book

which4words

Name: which4words
ISBN: 9783112217702

by Fiona Talbot, Alexander Talbot

June 2026

Beginner

196 pages

6h 2m

English

De Gruyter

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Frontmatter
Contents
Introduction
The authorsFiona TalbotAlexander Talbot
1 How the world of business writing has changed – and introducing the which4words approach
PART 1: Let’s start with a constant – whatever the background, we’re almost all business writers todayBandwidth overload is fast becoming gripe number 1So who is this book aimed at?PART 2: The history – the written word was powerful from the startThe fork in the road – where should we be going with our business writing today?Let’s look at our starting point nowAI is an important part of today’s business writing – so how best to harness its help?Part 3: Challenges you’ll face in business writing today, whoever you are and whatever you do!The sometimes big, sometimes small AI writing errorsIt’s not just AI’s communication we have to evaluate: it’s our own!Employers are now waking up to how they need to accommodate this changing scenarioEmployees’ approach to business writing – what are we likely to find?An upside-down world: where we increasingly have to be all things to all people in our communication!If we ask who needs business writing skills, more to the point: who doesn’t?Part 4: Time to react to a great new opportunity: introducing the which4words approachThe which4words approach at your serviceWays to apply the which4words method to your business writingSee how flexible the method is – it’s for you to curate and personaliseWhat the power of the written word means to youUse this new perspective to drive your successRefocus and adjust your mindset: put YOURSELF at the forefront of the AI agewhich4words in summaryWhy not also create a Word Bank to summarise this and each ensuing chapter?
2 Why everyone’s business writing matters
The communication formula to keep in mind every time!which4words ‘sense check’Don’t let ‘busyness’ take our eye off the goal!Good intentions gone bad: Communication tools used wronglyKnowledge Management always made easy?Some hard facts on why it matters to get writing righta) Business writing affects objectives and the bottom lineb) It affects productivityWhat does this mean to you? The most important person in this bookExerciseTo get writing right, it can help to address what gets it wrong!So what were the sorts of bugbears that commonly came up?‘The Five Pings’ Poor Communication syndrome!Not setting a baseline can hamper goals/reference/targets/briefsBusiness writing isn’t just about ‘mechanics’: it’s also about getting mindsets right!What would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
3 Looking at when communication starts
We become communication powerhouses from infancy onDon’t lose this initial childhood joy – and ease in communicationSome unwanted challenges to addressRediscovering why the basics are important, also helps us flourish as adultsWhy it’s best to develop long form concentration from the get-goLet’s recap using which4wordsSome facts to support the case that childhood literacy informs future learningSavour the memory – it can help your future creativityThe right input, the right outcomes – children soon learn to get to the point!Writing that’s clear and reading what’s there, an important foundation in childhood – and essential in your later world of workCASE STUDY 1 – The Leaflets we all see need accurate writing, and emails need accurate readingCASE STUDY 2 – Classroom lessons: ‘Focus on the words, pay attention to the meaning’ serve us well throughout life!Yes, back to basics helps future success. Read what’s there, as you were guided to do as a child!What would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
4 Purpose and Compass: your place in the workplace communication landscape
Be mindful about what you want: positive affirmation will serve your writing wellPassion for what you do builds confidence, and confidence boosts credibilityPurpose and Compass in place? The outcomes you want can follow on nicelyEmbrace your Purpose and your CompassStart with Purpose – it feeds everything elseExerciseWhy would we suggest writing things down for your eyes only?Your individuality, your humanness, helps you communicate with othersWhat’s your Purpose? Our questions, your answersLet’s take a step back to see how powerful Purpose can be using which4wordsNow let’s address CompassCASE STUDY 1: The importance of setting or resetting your CompassCASE STUDY 2: The lightbulb moment can happen in your social life tooWhat would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
5 Time to capitalise on the Uniqueness of You, your personality, and … as a Human
Why do we yearn for personality and the human touch in writing?Part 1 ‘The essence of you’ – your personality in business writingPart 2 The human touch we have in commonAgree you’ve an advantage as a human? Don’t squander it!Blurred lines: when people aren’t sure what’s human writing and what’s not‘Three in the relationship?’ You, your manager, and AI …CASE STUDY – Don’t let AI undermine your confidence (1)CASE STUDY – Don’t let AI undermine your confidence (2)Watch out! There can be huge monetary costs in relinquishing the human touchAnother major consideration likely to gain traction in coming yearsAn interesting upshot: the emergence of the human touch as a business trendThe human touch is now highlighted, championed – and monetisedWhat writing for humans should look likeConfident communication results when your heart engages with your brainWhat are our brains for? Thinking, for logic, for imagination, for creativityAnother string to your bow: your unique, crucial ability to apply critical thinking, and verifyCASE STUDY – One of the major AI hallucinationsQuestion. Know when to say ‘that doesn’t make sense’!Stay aware when you approach each writing taskYour uniqueness as a human means you can read between the linesExample of how helpful it can be to confirm understandingHarness your further uniqueness to think in parallelCelebrating experience – your human edgeBasic language has its place, but it’s not the end of the storyThinking around the subject, drawing on experience, can enrich resultsThis leads us to ‘Proactive Communication’As a human, stay vigilant of AI’s carbon footprint!CASE STUDY – When being polite to AI models isn’t green and costs money!Elevate your skills and see your confidence grow!What would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
6 Taking others’ Compasses into account
Start by being curious about other People’s CompassesSupportive environments foster both curiosity and learningPersonality affects the way others might writeLet’s recap with which4words what you’ve learned so far about Others’ CompassesAlso tailor your style to match cultural dynamicsFrom the direct to the meanderingEven the way you frame questions can assist intercultural expectationsAI may not cover cultural differences. Its output depends on input – which may only draw on the inputter’s biasThe Polite ConundrumThinking of others generally: What’s polite, and what’s not?Generational differences in communication styleA broad brushstroke look at generational differences in communication todayA few words about emojis‘Standard language’ works best in many communication tasksSo what is ‘standard language’?Language evolvesAccessibility considerations come into business writingNow consider what outcomes are others out to achieve?CASE STUDY – Chasing approval to place a Purchase OrderHow to defuse conflict arising from others’ differing CompassesCASE STUDY – Starting up a new ventureCultural IntelligenceImpactful and effective business writing in international tradeDraw the strands together to craft the best solutionsWhat would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
7 A broader toolkit to level up your business writing
You’re already mastering techniques and building confidenceApproach 1 – Fundamentals: be systematic about your writingRoutine questions you now could be asking yourselfA bit more detail to helpApproach 2 – Developing a comprehensive voiceThe need ‘to be many things’ to our readers1 Why be ‘Part Enabler’ when you write?2 Why be ‘Part Technical’ when you write?3 Why be ‘Part Creative’ when you write?Approach 3 – The Magic of StorytellingYou can need to be a storytellerApproach 4 – Be 100% professional and humanChoosing active verbs can helpVibrant words help tooExerciseWhat would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?

8 Extra tips on Common Writing Tasks
Calls to action (CTAs)What do calls to action look like?Other benefits that calls to actions can bringOver to you! Tips to help you think creatively around CTAsCV/Resumé WritingEmailsWhy do people send emails?What do you do to make emails work?Instant Messaging (IM)LettersMeetings and follow-up (see also Reports)AgendasThe curious case of the Pre-ReadMeetings notes/MinutesNewslettersReasons for this resurgence from the consumer perspectiveReasons for the resurgence are also from the rise of AI toolsWhat might your own potential Newsletter offering be?Onboarding: a starter checklist for writing effectivelyPersonalisation journey for onboardingOutsourcing Marketing/Advertising etc? Check and check again to avoid pitfalls!PresentationsReports – ‘one size won’t fit all’Use your human uniqueness to select the right tool for the right moment, the right stakeholder groupSocial mediaSelecting a platformBeing mindful of tone/Do’s and Don’tsPrincipal social media platforms currently used in businessWhen social media is used for direct sales, accurate descriptions matterWhen Viral Marketing can be intentionally incorrect!Notification CultureTask boards/To-do listsWebsites and search optimisation generallySearch Engine Optimisation (SEO) v Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)What would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
9 Keep the curiosity going: The ‘Sherlock Holmes’ mindset
Part 1: Be curious about how others see your communicationVisualising people’s reactions is a such an easy and useful techniquePart 2: Be curious about how others see your organisation’s communicationIf you were a ‘Sherlock Holmes type’ sleuth, what’s ‘the personality of your organisation’ you’d see?Part 3: Be curious. How do you react to writing in the world around you?Tune in to words and situations: bring out the (latent?) marketer in you!Now over to you! Look at any writing in the world out thereWhat would your Word Bank to summarise this chapter be?
10 The journey continues
References
Index

Content preview from which4words

4 Purpose and Compass: your place in the workplace communication landscape

This chapter focuses on how effective business writing starts with your mindset

Why look on ‘Purpose’ exclusively as one of the objectives of an organisation’s business writing?
Of course that matters, but let’s put Your Purpose, Your Mindset first
How can you write effectively if you’re not engaged and committed to what you do?
Effective writing shows commitment, credibility, and the authenticity (even passion) that you bring to it as the individual you’re proud to be

Be mindful about what you want: positive affirmation will serve your writing well

It’s sad when we see widespread mental health malaise in a digital age where there’s so much negativity spewed ...

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which4words

by Fiona Talbot, Alexander Talbot

4 Purpose and Compass: your place in the workplace communication landscape

Be mindful about what you want: positive affirmation will serve your writing well

Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.