We're planning TriSec 17!

We're starting to plan our next Tribal Secretaries Conference! What would you like to see at TriSec 17? Respond to this post with comments. We want your ideas!

Exercising the Writing Process to Eliminate Error

One of the best ways to avoid common writing pitfalls is to follow an important writing process. People often think to use the writing process in formal writing or while in school, but it's just as important to utilize this process in our emails, memos, reports, grants, reviews, articles and everything else we write in the workplace.

All writing is a process and there are crucial steps in this process:

1. Plan the message you want to convey. Think about what you want your reader to understand from your writing. Sometimes this phase is as short as thinking through your email response before you type it, but other times this phase can include brainstorming, outlining or writing out a plan for your thoughts.

2. Draft - get the words down. Imagine that everything you write is a first draft and therefore unfinished!

3. Revise. Make clear what you are trying to say by changing words, clarifying, simplifying or reiterating. The main way to avoid common grammar pitfalls is through revising and proofreading before we hit send, print, publish or submit.

4. Proofread. There are proven proofreading strategies. First, read your writing aloud. We often hear the mistakes we write because they “just don’t sound right.” Second, start at the end. Read your writing one sentence at a time, starting with your last sentence. This works well to help clarify your ideas and your grammar sentence by sentence. The third strategy is to ask a friend or co-worker to read your draft. An additional set of eyes will often catch what we overlooked. Finally, utilize spell check, grammar check and other “look-up” tools, like www.dictionary.com. If the program you're writing in doesn’t have spell check or grammar check, copy your text into Microsoft Word and check it there. For more, click here for our May 5 Tips and Tricks Tuesday post.

According to Strunk and White’s acclaimed book on writing, The Elements of Style, we all benefit from approaching everything we write through this writing process because “few writers are so expert that they can produce what they are after on the first try.” Remember, everything you write is a rough draft until after you have worked it through the entire writing process.

Indian Country Human Resource Management Conference Speaker, Sherri Elliott

Exciting news about Falmouth Institute’s 2009 Human Resource Management Conference (August 27-28, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona at Radisson Fort McDowell):

The author of the new book Ties to Tattoos will be one of our excellent speakers at this year’s conference. Sherri Elliott addresses the issue of a multigenerational workforce in her new book and through her company Gen InsYght (http://www.geninsyght.com/). Sherri will be leading a session at the conference on this very topic — helping companies understand and successfully overcome the challenges and reap the rewards of a multigenerational staff.

Sherri Elliott is the president and owner of Optimance Workforce Strategies, LLC, a leading human resource consulting firm. She is a Senior Professional in Human Resources with an Associate designation in Risk Management with over fifteen years of corporate experience.

Please join us for this and many other exciting sessions at Falmouth Institute’s Human Resource Management Conference in Phoenix, AZ on August 27-28, 2009.

For a full list of conference topics, please click here.

Double Negatives

A double negative is the improper placement of two negative words in the same sentence. Most of the time, the user of a double negative intends to make a negative statement, but two negatives form a positive statement. One negative and one positive form a negative statement.

Examples of negative words include no, not, nobody, hardly, barely and none.

The following sentences are examples of double negatives and what the sentences are actually implying. The negative words in the original sentence are indicated in bold.

• I didn’t see nobody. = I saw somebody.
• I barely ate none of it. = I ate a lot of it.
• She didn’t need no one to help her. = She needed someone to help her.

The original sentences make positive statements because two negatives cancel each other out.

The following sentences are the incorrect sentences above rewritten correctly. The negative words are indicated in bold. The positive words are indicated in italics.

• I didn’t see anybody.
• I barely ate any of it.
• She didn’t need anyone to help her.

The sentences make negative statements because of the placement of one negative and one positive.

Good/Well: When to Use "Good" and When to Use "Well"

Speakers of the English language often use good when they should use well, especially in speech. The general rule regarding this common grammatical error is that you do something well, but a thing is good.

Well is an adverb — it modifies verbs. Good, on the other hand, is an adjective, describing nouns. As a rule then, we do not use good to describe verbs.

Correct: The boy behaves well when he is around his mother.
Correct: For his good behavior, he is given a good sized piece of pie.
Correct: The dog fetches well.
Correct: He is a good dog.

However, there are exceptions to this general usage rule (which is probably why this is such a tricky, typical error).

The first exception deals with verbs of sensation (relating to the senses). The word good is appropriate to use as an adverb with verbs of sensation. For example, saying, “The homemade cookies smell good,” is correct. Saying, “The homemade cookies smell well,” implies that the cookies have noses.

Exception number two is even trickier! An often difficult decision takes place when using a linking verb. Linking verbs don’t take adverbs, so we’ll want to use good and not well. For instance, we say, “I feel good,” and “He is good at pool,” because the verbs “feel” and “is” are linking verbs.

While keeping these exceptions in mind, the most important bit to remember is the general rule: you do something well, and a thing is good.

Know Before You Go: Airport Regulations

Strict airport guidelines can add frustration and unnecessary time to your travel plans. Pay attention to these key tips to save time and energy at the airport:

• Check in ahead of time. Most airlines let you check in and print your boarding pass on their Web site 24 hours before your flight. For airlines that don't assign seats, like Southwest, this is especially important because the sooner you check in, the earlier you will board and choose your seat. Printing your boarding pass ahead of time lets you bypass the long line for regular check in and go straight to the bag drop off.


• Have your ID and boarding pass ready. Security agents will be looking for your photo ID and your boarding pass to be sure the names match when you join the security line. Save yourself the hassle and have these documents ready when you get in line.


• Speed through Security. No one likes a long line. Do your part by wearing shoes that are easy to take off, limit your layers, leave the heavy metal at home and keep electronics convenient. Have a plan in mind for when you get to those little plastic bins. Be sure to take out any electronics such as laptops, dvd players etc. and place them visibly in a bin outside of your carry on. Assume that everything will make the sensor go off and put all jackets, bulky sweatshirts, shoes and belts in the bins as well. If you're traveling with liquids, check out the next tip.


• Carry-on Rules for Liquids. There are very strict rules for bringing liquids through security and on the plane. TSA follows the 3-1-1 rule. Passengers are allowed to carry on containers of no more than 3 ounces each, concealed within 1 single 1 quart bag. The regular one quart ziploc bags are recommended. Any containers over 3 ounces will not be permitted through and will be thrown away (or you'll have to leave the security line and figure out what to do with them before returning). Water or soda purchased at the gate once you're through security is allowed on board but anything purchased before security will be thrown away. There are a few exceptions including baby formula and some prescriptions. For a full list of exceptions and prohibited items please visit the TSA Web site.

Keep these simple rules in mind for your next trip to have happy and safe travels!

I Vs. Me

The pronouns “I” and “me” are often confused in writing and in common speech. “I” should be used as the subject in sentences and “me” should be used as the object in sentences.

“I” is a subject pronoun. It is the person performing the action.

For example: Michelle and I visited the local high school to conduct the experiment.

“I” visited the local high school with Michelle.

“Me” is an object pronoun. It is the person the action is done to.

For example: The local high school contacted Michelle and me about the experiment.

The school is the subject, and the school contacted “me.”

A good test is to see if the sentence makes sense when written or spoken with just the pronoun.

For example: The local high school contacted me.

You wouldn’t say: The local high school contacted I.

More examples:

• Incorrect: The taxi drove Leslie and I to the airport.
• Correct: The taxi drove Leslie and me to the airport.
  
  
• Incorrect: Alisha and me felt like taking a walk at 4:00.
• Correct: Alisha and I felt like taking a walk at 4:00.
  
  
• Incorrect: My dad loves my sister and I.
• Correct: My dad loves my sister and me.

Falmouth Online Training Offerings

The following online training sessions are scheduled for later this month. Register today! Please click here for more information on online training with Falmouth.

Dealing with Difficult People, Places and Things
July 29, 2009 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Conflict is a part of any work environment but steps can be taken to manage conflict and help you deal more effectively with difficult people and situations. Learn the skills that will help you take action and create a more harmonious and productive workplace.

Sexual Harassment for Tribes and Tribal Organizations
July 30, 2009 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Anyone who has encountered sexual harassment will tell you that it’s bothersome, irritating and demeaning. It’s also against the law. During this workshop, you’ll learn the important aspects of handling sexual harassment issues and complaints. You’ll examine how to prevent unacceptable behavior from the beginning.