If you’ve ever written a university paper, you know that there are specific ways to structure your information and cite your sources. Once people are out in the working world, however, the use of style guides seems to drop off (unless, of course, your employer has an established internal style guide). A lack of reference material for those who are producing documents for a business can lead to inconsistencies, making communications look unprofessional or disjointed. What is a style guide? Style guides provide standards for things like punctuation usage, abbreviations, and formatting. They are useful not only for maintaining consistency between documents, but also maintaining consistency throughout a single (perhaps lengthy) document. What kinds of style guides are there? There are a number of style guides to choose from, and which one you select will likely depend on what types of documents you are producing and the makeup of your audience. Popular style guides include:
How do I know what kind of style guide I need? Normally, it makes sense to choose a style guide or two and then adapt the information to suit your needs (by selecting standards that apply to your field and communication goals). You can then add your own style standards that have been agreed upon by those involved in your company’s communications activities. Some things to think about include:
How can I make a customized style guide? Once you have selected a base style guide, you can begin to adapt it and add your own standards. It is useful to record set standards in a document that can be shared with anyone in your company who is producing communications material (emails, reports, marketing material, presentations, etc.). Just be sure to update the document and distribute the updated version any time a standard changes or needs to be removed. Some basic standards to include in your style guide are:
What if I’m completely confused? Language use, despite what some guides and language purists will tell you, is an ever-evolving and often subjective process, and what one group decides works for them could seem completely unnecessary in the eyes of another group. The best way to go about choosing a style guide is simply to review a variety of guides, pick one you feel comfortable with and that makes sense for the type of writing you're doing, and use the guide's standards (along with some of your own) consistently. You can also look for guidance from a friendly editor! Do you use a style guide where you work? Is it something you think could help your company, if you’re not already using one? What are your go-to guides and why? I’d love to hear about your experiences, so please feel free to comment below! More information on style guides:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_style_guides
http://nectafy.com/written-style-guide/ http://www.intelligentediting.com//resources/writing-a-style-guide-what-you-need-to-know/ http://marketeer.kapost.com/best-content-marketing-style-guides/ https://gathercontent.com/blog/how-to-make-a-style-guide-that-people-will-actually-use If you’re anything like me, there’s something a little irksome about people not paying attention to the standards of what’s known as Canadian English. You know what I’m talking about—people who use “center” instead of “centre” and who refuse to add the letter u to words like “colour” and “favourite”. I’m sure for most people, these small differences really don’t matter, especially because they do nothing to change the meaning of the words. But I feel a bit protective of our unique version of English and the fact that it sets us apart from the country to the south of us with which we’re so frequently lumped together. These differences feel especially important when used in the media, as they help to identify Canadian versus American content. Much of the time, Canadians are perhaps too accepting of a watered-down, Americanized version of who we are, and I believe small things like maintaining Canadian English standards help us to carve out a deeper sense of identity (albeit, a Canadian anglophone one). A Brief History So what is Canadian English, exactly? According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, Canadian English is a blend of British and American English, with a bit of French influence for good measure. Waves of immigration from Europe and the northern United States helped to establish the foundation for what is modern Canadian English. The strange thing about Canadian English is the way it has borrowed seemingly inconsistently from the languages that influenced its development. For example, we use the British spellings of words like “colour” and “favourite” (Americans don’t use the u between the o and r), but we opt for the American spellings of words like “realize” and “analyze” (the British use s instead of z). I like to think this is just because we’re super polite and didn’t want to offend by leaving one or the other out of our English standards. Even within our own country, though, there are standards that differ depending on what region you’re from. People on the east coast sound different from those in central Canada, and they often use phrases that people in other regions have never heard before. Accents, slang, and phrases in each region separate us somewhat as a country. And maybe that’s why the standards of Canadian English feel like they can draw us together. Will it Survive? The thing about language is that it’s a constantly changing entity. And young people tend to have a hand in the shifts that occur in its use. Based on what I observe of language use among younger people now, I would guess that Canadian English will eventually lose out to a more Americanized version. Globalization and technology have already changed the way we communicate, so I suspect that there might eventually be a global standard for English one day (certainly not in our lifetime, but maybe generations from now). In some ways, a global standard for English would be more inclusive, although it’s a bit sad to think that groups of English speakers with their own dialects and standards across the globe would eventually lose their uniqueness. How would Americans continue to make fun of the way we talk? For now, my fellow Canadians, can you just do me a favour and use re instead of er? What are your thoughts on Canadian English vs. American or British English? Do you care? Do you think we should just fully adopt one version or the other? Share your thoughts in the comments section below! More Reading on Canadian English: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20150820-why-is-canadian-english-unique
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_English http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/11/canadian-english-differen_n_2853947.html https://www.oupcanada.com/reference_trade/canadian_oxford_dictionaries/why_do_i_need_a_canadian_dictionary.html For many small businesses and organizations, it can be hard to find the money for full-time staff. Creative, financial, or administrative tasks might be combined into one position, which doesn’t always serve a company well. These multi-role positions might seem financially beneficial, but they often mean that one area or another will be sacrificed in terms of quality. For example, the financial whiz you hired might not be the best person to handle marketing and graphic design. On the flip side, the creative genius making all of your documents look amazing might not have a great grasp on numbers. It can be tough to decide what matters most, but a good solution could be contracting work out to those who do it best. You can find freelance artists, graphic designers, writers, editors, business consultants, HR professionals, accountants/bookkeepers, and administrative assistants (the list certainly doesn’t stop there) who can provide their specialized services to your company or organization, either in-house or remotely, whenever you need them. Freelancing has become easier and more prevalent with the ability to work from pretty much anywhere, at any time. There are a number of benefits to using the services of freelancers, and I’ve included five below that I think are perhaps the most important. 1. You pay them for the work they do, not for just showing up to the office. Full-time employees are paid for being in the office, but let’s be honest, not ALL of the time spent in the office is directly work-related. There might be 30-minute chitchat sessions, longer-than-necessary walks from meetings, snack runs outside of designated break times, or zone-out periods at their desks. Freelancers bill you for the time they actually spend working on the project you’ve assigned to them. The costs are laid out for you to review in an invoice so that you know you’re paying someone to work, not just show up. A sub-benefit is that you don’t have to pay them for vacation time or sick leave, and you don’t have to provide them with benefits. 2. They (normally) supply the materials or equipment needed to complete the job, and they (probably) don’t require office space. Freelancers working from home (or a coffee shop, or wherever they feel comfortable) will have their own computer and their own software. You won’t have to find them a spot in your office or a computer to work on, and you won’t have to worry about providing them with software licences, a printer, a phone, office supplies, or IT help. If you hire a freelancer to work from your office, they probably won’t require a permanent work space, due to the as-needed basis of the arrangement, and again, they will likely bring some (if not all) of their own equipment. 3. Their schedules are more flexible, so urgent projects or those with timelines requiring evening or weekend work are usually no problem. Need something completed right away, but it’s 8 p.m. and your regular team is off the clock? Depending on the contract you have with your freelancer, they might be willing to take on the project and have it completed for you that same night. Freelancers are normally more willing than full-time or part-time employees are to work odd hours (although some might charge an additional fee for urgent projects). 4. Depending on the contractual agreement, you have no obligation to continue using their services. Hiring freelancers allows you to shop around for the best fit for your team and the project/work in question. It also means that if a particular freelancer isn’t working out so well for you, you can end your working relationship with them and move on to someone who is a better fit. Because you probably haven’t spent as much time and energy on training/orientation for the freelancer compared to what would be provided for regular employees, there is less risk of wasted time. Understandably, a big concern that companies and organizations have about using freelancers is that the freelancer won’t know enough about the company culture or the work the company does to be able to complete the project properly. However, a good freelancer will be able to pick up enough information for the project(s) by visiting the office, meeting the team (in person or via phone, Skype, etc.), and reviewing documents like company handbooks or training materials (though you will likely have to pay for the time they spend completing these initial tasks). As with regular employees, freelancers will become more familiar with the work environment and expectations as they complete multiple projects for you over a longer period. 5. Freelancers are often experts in their field. One of the biggest advantages of hiring freelancers is that you have someone working on your project who specializes in that particular field. Hiring a freelance graphic designer means that the completed graphic design project should be of higher quality than if you had your receptionist put a little something together in Microsoft Word. Freelancers are also often more familiar with innovations, new techniques, and current acceptable standards when it comes to their field of expertise. This ensures your project is up-to-date and falls within current industry standards. Because freelancers aren’t as immersed in the day-to-day company goings-on, they can also bring a fresh perspective and important insights or advice to a project or a company’s internal methods. Not everything I’ve mentioned above will pertain to every contract or every freelancer, but the general benefits that come with the flexibility of using freelance talent certainly help to make this option an attractive one for small businesses and organizations that can’t afford full-time staff. What do you think the benefits are of hiring freelancers? Do you agree with the five I outlined above? Would you or your employer ever consider hiring a freelancer? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Helpful hints and more information about hiring freelancers: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242406
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/hiring-freelance-contractors/ https://www.allbusiness.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-hiring-a-freelancer-16432-1.html http://learn.infusionsoft.com/business-management/human-resources/hiring-freelancers-the-basics-every-business-owner-should-know/ |
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