Friday, August 21, 2020
How the Negative Photo Illusion Works
How the Negative Photo Illusion Works Theories Cognitive Psychology Print How the Negative Photo Illusion Works By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on January 23, 2020 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD on January 23, 2020 geloo, modified by Kendra Cherry More in Theories Cognitive Psychology Behavioral Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology Did you think that you needed a darkroom to process a negative photo into a full-color image? In this fun optical illusion, you can see how your visual system and brain are actually able to briefly create a color image from a negative photo. How to Perform the Illusion Stare at the dots located at the center of the womans face for about 30 seconds to a minute.Then turn your eyes immediately to the center x of the white image on the right of the womans face.Blink quickly several times. What do you see? If youve followed the directions correctly, you should see an image of a woman in full-color. If you are having trouble seeing the effect, try staring at the negative image a bit longer or adjusting how far you are sitting from your computer monitor. Explanations How does this fascinating visual illusion work? What you are experiencing is known as a negative afterimage. This happens when the photoreceptors, primarily the cone cells, in your eyes become overstimulated and fatigued causing them to lose sensitivity. In normal everyday life, you dont notice this because tiny movements of your eyes keep the cone cells located at the back of your eyes from becoming overstimulated. Why Do People Experience Afterimages as an Optical Illusion? If, however, you look at a large image, the tiny movements in your eyes arent enough to reduce overstimulation. As a result, you experience what is known as a negative afterimage. As you shift your eyes to the white side of the image, the overstimulated cells continue to send out only a weak signal, so the affected colors remain muted. However, the surrounding photoreceptors are still fresh and so they send out strong signals that are the same as if we were looking at the opposite colors. The brain then interprets these signals as the opposite colors, essentially creating a full-color image from a negative photo. According to the opponent process theory of color vision, our perception of color is controlled by two opposing systems: a magenta-green system and a blue-yellow system. For example, the color red serves as an antagonist to the color green so that when you stare too long at a magenta image you will then see a green afterimage. The magenta color fatigues the magenta photoreceptors so that they produce a weaker signal. Since magentas opposing color is green, we then interpret the afterimage as green.
Sunday, May 24, 2020
The Factors Influencing Corporate Social Responsibility...
The Factors Influencing Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ayman I. F. Issa Dongbei University of Finance and Economics Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the corporate social responsibility disclosure â⬠CSRDâ⬠index and corporate factors, namely, board size, board independence, board meetings, CEO duality, a firmââ¬â¢s size, leverage, profitability and age. To the best of my knowledge this the first to use the GRI 4th edition indicators to construct the CSRD index and evaluate Saudi listed firms. The data covers three years from 2012- 2014 and sample of 109 listed firms from 13 sectors in Kingdom Saudi Arabia ââ¬Å"KSAâ⬠. The results show that profitability and size factor have positive and significant association with CSR disclosure in listed Saudi firms. Keywords: Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Accounting, Sustainable Reports. 1. Introduction Corporate social responsibility ââ¬Å"CSRâ⬠and corporate governance ââ¬Å"CGâ⬠are prior agenda for policy makers, researchers and business managers in countries across the world. This has greater relevance after memorable cases such as Arthur Anderson, Worldcom and Enron in the USA. CG has been brought under greater scrutiny following the global financial crisis of 2007-2008 (Peters et al., 2011). Attention has been drawn to CSR since the 1950s, when firms began to claim they had responsibilities to society and that their actions couldShow MoreRelatedResearch Of Corporate Social Responsibility Report1421 Words à |à 6 PagesResearch of Corporate Social Responsibility Report The recent fifteen years saw a dramatic increase of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) report. There were more than 3300 CSR reports in 2008 while the number of 2002 was less than 100. More and more companies especially some multinational corporations among the world are keen to proving the sustainability, in order to improve their corporate image and credibility (Adams, 2002). This essay will explain why there are an increasing number ofRead MoreQuantitative Positive Disclosures With Quantitative Negative Disclosures1171 Words à |à 5 Pagesfirms could use SER disclosures to legitimise activities to lenders and shareholders (Haniffa and Cooke 2005). SERs can be used by managers to frame how Financial stake holders interpret financial information, specifically to manipulate stakeholders reaction to disappointing financial reports, by changing the focus and constructing a disconfirmatory effect on the financial figures (Neu et al., 1998, p.270). Qualitative positive disclosu res with quantitative negative disclosures (Gibbins et al., 1990)Read MoreAccounting Theory Assignment 21710 Words à |à 7 PagesTopic: How social and environmental reporting practices undertaken by companies highlight the limitations of the conceptual framework. Introduction: Accountancy has always been concerned with mainly the accountability of directors to shareholders and companies to creditors. As companies grow larger and become more integrated with the society, this call for a focus towards sustainability and being accountable to a wider range of stakeholders (Perks, 1993). Corporate Social Responsibility is definedRead MoreEthical Issues1128 Words à |à 5 PagesEthics Issues University of Phoenix MGT 216 Organizational Ethics and Social Responsibility 20th July, 2009 Ethics Issues Less than a year ago a regional property supervisor working for California Commercial Investment found an accountant stealing from the company. More specifically, the accountant was posting charges for one of our buildings (i.e. labor and supplies for painting), cutting checks, misleading the owner to sign them and cashing them for himself. He was able to steal a few thousandRead MoreCorporate Social Reporting ( Csr )1556 Words à |à 7 PagesCorporate Social Reporting (CSR) Abstract Organizations embark on social and environmental reporting for a variety of different reasons and not to simply improve credibility with stakeholders; although that is a primary reason in many organizations. However, other organizations have different objectives altogether that can include a range of different motivations. Some models have broken the range of motivations into signaling or greenwashing or used legitimacy theory to explain the motivationsRead MoreSegment Reporting1368 Words à |à 6 PagesAccounting Standards for the Public Sector Objective The objective of this Standard is to establish principles for reporting financial information by segments. The disclosure of this information will: (a) help users of the financial statements to better understand the entityââ¬â¢s past performance and to identify the resources allocated to support the major activities of the entity; and (b) enhance the transparency of financial reporting and enable the entity to better discharge its accountabilityRead MoreCritical assessment of annual report of Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc1860 Words à |à 8 Pagescompany to make their decisions. Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc (abbreviated as ââ¬Å"Morrisonsâ⬠below) is ââ¬Å"the UKââ¬â¢s fourth largest food retailer by saleâ⬠(Morrisons, 2013). This report will use Morrisons as an example to make a critical evaluation of corporate annual report. There will be mainly four parts in this report. First of all, an overview of the annual report of Morrisons will be provided. On this basis, the second part will critically assess the section of ââ¬Å"Performance and Strategy Reviewâ⬠ofRead MoreAccounting Theory Assignment13240 Words à |à 53 PagesFinancial Reporting and Disclosure Issues: FRANCE CL E A N S P A C E LT D 24 March 2011 By: Charn Gek Cheng, Chiang Soo Ling, Kummar Sokali Muthu Mogan, Lee Siew Fen Samantha To: Mrs Maria Long MEMORANDUM To: Mrs Maria Long, Manager Accounts Department, Cleanspace Ltd From: Date: Subject: Accounting Theory Team No. 29 24 March 2011 Report on Financial Reporting and Disclosure Practices of France Enclosed is the research on ââ¬Å"Financial Reporting and Disclosure Practices of Franceâ⬠forRead MoreLegitimacy Theory Stakeholder Theory3298 Words à |à 14 PagesPart A Section (i) The articles chosen for this essay paper were ââ¬Å"Corporate Environmental Reporting: A test of legitimacy theoryâ⬠by Trevor D. Wilmshurst and Geoffrey R. Frost and ââ¬Å"The Stakeholder Theory: Concepts, Evidence and Implicationsâ⬠by Thomas Donaldson and Preston Lee. There were several factors that contributed to my choosing these particular articles for my study. First and foremost, these articles were both peer reviewed and the journals they were sourced from, namely theRead MoreCase Study Analysis of Royal Ahold Scandal7067 Words à |à 29 PagesFinal exam assignment Introduction Over the last few decades there have been a number of cases of high profile corporate collapses and fraud scandals. In essence, the unethical behaviour of corporations affects us all, such as shareholdersââ¬â¢ lost financial investments, employees who lost their jobs, other companies that provided goods and services to the company, as well as the economic impact on domestic and international communities. In this paper I will focus on the case study of Royal Ahold
Thursday, May 14, 2020
The Decline Of Cognitive Decline - 1312 Words
Are nursing homes associated with the acceleration of cognitive decline? The relevance of this question is that there are numerous families that are concerned about their loved one s health when they are placed into a nursing home. First, what are some of the reasons for families to place their loved oneââ¬â¢s into a nursing home? Second, what is Alzheimerââ¬â¢s and Dementia? Third, what are the reasons for the decline in residents cognitive behaviors? Finally, how can we help change the acceleration of cognitive decline? Nursing homes are suppose to be helping the residents maintain their health as long as they can but are they helping the residents? If nursing homes are more suitable for the well being of the suffering loved one, thenâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Also, when the family is taking care of them, it becomes stressful and straining to care for them on their own, especially when the impairments worsen. If the family still does not wish to place them into a long-term facility, they have the option of placing them into a daycare, just to give the family members a break from day-to-day (Rabins). Everyone needs a break, including the ones who try to their best running their life while caring for someone who is worsening and shows progression of Alzheimer s. In addition to having to care for a person going through a progression of a physical impairment, but also having to watch them progress with Alzheimerââ¬â¢s is extremely hard. It becomes difficult when the family does not fully understand what Alzheimer s and Dementia is. In order to care for someone with Alzheimerââ¬â¢s and or Dementia they should proceed to look further into it. Various studies have been done to help explain to families what each problem is and how to care for someone with Alzheimerââ¬â¢s and Dementia. Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells (What). Most commonly the first region of the brain cells damaged would be the cells in the hippocampus, whi ch is the center of learning and memory in the brain (What). Depending on what type of Dementia the patient has will depend on the area of the brain that is affected (What). Dementia has a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
The Marketing And Advertising Industry Essay - 1276 Words
One of the most popular and controversial topics in todayââ¬â¢s society happens once every four years; I am of course talking about the presidential election. During the presidential election, candidates from their respected parties dump millions of dollars into advertising and marketing to their campaigns in order to touch the lives of millions of Americans in order to potentially gain the vote individuals. During the most recent election, Clinton and Trump combined to raise a total of over $200 Million (Bloomberg). Although this seems like so much money in order to gain the backing of many, the marketing and advertising industry in 2015 has grown to be an almost 200 billion dollar a year industry according to Wall Street Journal (Dwoskin). Iââ¬â¢m sure many people question why do we have to spend this much money to get consumers to purchase certain products, change their viewpoints and even develop new cultures. I too was curious on how this industry became so large and if s pending over 200 billion dollars a year had a positive impact on consumer brand awareness. What is the history of Marketing and Advertising how has marketing and advertising changed over time and what trends will stay the same or what new ways will be developed in the future. Through Raymond Williams article Advertising, the Magic System as well as researching different articles and looking at the industries statistics, I strongly believe we can learn a lot through marketing and advertising to help strengthenShow MoreRelatedHow Do Trend in the Marketing Industry, Such as Integrated Marketing, Affect Advertising?1037 Words à |à 5 Pages1. How do trend in the marketing industry, such as integrated marketing, affect advertising? Nowadays, there are too many trends in the marketing industry which we can see all over the places. These trends do not only give implication to the industry itself, it also affects the advertising field as well. Internet Marketingà is an all-inclusive term for marketing products and/or services online ââ¬â and like many all-inclusive terms, Internet marketing means different things to differentRead MoreE Marketing vs Traditional Marketing in the Middle East1427 Words à |à 6 Pages The potential of e-marketing as strong form of marketing has been discussed in many publications. Despite the worldwide and the Middle East1 overwhelming statistics regarding the phenomenal growth of e-marketing and all other forms on internet based media. There was never clear method, to clearly identify the future expectations of the internet marketing. E-marketing has grown rapidly in the past decade, many companies have This paper will discuss the growth of e-marketing in the Middle East inRead MoreMarketing Is A Complex And Valuable Tool1201 Words à |à 5 PagesMarketing is a complex and valuable tool in the business industry. Marketing is defined as ââ¬Å"the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertisingâ⬠(Oxford). Marketing is an industry that implements several tactics and strategies to entice consumers to use or purchase a certain brand or product. Several marketing tactics include persuasion through physiological, emotional, and logical appeal to make products and services seem more glamorousRead MoreExplain Marketing Opportunities Essay1606 Words à |à 7 PagesExplain marketing opportunities. Provide an example. A marketing opportunity is a potentially favourable condition in which a business can capitalise on a changing trend or an increasing demand for a product by a demographic group that has yet to be recognised by its competitors. For a market opportunity to exist, a company must be able to identify who its potential customers are, the specific needs that need to be met, the size of the market, and its capacity to capture market share. Example: PolaroidRead MoreCaroline Le Bon s Fashion Marketing Essay1402 Words à |à 6 PagesCaroline Le Bonââ¬â¢s Fashion Marketing and Harriet Posnerââ¬â¢s Marketing Fashion, defines fashion marketing and its elements. Fashion marketing and advertising is the process of analyzing, developing and marketing current fashion trends to satisfy consumer needs. Both or the readings discuss the role of marketing in the fashion industry and its differences to marketing other products. Fashion products are often trended items, temporary items based on design color, fabric and pattern. Le Bon and PosnerRead MoreCurrent Health Care Marketing Techniques and Trends821 Words à |à 3 Pagesï » ¿Current Health Care Marketing Techniques and Trends Current Health Care Marketing Techniques and Trends: In past few decades, the nature of marketing in the health care industry has changed significantly because of the recent developments that have contributed to the need to develop innovative marketing techniques and trends. These developments witnessed the adoption of marketing techniques from other industries and the creation of marketing approaches that are healthcare-specific. Some of theRead MoreThe Revenue Picture For American Journalism1651 Words à |à 7 PagesThe Revenue Picture for American Journalism, and How It Is Changing 1. Advertising Still Dominates a. 69% of all domestic news revenue comes from advertising i. $43 billion of $63 b. Audience revenue accounts for 24% of the total revenue i. Subscriptions, cable fees, etc. c. Event hosting, marketing services and web consulting account for 7% of the total d. 1% total comes from Personal wealth, philanthropy 2. The Old and the New a. 58% combined digital and print ads i. Decline 2005: $49 billionRead MoreMarketing Of A Good Cash Flow973 Words à |à 4 Pages Marketing plays an important part in successful business undertakings role. The way one markets oneââ¬â¢s business will determine oneââ¬â¢s level of success or failure process. The major factor to successful marketing is to know the customersââ¬â¢ demands, supplies, and mindset. They are the ones to determine whether one stays in business. Look for ways to gather as much insight and suggestions from customers in positive situations as much as possible. Ask for their advice, problems, and insights in everyRead MoreAnalysis of Marketing Through History1091 Words à |à 5 PagesSurprisingly, the marketing community started out with a few handbills and ads that were considered boring and unreadable. In the early days, companies and marketers barely researched what their consumers truly wanted in a product. Over the last century, the marketing landscape has changed dramatically with the introduction of technology, and an emphasis on providing value to the customer. The Beginnings of Marketing One of the earliest and most successful marketing campaigns were those forRead MoreInnovation And Marketing Of Marketing Management Essay1300 Words à |à 6 PagesWhat is innovation? The Importance of Innovation and creativity in advertising/marketing industry Creative advertising and marketing management is necessary in order to have a complete understanding of how producers and sales companies work effectively. While advertising performs the communicative function of informing consumers about a companyââ¬â¢s product or services, creative advertising also attracts people to the market, marketing management is a much more complex managerial process. Today, in current
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Intravenous Therapy is an Invasive Procedure Sample for Students
Question: Discuss about the Evidence Based Nursing Research. Answer: Clinical bottom line The difference between clinically-indicated replacement of peripheral venous catheter and routine replacement of peripheral venous catheter is to be understood for better patient outcomes. Clinical Scenario Among patients hospitalised in different healthcare settings, intravenous therapy is an invasive procedure considered commonly for application. Intravenous catheter insertion is allied with an increased risk of bacteraemia and phlebitis. This results in poor patient outcomes as well as increased health burden. Current guidelines of CDC put forward the recommendation that the peripheral intravenous (IV) catheters are to be replaced every three or four days for the restriction of potential chances of infection. On the other hand, the guideline has cited only single observational study for supporting the related recommendation. The study has created a pool of uncertainty that whether peripheral intravenous catheter management can be done adequately this way. The intervention that has therefore been under consideration as an alternative is that an intravenous peripheral catheter is only to be replaced in the presence of a clinical indication, such as pain, infiltration, redness, blockage , leakage, swelling, and phlebitis. There was, therefore, a necessity to assess the impact of the removal of peripheral IV catheters at the time of clinical indication in comparison to the removal of the catheters on a routine basis (Webster et al., 2010). Question P- Patients admitted at healthcare settings with insertion of intravenous catheters E- Removal of peripheral intravenous catheters when clinically indicated C- Removal of peripheral intravenous catheters in a routine manner O- Significant reduction in risk of phlebitis and bacteraemia T- Until discharge from health care setting Search Strategy Electronic search- The Specialised Register and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) of Cochrane Peripheral Vascular Diseases (PVD) Group were searched for appropriate publications. The Specialised Register is a collection of weekly electronic searches of AMED, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, as well as other applicable journals. Other resources- Manufactures and researchers were also contacted for obtaining all relevant unpublished data. There was no language restriction as a translation of the summary of the articles was done. Study Summary Type of study- The studies reported were all randomised controlled trials that compared the effectively routine removal of peripheral IV catheters with the removal of peripheral IV catheters at the time of clinical indication. Cross-over trails were not included in the review. Patients reported- All patients who required a peripheral IV catheter to be placed in situ for three days at a minimal for the applicationof continuous or intermittent therapy. The participatory group included patients cases in nursing homes, hospitals and community settings. Participants receiving parental fluids were not included in the review. Intervention- All duration of clinically-indicated replacement against routine replacement were included. Catheters of any material, coated or non-coated with any material or covered by any dressing were included. Outcomes- Primary outcomes were: Alleged device-related bacteraemia Cost Thrombophlebitis Secondary outcomes were: Infiltration Catheter occlusion Mortality Number of catheter re-sits for each patient Satisfaction Local infection Pain Validity Appropriate measures were taken for eliminating chances of bias. Two review authors were responsible for independently assessing the quality of qualified trials by utilisation of PVD quality assessment criteria. Any arising differences were resolved through consensus to a third reviewer. Reporting bias was evaluated by utilising guidelines in Cochrane Hand-book for Systematic Reviews of Intervention. All the studies included in the review avoided section bias. Allocation concealment was also ensured. Even though the authors of the review were involved in one or more of the trials included in the review, potential bias was eliminated through following clearly described procedures. A proper search for literature was done while the methods used were reproducible and transparent. There was no conflict of interest among the authors. Results In five trials that comprised of 3408 participants 44% reduction was found in the suspected catheter-related bacteraemia in the clinically-indicated group (0.2 versus 0.4%). However this result was not statistically significant (95% confidence interval (CI), odds ratio (OR) 0.57; 0.17 to 1.94; P = 0.37). Assessment of phlebitis was done through six trials with a total number of 3455 patientts. In this case a non-significant increase in phlebitis was noted in the group with replacement of catheters when clinically indicated (9% versus 7.2%). In this case the OR was 1.24 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.60; P = 0.09). phlebitis was alos measured per 1000 device days with the help of data retrieved from five trials. This amounted to a total of 9779 device days. No statistical differences were found in the incidences of phlebitis per 1,000 device days. The comparison was done with 1.6 cases of clinically indicated catheter replacement per 1,000 catheter days, and 1.5 cases of routine catheter replaceme nt per 1,000 catheter days. The combined Odds Ratio was found to be 1.04 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.32; P = 0.77). Measurement of cost was done with two trials and a total number of 961 patients. Significantly reduction of costs of cannulation was noted in the clinically-indicated group (mean difference (MD) -6.21; 95% CI -9.32 to -3.11; P = 0.000). Comments The systematic review was not successful in drawing any conclusive evidence of advantages of changing intravenous catheters every 72 hours or 96 hours. Subsequently, it can be stated that health care organisations are presented with an option to consider significant changes in their policies whereby catheters of patients would only be changed at the time of clinical indication. The ultimate benefit would be a major cost savings as well as better patient outcomes and increased satisfaction level of patients with relieve from clinical pain. Reference Webster, J., Osborne, S., Rickard, C., Hall, J. (2010). Clinically-indicated replacement versus routine replacement of peripheral venous catheters.Cochrane Database Syst Rev,3.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Julius Caesar, The Tragic Hero Essays - , Term Papers
Julius Caesar, The Tragic Hero Julius Caesar, the tragic hero Only the ignorant would deny that the title of a novel or play has no relevance to the play itself. Unfortunately, those ignorant minds have caused the true tragic hero of Shakespeare's Tragedy of Julius Caesar, an area of dispute. Brutus seems to be a candidate because he appears more than Caesar in the play, but without Caesar the whole play would be lost. It is an indisputable fact that Julius Caesar is the Tragic Hero. It is arguable that Brutus fits Aristotle's guidelines for a tragic hero. He has a high position in society, which is evident through that fact that he is a senator. Brutus also has a noble and famous family name. In the play, even his enemies speak well of him (Shakespeare V, 5, 73-75). Brutus is also very prosperous. He is very wealthy and has many loyal friends. It also seems that he has a great relationship with his wife, because when she was concerned about him, he spent time to talk to her and comfort her. Furthermore, his tragic flaw causes him it make a mistake. He ends up murdering Caesar because of his overwhelming patriotism. Brutus is more concerned about his nation than he is about any single man. Although Marcus Brutus seems to fit Aristotle's qualifications of a tragic hero, the fact that Caesar fits it better is undeniable. Shakespeare makes his point almost too clear. First, the citizens of Rome love Caesar so much that they offer him the thrown three times. Brutus is barely known by the citizens. Julius Caesar had already been the leader of Rome without being king, and had led his own army to many great victories, which is obviously a sign of much power. Caesar can brag of his prosperity, through his wealth, his many friends, and his loving wife. Caesar's tragic flaw helps to make his death more of a tragedy. He is too trusting and over-confident in the loyalty of his friends. In no part of the play did Caesar imagine that his closest friends were plotting to assassinate him. The fact is, the title of the play is not titled The Tragedy of Marcus Brutus; it is titled The tragedy of Julius Caesar, which obviously leads the reader to believe that the story will be focused around Julius Caesar. Shakespeare creates the entire story around Julius Caesar and the events that lead to his tragedy. Brutus' death isn't much of a tragedy, supported by the fact that he took his own life. Brutus' last words even spoke of Caesar. Brutus is too unimportant to be the tragic hero. If Brutus was taken out of the play, another character, like Cassius, could take his place as the betrayer; but if Caesar was taken out of the story, there is no one that could take his place, and there would be no story. There are some small reasons why someone would mistake Brutus as the tragic hero. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must die in the fifth act (like Brutus did), but Caesar did not. Caesar is actually present, even after his death, in the form of a ghost. His ghosts appears several times in the story to haunt Brutus, and in the end, he is truly laid to rest. Second, the last speech is not about Caesar, when most of Shakespeare's tragic heroes are the subjects of the last speech. It can be explained by saying that Shakespeare felt is necessary to break one small rule in order to complete the novel successfully. Most of the other arguments that can be stated on Brutus' behalf are just opinions, and cannot be backed up with facts. Although Marcus Brutus can reasonably be seen as the main character of the story, the tragic hero is unmistakably Julius Caesar. Brutus is merely Shakespeare's main tool in moving the play along. The play Tragedy of Julius Caesar is the story of a hero who is tragically killed, and that hero is Julius Caesar.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
6 Must-Read Tips for Writing Friendly AND Professional Emails
6 Must-Read Tips for Writing Friendly AND Professional Emails Last week I had the privilege of presenting a workshop for the staff of a fast-growing digital asset management software company here in Madison. The topic was how to write consistently with the companyââ¬â¢s brand, which is friendly, helpful and professional. A big piece of any business communications, of course, is email. How can you write emails that are personable without being too casual? Here are my top 6 email writing dos and donts on how to write email communications that are both friendly AND professional: 1. DO start with a friendly greeting that includes the recipientââ¬â¢s [first] name. There is neuroscience research showing that hearing oneââ¬â¢s own name activates parts of the brain that increase attention. I would hazard a guess that people pay more attention when addressed by their name whether in writing or orally. This alone convinces me to use the addresseeââ¬â¢s name in every email greeting. (Use the first name except in very formal writing where you might use a full name or a Mr. or Ms. title). What should you put before the name? Sometimes simply the name followed by a comma will do (ââ¬Å"Jane,â⬠), but usually we want to use another word of greeting. ââ¬Å"Hi Jane,â⬠is a common greeting and is widely accepted. ââ¬Å"Hey Jane,â⬠is more familiar and casual. Using ââ¬Å"Dearâ⬠could be read as more formal or as more intimate, depending on the context. Thereââ¬â¢s no right greeting to use except the one that your company agrees is the one most aligned with its brand. In a lengthy email exchange, the person youââ¬â¢re writing to might drop the greeting and simply respond to your message with answers to your questions or responses. Talk to your company about whether you should follow suit. Personally, I rarely write an email that doesnââ¬â¢t include the personââ¬â¢s name at least somewhere (ââ¬Å"Thatââ¬â¢s a great idea Jane!â⬠or ââ¬Å"Thanks so much Jane!â⬠) Of course, appropriate language and level of formality will also depend on your particular relationship with the person youââ¬â¢re interacting with. When in doubt, check your brand guidelines or ask a colleague or supervisor for direction. 2. DO use emoticons :-O. Emoticons are becoming more and more accepted in business communications and can help with guiding the way a message is read. Emoticons can make a message seem more personal and friendly, so if thatââ¬â¢s the tone youââ¬â¢re going for, use them! More neuroscience: Studies have shown that seeing an upright smiley face activates the same part of the brain as seeing a real face! Still, donââ¬â¢t use them unless your company says itââ¬â¢s okay. And know your audience. If youââ¬â¢re communicating with a millennial, emoticons are probably fair game. If your audience is over 70, maybe not. But there are plenty of exceptions to both of these generalizations. Depending on the nature of your business, you might or might not want to use emoticons. They are probably not appropriate for a law practice or government institution for instance, whereas a social media firm might use them frequently. If your industry is somewhere in between, you still might want to refrain from using emoticons in your initial communications. Consider waiting until youââ¬â¢ve established rapport with someone before you start inserting ðŸâ¢â s in emails to them. I would recommend sticking to standard happy, sad, and occasionally surprised emoticons, and not pictorialize anger, disgust or love/kisses. That might be going overboard in a professional context. Here are two useful blog articles on the topic: Do emoticons have a place in business communication? and How to Use Emoticons and Emojis in Business Communications. 3. DO write a catchy, informative, spam-word-free subject line. ââ¬Å"What are you doing May 17?â⬠That subject line might get attention from some people, but others might delete it without a second thought, not knowing why they are being asked this question. What about ââ¬Å"Clear your calendar for May 17. [Company] is taking you to dinnerâ⬠? Sure itââ¬â¢s longer, but Iââ¬â¢m inspired to find out more about this dinner. When I first decided to email my LinkedIn contacts and invite them to join my e-list, I used the subject line ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve never done this before, Jane!â⬠A lot of people opened the email. But now so many people are using that subject line, I donââ¬â¢t think it would get much traction. Iââ¬â¢ve changed my subject line to ââ¬Å"Where to Find the Best Essay Expert Articles: Your Inbox.â⬠I like this one. It doesnââ¬â¢t hide anything and doesnââ¬â¢t use any tricks. A lot of people open it and sign up for my lists. Be careful to avoid words that will get your email caught in spam filters. ââ¬Å"Freeâ⬠is a big one. An extensive list can be found in the article Subject Line Spam Trigger Words. There are others. Just google ââ¬Å"email subject line spam wordsâ⬠and youââ¬â¢ll get a lot of good info. 4. DONââ¬â¢T overuse exclamation points! I am guilty myself of overusing these pesky punctuation marks. But they often make things seem less important when weââ¬â¢re trying to make them seem more important. I recommend limiting yourself to one exclamation point per email. You might be surprised how much more powerful your writing becomes. When I was putting my newsletter together, my assistant sent me a draft and I saw an overabundance of exclamation marks. One example was the description of my 8 Most Important Updates for You to Know on LinkedIn ââ¬â March 2016. The description read: Here is a summary of LinkedIns latest platform updates, from job features to mobile apps and some that are still rolling out! What was the purpose of that exclamation mark? Iââ¬â¢m sure I donââ¬â¢t know. Both my assistant and I use them unconsciously and we are starting to catch ourselves and reduce their proliferation. 5. DONââ¬â¢T overuse the word ââ¬Å"please.â⬠The group I presented to was in Wisconsin, a state with a reputation for being ââ¬Å"nice.â⬠So the question came up of whether the word ââ¬Å"pleaseâ⬠can be overused in email messages. The answer is yes! People especially tend to overuse the word in awkward phrases like ââ¬Å"Please find attachedâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ This is not language youââ¬â¢d use if you were speaking with someone. Instead, use conversational language: ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve attached the document hereâ⬠or ââ¬Å"The updated version is attached.â⬠We also frequently say, ââ¬Å"Please let me know if you have any questions.â⬠Here, the ââ¬Å"pleaseâ⬠is more natural, so you might choose to use it. But, like the rule with exclamation marks, limit yourself to one ââ¬Å"pleaseâ⬠per email. 6. DO reread your emails 3 times before sending. The best way to make sure youââ¬â¢re following the above 5 rules AND that you catch any typos or confusing sentences, is to reread, reread, and reread again. Even those of use who know the best practices and who blog about them (ehhemmâ⬠¦.) make some of the errors listed above. As I frequently say, every editor needs an editor. Your writing will be much more professional if you proofread it, saving you time in the long run. So check your work at least 3 times before hitting send. Your recipients (and your boss) will be so grateful that you did.
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