Shelf life. Many of the specialized media outlets we work with build an archive landing page with all of your bylined columns listed, as well as your headshot and professional bio. Most media outlets keep the articles on their archive pages live for several years. You won’t get an archive page just being a source.

But I already have a good journalist relationship

If you can build a good relationship with a top journalist who covers your industry or geographic area, that’s great. Those relationships can be an invaluable source of earned media coverage, and you’ll eventually be considered a thought leader. You’ll likely get quoted several times per year – usually on short notice – for stories they’re working on. Just know that you can’t control when they publish, what the story is about, and most importantly, other experts being quoted in the story.

Most good journalists use multiple sources for their report, and you can’t control the order in which you’re quoted or if you’re quoted in the same story as a competitor, former partner or someone who is generally regarded as unethical in your space.

Again, as a source, you can’t control the narrative like you can as a guest columnist or regular contributor.

Conclusion

All PR is good PR, but the right PR is worth its weight in gold. Let me know what you’re doing to garner earned media coverage. I’d like to hear more.

#thoughtleadership, #bylinedarticles, #mediacoverage, #PR

Unique advantages for CPAs, financial advisors

Our recent post Why Write a Book generated plenty of comments. One reader asked if it was better to do a print book or a digital book these days. Before answering that question, there’s a third option to consider – an audiobook. With today’s technology, you can convert your existing print book to audio.

When a listener hears your book in your own unique voice, the material becomes more vivid and more personal. It feels like a conversation instead of a presentation. “That is often what high-net-worth clients respond to,” Tina Dietz, CEO of Twin Flames Studios told me recently. “They want to understand not only what you know, but how you think under pressure, how you explain complexity, and how you make important decisions — all critical attributes for financial advisors,” added Dietz.

Audio is also highly portable. Readers can listen to your words of wisdom while exercising, commuting, traveling, gardening or on breaks between meetings. This increases the amount of time they spend with your perspective, which strengthens familiarity with your approach.

“Audio gives financial advisors something print cannot: a leadership signature,” said Dietz. “It’s the sound of how you think and guide clients through complexity. For advisors who already publish regularly, an audiobook isn’t redundant; it’s the next evolution of your thought leadership,” she noted.

Studies show that audio produces 56% better attention and higher brand recall than online video.

Research also shows that audio outperforms other media in attention delivery, especially in mobile environments. One major industry study found that listeners rated long-form audio hosts at the same credibility level as journalists. The broader research also shows that long-form audio builds trust and creates a sense of connection between the speaker and the listener.

“This matters because clients selecting a financial advisor are evaluating temperament, philosophy, and judgment,” said Dietz. “Those qualities show up in your voice before you ever sit down together with a potential client. An audiobook becomes a pre-meeting trust accelerator that speaks for you in rooms that you’re not in yet,” she added.

Studies show that listeners feel a sense of telepresence — an “I’m in the room with you” effect-when the narration is strong. “That emotional connectedness increases positive attitudes toward the narrator,” explained Dietz. “So, when someone spends several hours with your ideas in your voice, they’re not just understanding your philosophy, they’re forming a sense of your judgment, steadiness, and credibility, which is the foundation of trust with high-net-worth families,” Dietz asserted.

Business case for audiobooks

According to Diez, ROI from audiobooks doesn’t come from volume; it comes from fewer but better-aligned clients. As a result, she said audio gives you a disproportionate return on the time invested. “A one-time investment in a premium audiobook gives you a scalable asset that pre-educates and pre-aligns the exact clients you want,” said Dietz. “It reduces early-stage qualification time, strengthens relationships with centers of influence, and positions your thinking as the benchmark in your category long before anyone schedules a meeting.

Connecting with NextGen

According to Dietz, younger adults, which may include next-gen decisionmakers and future inheritors, are driving a massive shift toward audio-first content. Research shows that roughly one-third of adults under 30 listened to an audiobook in the last year, and Gen Z is the fastest-growing segment of audio-only podcast consumers.

If you’re advising multi-gen families or preparing for succession conversations, audio is the medium that the younger cohort prefers for consuming long-form ideas. “An audiobook becomes an asset that speaks in a format they’re more likely to engage with,” said Dietz. “It becomes a powerful tool for continuity planning and long-term influence,” she added.

For advisors who already have a strong reputation, audio becomes a force multiplier. It elevates your presence into environments where you can’t always be in the room, such as corporate board discussions, multi-generational family meetings, COI conversations, and even conferences where your ideas may be shared informally.

Audio also creates a permanent intellectual asset. “Markets change, strategies evolve, but your core philosophy, particularly the way you think and the principles you return to, becomes a lasting part of your professional legacy,” explained Dietz. “That has real value in succession planning and long-term brand equity,” she added.

The most common misconception is that producing an audiobook will be excessively time-intensive or technically overwhelming. Advisors imagine long days in a recording studio or complicated editing sessions. “The reality is the exact opposite,” said Dietz. “With a properly engineered remote-production model, advisors can record in short, manageable blocks, typically from their own office or home,” she said. “A good production partner can handle the entire technical side, including fully directing the recording sessions, capturing the highest quality audio, editing, mastering, and coordinating distribution,” she added.

Conclusion

The production quality should reflect the quality of your practice. The right partner amplifies your brand; the wrong partner dilutes it. Advisors should choose a partner who doesn’t just record audio, but who understands how to translate expertise into presence.

#thoughtleadership, #audiobooks, #practicedevelopment

Now is the time of year when financial professionals start planning and budgeting for 2026. Many of you have told me you’re “finally ready to buckle down” and write the book you’ve been contemplating for so many years. That’s great.

Contrary to what you might think, people are still reading plenty of books even in this limited attention-span YouTube, social media, TikTok age – especially non-fiction and business.

Global book sales project to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% according to Grandview Research. And non-fiction book sales (which include business, finance and management) are projected to grow even faster, at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2025 to 2030, according to Grandview. Perhaps people are finding solace in the ability to turn pages and skip around at their own pace — and not have to download software, set a password and be bombarded with ads and chatbots.

That being said, if you decide to go forward, don’t go it alone. It’s easy to get discouraged, side-tracked or lost down a rabbit hole of research with no way to find your way out. Make sure you have an accountability partner to keep you on track, whether it’s a close friend, trusted colleague or professional editor.

You’re probably not going to get a six-figure advance or earn seven-figure royalties unless you get picked up by a major publishing house. Those fat advances tend to go to Hollywood celebrities, professional athletes and politicians with global reach. Most likely you’ll have to go the independent route. Just know that of the 3.5 million authors on Amazon, only about 1,000 will earn over $100,000 a year in royalties (.002%).

Book revenue beyond royalties

But there are still plenty of good reasons for accomplished financial professionals to write a book.
One of our CPA clients sells limited quantities of his three books ($100 cover price) but has earned over $100,000 in speaking fees and training sessions over the past two years. An estate planning client landed a $50 million case and a $100 million case thanks to his writing efforts. A family office principal has created a mastermind group for buyers of his book for which they earn continuing education credit. A wealth advisor confided that she had over half a dozen clients considering leaving her firm after their mid-year reviews. After her book was released in Q4 and shared with clients, not a single one left.

Writing a book builds authority, accelerates client trust, differentiates you from competitors, and generates new business. A published book serves as a powerful marketing tool that provides long-term, multi-purpose value beyond the initial effort.

Here are 11 benefits of writing a book for busy financial professionals:

1. The “ultimate business card.”A book instantly sets an advisor or accountant apart as an expert in their field in a way that standard credentials or a firm brochure cannot. It positions them as a thought leader with a deep understanding of their niche.
2. A tangible asset.Holding a physical book signals a significant investment of time and expertise, which builds consumer confidence. People are more likely to listen to someone who has literally “written the book” on a subject.
3. Builds relationships before the first meeting.A book provides a way to establish a genuine, meaningful relationship with potential clients long before they step into an office. By sharing their philosophy and expertise through a book, advisors and accountants can connect with prospects on a deeper level.
4. Showcases personality and purpose.A book offers a unique opportunity to share personal stories and motivations, creating an emotional bond and empathetic connection with readers. This transparency helps potential clients feel they know and can trust the author.
5. Specializes and targets niche clients.With a targeted book, an advisor can open doors to a specific, high-value audience. Writing a retirement planning book for tech-savvy professionals, for instance, makes the author stand out in a crowded market.
6. Signals a higher tier of service.A high-quality book, particularly a branded one from a hybrid publisher, can create a premium perception that allows an advisor to command higher fees. For clients weighing multiple options, a published book can be the deciding factor.
7. Generates high-quality leads.A book can be used to generate warm leads by giving copies to prospects, clients (for referrals), and centers of influence, such as attorneys and real estate agents. A potential client who has read your book is already pre-qualified and familiar with your value proposition.
8. Creates content for ongoing marketing.A book is a content goldmine. Its chapters can be repurposed into blog posts, social media updates, webinars, and email campaigns, giving an advisor a coherent and strategic content plan for years.
9. Attracts PR and speaking opportunities.Journalists, podcasters, and event planners are more likely to book an interview with a published author. A book provides an attention-grabbing angle that can lead to valuable media exposure.
10. Forces clarity and focus.The process of writing a book requires an advisor or accountant to crystallize their unique methodology, philosophy, and value proposition. This focus can help improve internal processes and offer more valuable services.
11. Improves communication skills.The act of articulating complex financial or accounting concepts in an accessible way sharpens an author’s communication skills, which translates to more impactful client meetings.

Conclusion

Becoming a published author puts you in rarefied company and helps you stand out in a crowd of purported “experts” and “thought leaders.” It takes courage to put your name and reputation on the line and codify a lifetime of experiences and knowledge into just a few hundred pages. It may not be an easy journey, but I don’t know a single author who regrets taking it.

I’d love to hear more about what you’re doing to stand out from the crowd.
#thoughtleadership, #practicemanagement, #businesscommunication, #bookauthor

Early in my career I worked in business development. I once asked my boss if I was following up too often with a prospect. Her answer: “If I was being too aggressive the prospect would let me know.” I feel the same way when it comes to clarity in your writing and communication. You can never be too clear. People rarely if ever complain about that.

Take the abuse (or ignorance) of pronouns, which seems to be running rampant in business communication. For instance, which of the following sentences is correct?

1. David’s manager said that he will attend the meeting.
2. I spoke to the client, shipper and packager. They don’t know if it will work. She voiced some concerns about cost again. 
3. The new report indicates a serious problem, but it is unclear.
4. When the medic prepared a flu shot for the officer, he winced.

If you said none of the above, then you’re correct. Let’s take a closer look at the issues.

 Sentence 1: David’s manager said that he will attend the meeting. [Who will attend, David, or his manager?]
Better: David’s manager said that David will attend the meeting.

Sentence 2: I spoke to the client, shipper and packager. They don’t know if it will work. She voiced some concerns about cost again. [Who voiced concerns?]
Better: The client voiced some concerns about cost again.

Sentence 3: The new report indicates a serious problem, but it is unclear. [Is it the report or is it the problem?]
Better: The new report indicates a serious problem, but the report is not clear about the problem.

Sentence 4: When the medic prepared a flu shot for the officer, he winced. (Who winced—the pharmacist or the officer?)
Better: When the medic prepared a flu shot for the officer, the officer winced.

Watch your antecedents

Not to sound like your high school English teacher here, but an unclear pronoun reference occurs when the reader is unsure about which word the pronoun refers to (it’s antecedent). To fix a pronoun reference error, substitute the correct noun for the pronoun or simply reword the sentence.

Trap #1 Missing antecedents

Avoid pronouns that don’t refer back to any part of the sentence.

Unclear: The buyer called the mortgage office, but they didn’t pick up. (Who is they?)
Better: The buyer called the mortgage office, but no brokers picked up.

Trap #2 Who, which, or that clauses divorced from their antecedents

A relative pronoun connects a dependent clause to the main clause. Like other pronouns, who, which, and that must refer to a specific noun or noun phrase. To create clarity, always place the relative pronoun immediately following the word it refers to.

Unclear: Return your surveys by Friday, which will complete the review process. (Which is unclear—it doesn’t refer to a specific noun.)
Better: By Friday, return your surveys, which will complete the review process.

Trap #3 It, this, that, or they used in reference to a whole sentence

These pronouns should refer to a specific noun, not an entire sentence.

Unclear: The building plan includes a co-working space, a gym, and a food court. This adheres to zoning code.
Better: The building plan includes a co-working space, a gym and a food court.. The multiple-use plan adheres to zoning codes.

OK, simple enough. But let’s look closely at pronoun confusion when the stakes get a lot higher for legal compliance and investment decisions. We found it often occurs when a second (supporting) sentence is used to modify or enhance the previous sentence.

EXAMPLE #1: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 introduced new tax incentives (and enhanced existing programs) for producing and investing in electricity by using non-fossil-fuel means.  The current Administration had clearly signaled that dismantling parts of this legislation was one of its priorities. While the decision has led to Congressional dissent from both sides, the OBBB takes a significant swipe at the incentives currently in place. 

PROBLEM: What does “this” refer to?
Better: The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 introduced new tax incentives (and enhanced existing programs) for producing and investing in electricity by using non-fossil-fuel means.  The current Administration had clearly signaled that dismantling parts of the IRA was one of its priorities. While the decision has led to Congressional dissent from both sides, the OBBB takes a significant swipe at the incentives currently in place. 

EXAMPLE #2: Common examples of undivided real estate interests are inherited homes passed down to multiple heirs, rental properties jointly owned by siblings or business partners, and family land that’s held for generational stewardship. This arrangement is also referred to as “tenancy in common” and the two terms may be used interchangeably.

PROBLEM: Does “this arrangement” refer to family land only or all type of undivided real estate?
Better: Common examples of undivided real estate interests are inherited homes passed down to multiple heirs, rental properties jointly owned by siblings or business partners, and family land that’s held for generational stewardship. Family land is also referred to as “tenancy in common” and the two terms may be used interchangeably.

Conclusion

Clear communication isn’t just about good grammar—it’s about protecting your business from costly misunderstandings. Whether you’re drafting a contract, writing investment guidance, or simply updating your team, ambiguous pronouns can create confusion that leads to delays, disputes, and damaged relationships. Don’t rely exclusively on AI and grammar apps. When in doubt, repeat the noun and read back your work aloud.

How is your firm improving communication? I’d love to hear more.

#thoughtleadership, #practicemanagement, #businesscommunication

One of the great things about our business is that we get to work with some of the smartest minds in accounting, wealth management and estate planning. But all too often the “curse of knowledge” trips them up when they’re writing, presenting or being interviewed. Having encyclopedic knowledge of your subject area has many benefits – but sometimes briefer is better, and you don’t have to overwhelm your audience with every single thing you know about the tax code or investing or estate planning.

I’m not suggesting you dumb things down or distill everything into 140 characters. But sometimes it’s better just to give your audience a small sampling of what you know, rather than overwhelming them with a firehose of information.

Many of you work in highly technical areas. One of the best ways I’ve found to get your point across quickly without dumbing it down is to use two of the most powerful word in credibility marketing: “For example.”

“For example” is a powerful communication tool because it acts as a bridge between abstract ideas and real-world experiences your audience can relate to.

Early in high school, I remember a young math teacher who seemed hell-bent on putting a room full of freshman smart alecs in their place. When it came to Pythagorean theorem, he went into a lengthy discourse about Euclidian geometry, the evolution of the hypotenuse, with all kinds of convoluted lines and squiggles on the blackboard. Like most of my classmates, I was baffled and bombed the first quiz.

Fortunately, I took advantage of an after-school tutor. Within five minutes she explained, Pythagorean theorem explains the relationship of the two shorter sides of a right triangle, to the longer hypotenuse (a² + b² = c²). For example, in a right triangle, she said if the two shorter perpendicular sides are 3 feet and 4 feet, then the longer hypotenuse must be the square root of 3 feet and 4 feet. [3^{2 =} (9 feet) + 4^{2 =} (16 feet) ⁼ 25 feet]. So, the square root of 25 feet is 5 feet. I could visualize the triangle’s shape and could certainly relate to measurements in feet.

Here are some other reasons why “for example” is so effective in getting your points across quickly and effectively:

1. Clarifies Complex Ideas. When introducing abstract concepts, using “for example” breaks down the thought process into easily digestible chunks. The example acts as a mental shortcut for processing complex ideas.

Example: Explaining “opportunity cost” in economics might be abstract for some, but if you explain it with an example like choosing between buying a new car or going on vacation, it’s much easier for people to grasp.

2. Engages the Audience. Instead of simply stating “Effective leadership requires trust,” showing how a successful leader (for example, Oprah or Steve Jobs) gained the trust of their teams makes the idea more compelling.
3. Builds Credibility. Using examples shows that you have a deep understanding of a complex topic, say tariffs, can apply your knowledge in practical situations. It lends authenticity to your message.Example: Citing a historical example, like how the U.S. handled tariffs in the past (1930 Smoot-Hawley Act; 1980s US-Japan Steel Wars) helps reinforce the validity of your argument and shows that your ideas are grounded in reality.
4. Makes Arguments More Persuasive. Why it’s powerful: By demonstrating a point with a specific example, you provide evidence that backs up your argument. This can make your claims more persuasive and difficult to dismiss.

Example: If you’re arguing that a remote work policy boosts productivity, you could use an example of a company like Microsoft that has reported increased productivity from remote work initiatives.

5. Fosters Better Understanding. Why it’s powerful: People remember and understand concrete examples much better than abstract theories.Example: Instead of saying “Investing early is crucial,” showing how someone who starts investing at age 22 versus age 42 has a significantly larger return due to compounding interest can make the idea more impactful.
6. Encourages Action or Reflection. When your reader/listener/client sees how an idea applies to a real-world scenario, they’re more likely to think about how they can apply it in their own lives or work.

Example: If you’re discussing the importance of time management, providing an example of a successful person’s time-blocking routine might inspire someone to adopt similar habits.

*** Here are more tips for using “For example” effectively

Real world example

As investors and their accountants were grinding through tax season earlier this year, a well-known financial services company published an investor brief touting the benefits of tax-loss harvesting.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Tax-loss harvesting is a tried-and-true strategy for lowering taxes and potentially helping increase after-tax returns. When you tax-loss harvest, you’ll pay taxes on your realized capital gains for the year, meaning you’ll only consider your net gains—the amount you gained minus any investment losses you realized. Learning how to harvest tax losses is key to helping put your money to work. If you have realized capital gains, you can offset them by selling securities from one of your taxable accounts at a loss and reinvesting the money in a similar investment or rebalancing, if needed. When reinvesting the funds, it’s important to be aware of the IRS wash-sale rule.”

Yawn!

Finally, about 14 paragraphs into the guide, the had the courtesy to give us the first “For example”:

For example: Let’s say you sell Investment A at a loss of $30,000, but later in the year you sell Investment B for a $25,000 gain. Your losses from Investment A would offset your entire gain from Investment B. That means you won’t pay capital gains taxes on the $25K gain from Investment B —and you’ll have $5,000 in losses left over. Under current tax rules, you can use up to $3,000 of that loss to offset your ordinary income, and you’d be able to use the remaining $2,000 to offset gains or income in future tax years.

Great example, but I bet most clients didn’t make it that far. Introduce “for example” early and often into your client meetings, presentations, blog posts and collateral materials. Your readers, stakeholders, staff and followers will thank you and share you.

Conclusion

As humanitarian Albert Schweitzer famously said: “Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing.” Tell me how your firm is simplifying complex topics for your staff, clients and followers. I’d love to hear more.

Standing in the coffee shop line the other day, I couldn’t help overhearing these cringeworthy conversations around me:

• “OMG. I literally died laughing!” (No, you’re very much alive, I thought to myself. That’s unfortunate for those of us around you).
• “I’m literally freezing.” (You’re probably just cold and under-dressed I thought).
• “The dude’s business literally exploded!” (Call the bomb squad? Nope, just hyperbole, I thought).
• “There are literally like a million people in this line!” (Ughhh. Listening to you sure makes it feel that way).

What do all these anecdotes have in common? Misuse of the word “literally.” Originally, “literally” was a straightforward term with a clear purpose. It meant “in a literal sense” or “exactly” – a way to emphasize that you were describing something precisely, without metaphor or exaggeration.

For instance, if the temperature on the outside patio was 30 degrees, you could say it was literally freezing. Or if a novel was translated from Russian to English, you could say it was literally translated from the original.

Today, “literally” has become the linguistic equivalent of a verbal exclamation point, used to add dramatic emphasis with zero regard for its actual meaning. People now use “literally” to mean “figuratively” or “metaphorically,” which are the opposite of literal. Why? Because in this social media age in which everyone’s clamoring for attention, we feel compelled to make everything sound more dramatic than it really is.

You’ve seen this linguistic laziness in social situations, but it’s especially problematic in business situations where you must be concise and precise.

• “They literally devoured the competition.” (Had they adopted cannibalism as a business practice?)
  
• “It literally took them forever to get to cash flow positive.” (No, it did not, because if that were the case you would never stop until you died).

Why you should care

When we strip words of their precise meanings, we reduce our capacity for clear communication. “Literally” used to be a powerful tool for emphasizing truth; now it’s become a meaningless filler word used for more drama. Linguists call these words “intensifiers,” but I suggest you avoid using them altogether.

For instance, instead of saying “I literally don’t care,” just say: “I don’t care.”
Instead of saying “I literally know the solution,” just say: “I know the solution.”

How to use “literally” correctly

Use “literally” only when something is actually true in the most precise sense: “After running a marathon, I was literally exhausted and could barely move my legs.”

Use “literally” when you’re referring to a specific number or fact: “I almost missed the online deadline. I was literally two minutes away from being assessed a late filing penalty.”

Conclusion

Abuse and disregard of “literally” isn’t just a minor grammatical quirk – it’s a symptom of our culture’s love for hyperbole and emotional inflation. Next time you’re tempted to say “literally,” just ask yourself: Did I really? If not and you’re over 16 years old, leave “literally” out of your vocabulary and make better word choices.

What are you and your colleagues doing to be more concise with your language? I’d love to hear from you.

#businesswriting,#thoughtleadership, #productivity

My last post (The Power of Writing Things Down) generated more comments than usual. Many of you were intrigued by research showing how writing things down by hand improves retention, clarity and commitment and also reduces stress.

There’s also the accountability factor. If we take the time to write down our goals or obligations rather than keep them in our head (or phones) we’re more likely to complete them. Taking it a step further, if we write those goals or obligations on a publicly viewable whiteboard, research shows we are up to 1.4 times more likely to achieve them.

The whiteboard (aka marker board, dry-erase board, dry-wipe board, or pen-board) has long been associated with corporate conference rooms. It’s sometimes maligned as an outdated tool in this digital age – like the fax machine and typewriter. But I’ve found whiteboards to be even more useful than ever in this era of 24/7 distraction.

Everyone uses whiteboards differently

I keep an oversize whiteboard in my office even though I rarely hold team meetings there. I like having a large, non-permanent white canvas to organize my thoughts, ideas and obligations. It’s posted right next to the front door and is always in direct line of my sight. I can’t avoid looking at my whiteboard and it has all of my immediate must-do items as well as my longer-term projects that can’t be completed in one sitting. Unlike apps and project management software, I can’t turn it off or swipe left. Those obligations are always staring at me and can’t be avoided.

I’m not big on to-do lists, task lists and punch lists, because they’re so binary. Either you got it done and checked off the list, or you didn’t. That doesn’t leave room for incremental progress, which is so crucial for knowledge workers like us. When you have a complex presentation due two months from now, or a book chapter due in six weeks, or a new client who wants to sign on next quarter, it can be extremely debilitating to see an empty box left unchecked day after day, month after month. It’s far more inspiring to see that you’ve made incremental progress on those long-term initiatives. If I’m roughly 50% complete, I like to shade in half the box next to the project. If I’m just getting started, I shade in a small amount, rather than leaving it blank. And if almost to the finish line, I shade in most of the box, but not all of it.

I use various colors for certain kinds of projects, but my favorite tactic is using directional arrows. As knowledge workers, so much of our day is spent either waiting for someone to make a decision about something we’ve sent them, or they’re waiting for us to act on something they’ve sent us. It’s kind of like a mental tennis match. So, I use left-facing arrows next to items for which the ball is in my court and I use right facing arrows to designate items for which the ball is in a client’s or colleague’s court. Even on days when nothing gets checked off the list, if I leave my office with more right-facing arrows than left-facing ones, I go home in a good frame of mind. By contrast, most notetaking and to-do list apps are linear. They don’t seem to accommodate the unique, free-form way that humans process thoughts, ideas, and workflow.

But a whiteboard isn’t just for brainstorming or keeping track of tasks. It can save you from cranial overload because it gives you a convenient place to dump all the stuff that clutters up your brain. Your tasks, initiatives and projects are captured in a convenient location where you don’t have to think about them until you are ready to address them. That frees up lots of bandwidth for higher and more productive thinking. Even better, you don’t have to set up an account, a log-in, or download an app to use your whiteboard. And you don’t have to sift through endless paper files or cabinet drawers to find an idea or project outline you tucked away for safekeeping many months ago.

*** Our free resources section has more about this topic.

But here’s the other benefit of a physical, tactile whiteboard. It’s a finite space. When you start to run out of room, you can’t keep adding expansion slots or writing in a smaller font. You have to start prioritizing and deleting.

I probably re-sort the items on my whiteboard three or four times a day. When something has to be erased from the board because it’s not a high enough priority, I find it tremendously liberating not to have to keep thinking about it.

As Winston Churchill liked to say: “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress.”

Conclusion

What are you and your colleagues doing to capture tasks and make incremental progress? I’d love to hear from you.

#businesswriting,#thoughtleadership, #productivity

When I’m rushing out the door late for an appointment, my wife inevitably asks me to pick up some skim milk, real butter and jumbo eggs on the way home. “Three items. Nothing unusual. I’ve got this,” I tell myself and commit the task to memory.

But then come the pesky addendums to the list about 30 seconds later. “Honey, if you see the picante salsa, not too spicy, in the jar not the can, that would be great,” she adds with full confidence that I’ll remember. “They’re right by the low-salt gluten-free taco chips, you know, with the corn meal and the sea salt not the regular salt. So, pick up an extra-large bag, not the normal large,” she adds. “We have people coming over this weekend.”

Uh oh.

I tell myself I better write this list down. I won’t have time to hit the store until after work and there’s too much time to forget. In the old days I would have whipped out a pen and Post-It note and stuck it to the dash of my car. And here’s the funny thing. The Post-It note would often go missing by the time I got to the store. But since I took the time to written down each item on the list, it was locked into my short-term memory, and I usually brought home everything my lovely wife requested.

But now everyone makes fun of my system, so I try dictating a voice memo to myself and add the request to my task-remind app. And, more often than not, my grocery run goes sideways and there’s hell to pay when I get home.

What’s going on?

In this fast-paced world of AI, digital transcription services and note-taking apps, it seems like we’d be getting better at remembering things and organizing our thoughts. But all of this technology might be making us even more distracted, less organized and increasingly stressed. Research shows that writing things down by hand improves retention, clarity and commitment and can also reduce stress.

Here’s why.

Writing engages different cognitive processes than typing or mental notetaking alone. When we write something down, we process information more deeply and retain it better. A frequently cited study by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University found that people who wrote down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them compared to those who didn’t.

The research found that the act of writing things down in a notebook or a journal involves more cognitive activity than typing it out on a keyboard or on a screen. This means that more areas of the brain are activated, and they are activated more intensely as we write compared to when we type.

There’s also the accountability factor. If we take the time to write down our goals on paper or on a publicly viewable whiteboard, we are 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to achieve them.

Then there’s the act of handwriting itself. a new study in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that handwriting may be irreplaceable when it comes to learning. Researchers found that writing by hand activates far more extensive and interconnected brain networks compared to typing, particularly in regions linked to memory and sensory processing.

Neuroscientists say that when we write our goals or intentions down, encoding takes place in our brains. Scientists say encoding affects the choices we make and how we act in extremely profound ways, even if we’re not conscious of it.

“As a card-carrying boomer, I keep a paper diary in addition to my electronic calendar,” admits Cecil Nazareth, CPA, senior partner of a thriving international tax firm, adjunct professor at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and part-time field hockey couch. Nazareth is one busy guy. But as he describes in his latest book, Making A Difference, “Some of my staff laugh at me, but the paper diary really helps prevent me from missing client tax deadlines, teaching assignments and family obligations. If you write everything down, it won’t slip through the cracks,” he adds. “There’s just something about writing down an important assignment or appointment on paper that makes it seem more real and less likely to be overlooked.”

Minimize distraction and procrastination. Personally, I’ve found that writing things down by hand won’t tempt you with other distraction like digital devices do. Swipe into your phone to take a note in your note-taking app and you’ll find your finger wandering over to the Instagram app. And the Twitter app. Soon enough, even though you finished typing your note 10 minutes ago, you’re still idling the hours away on your phone.

Clarity. The human brain has on average 6,000 thoughts per day. Putting our thoughts on paper is a powerful form of decluttering. When we declutter our lives, whether it’s our brains, our desk or our garage, we become more productive. When you write your thoughts by hand, you can only write one word at a time. Your thoughts slow down to match your writing speed and you’ll find that it’s easier to slip out of your overthinking mindset. You’re also forcing yourself to decide what’s most important. But, if you’re taking notes or writing out to-dos on a screen, there’s literally endless space to do so; it’s actually pretty easy to mindlessly type out highlights from a lecture or make a list of every single thing that you’re thinking about in the moment.

Better attention span. The act of writing by hand requires our full attention. Because we are fully engaged, our thoughts are less likely to wander off into tangents. That’s quite rare in this day and age where attention spans are markedly shorter. Developing the habit of writing by hand will strengthen your sustained focus and attention muscles. This will help your complete tasks and become more detail oriented.

 Improved productivity. A study published in The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience showed that writing by hand improves neural activity in certain parts of the brain, particularly those associated with focus and attention. In contrast, the ease of typing can make it tempting to multitask, reducing overall productivity.

Frees up working memory. Our working memory, also referred to as our short-term memory, is the RAM of our brain. Our brains are incredible machines, but our RAMs are sadly limited. Unlike our long-term memory, which is vast, our working memory cannot hold too much information at a time without freezing up or encountering performance issues. An overburdened working memory degrades our cognitive function, causing us to make careless mistakes.

Enhances creativity and problem solving. There’s a reason why many creative thinkers—writers, artists, and innovators—still prefer pen and paper for brainstorming and problem-solving. Writing by hand engages different neural pathways, often leading to more creative thinking and better solutions.

Stress relief. One of the best ways to quiet a busy and racing mind is to write things out longhand. Getting our thoughts and feelings on paper can offer a sense of relief. It can turn our minds from chaotic to calm in an instant. That is what the concept of writing therapy is all about and it’s extremely beneficial for our mental health. If you don’t have the time for long-form writing, you can still engage in some writing therapy by doing periodic brain dumps. This is one of the things the bullet journal is good for. This is the process of externalizing our scattered thoughts by writing them down. At a later time, these brain dumps may be organized into lists or reflections.

In my next post I’ll discuss why writing on whiteboards is so effective for organizing your thoughts, staying on track and preserving your sanity.

Conclusion

From enhancing your career, to reducing stress, to improving your relationships, taking the time to write things down strengthens your cognitive muscles and makes you more present. Sometimes going slow is the perfect antidote to this fast-paced world.

Our free resources have more.

What are you and your colleagues doing to improve your notetaking and recall? I’d love to hear from you.

Lately I’ve been hearing more and more abuse of the suffix “wise” by people trying to make themselves sound more important.

During the recent World Series, a TV announcer reassured us that New York Yankees ace pitcher Gerrit Cole hadn’t changed “demeanor-wise” after giving up a game changing grand slam to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Grammar-wise and word-economy-wise, the announcer could have simply said: “Cole’s demeanor hasn’t changed” or better yet “Cole hasn’t lost his composure.” The announcer was a highly paid professional communicator. He didn’t have to be so lazy.

Acceptable uses of “-wise” do exist, particularly in established words like “clockwise” (the direction of the clock) or “lengthwise,” (the direction of measurement taken) in which the suffix genuinely adds meaning. However, taking it upon yourself to create new “-wise” words is ineffective communication and generally not, Hmmmm, wise if you want to be taken seriously as a writer, speaker or leader.

Here are some reasons why:

1. Grammatical Awkwardness. When “-wise” is added unnecessarily, it creates clunky, unnatural-sounding language. Many of these constructions sound forced or simply incorrect. For example, “moneywise” or “weatherwise” often feel grammatically jarring.
2. In many cases, there are already established and more elegant ways to express the same meaning. Instead of saying “budgetwise,” you could simply say “regarding the budget” or “in terms of the budget.”
3. Overuse in Business and Corporate Jargon. The “-wise” suffix has become a particularly notorious marker of corporate buzzwords. How often do you say or write “businesswise” or “performancewise“? It’s often seen as lazy language that lacks precision and clarity.
4. Potential Misunderstandings. Sometimes, these “-wise” constructions can be ambiguous or confusing. The meaning might not be immediately clear to all listeners or readers.
5. Professional Communication Standards. In formal writing, academic work, and professional communication, these constructions are typically viewed as unprofessional and imprecise.

Another reason I don’t like the suffix “wise” is because it implies you’re insecure or just stalling for time to find the right words:

“Budget-wise we’re on track, but time-wise, we not going to meet our deadline.”
“Snow-wise the roads are clear, but weather-wise I’m not sure what’s coming.”

 It’s frustrating for the listener, but we hear this all the time. We’re all busy work-wise, so why not respect us time-wise and be more concise grammar-wise? Are you cringing yet?

“Wise-ing” up every noun you come across is like listening to teens and tweens use “like” every third word – “it’s like ridiculous.” It adds nothing. It reminds me of returning to my native Philadelphia and hearing folks use the word “jawn” to refer to any type of person, place or thing under the sun. Similar to “like,” jawn is a placeholder words that clog up communication flow and make you sound grammatically lazy.

“Yo! Tony. Hand me that jawn over there so we can get this jawn fixed already and go home!”
“Did you guys make it to the jawn last night? That place was jumping!”

Conclusion

I laugh when I see all the self-help books and videos offering to help people expand their vocabularies. Why not just do a better job with the words we already have. Before writing, speaking or posting, ask yourself if you’ve chosen the right words to convey your intended meaning. A wise man once said: “You can do more with less.”

Our free resources have more.

What are you and your colleagues doing to streamline your communication? I’d love to hear from you.

Just when I thought we were eradicating cliches like “space” and “low-hanging fruit” and “it is what it is” from business communication, a new scourge has surfaced – the duplicative. That’s when you add redundant words to a simple phrase to make it sound more important. Stop doing it!

I don’t have stats to back this up, but my guess is that the trend started during the last election cycle. Seemingly every pundit on TV was trying to analyze the “tone and tenor” of candidate X’s speech. Technically, the tenor is what you say, and the tone is how you say it. But is it really necessary to throw in both terms when you could simply say the speech was inspiring or rambling or aggressive or nonsensical? Viewers and voters would get the idea. The pundit’s just trying to sound self-important. Same goes for “The Great State of” preceding the state from which a particular politician hails. It’s pompous and unnecessary. If you spend any time traveling the 50 states, you’ll realize many of them are mediocre at best. At least Oklahoma is honest on its license plates: “Oklahoma is OK.”

Same goes for “rules and regulations” (aka “rules and regs”). Technically, rules are set by individuals or organizations and apply within a specific context. Regulations are set by governmental bodies and have wider applicability. They’re sometimes legally binding, unlike rules. But most of the time when business leaders, HR people, law enforcement or military people sprinkle “rules and regs” into their prose, it just means “you better do what I say!” They’re using the extra verbiage to sound more official. Don’t do it in your own communication.

“First and foremost” is another one of those duplicatives that grates on me. If it wasn’t the most important, why would you list it first? If safety wasn’t the airline’s “foremost” concern why would they emphasize it at the beginning of the in-flight demo? Just use one or the other when trying to state the importance of something.

“Out and about” is another one that’s been overused since the COVID restrictions were removed. “The revelers will be out and about after the concert ends.” Or “the trick-or-treaters will be out and about tonight since the weather’s so nice.” Can they be out without being about? I don’t think so. Just say: “they’ll be out” or “they’ll be celebrating.”

“Part and parcel.” Both words mean an essential part of, or “it comes with the territory” as in “being followed by paparazzi is part and parcel of being a celebrity.” Part comes from Latin and parcel comes from French but in most cases, you could be more economical by simply saying “part of” or “related to.”

Null and void. Null came from Latin and void came from French.. Together they make you sound like a well-educated legal scholar but you could easily get by with “negated” or “invalid.”

“We’re still in the early innings” started creeping up in corporate-speak and political-speak during the Major League Baseball playoffs. Just say “early on” or better yet, “initially.” When you’re long-winded like that, no one is going to wait around for you to tell us about the 7th inning stretch or the bottom of the ninth. You’ve already lost them.

Finally, when it comes to summarizing, “at the end of the day” is just as pompous as saying “when it’s all said and done.” Why not just say “ultimately“? I’ll take one word over six any day of the week.

As we approach the end of this post, you might be bracing for “last but not least” a passive aggressive way of implying that someone or something is still significant despite being mentioned at the end. “Last but not least, I’d like to thank our sales team. Without their efforts, we never would have achieved a record year.” You’re doing the sales team a favor by mentioning them at the end of your communication. It’s leaving a lasting impression on the audience. You don’t need to call excessive attention to “last but not least.” Just say “finally.” It’s the folks mentioned second or third from the end who ought to feel slighted.

Conclusion

As the old expression goes, “less is more.” If you can train yourself to get to the point using fewer (and better chosen) words, your listeners, viewers, readers and employees will respect you. Avoid redundant language that adds no value to the message. Our free resources have more

What are you and your colleagues doing to make incremental progress every day? I’d love to hear from you.