If you receive poorly written business communication from another person, what do you think about that person? With the popularity of email, our grammar problems have really come to light.
And, yes, I know my grammar isn’t always perfect either.
So do you let those type of issues dominate whether you do business with another person? It depends. If that person will be writing business communication for you, grammar is a much bigger deal than if they are performing some type of technical skill.
But if the grammar issues get in the way of you and that person communicating it can become a huge issue. Take a moment and read Wisdom From The Grammar Goddess.
Are the grammar police making much ado about nothing or is it important? Tell me what you think by leaving a comment.
And you might want to pick yourself up a copy of Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. It’s a great book that makes grammar a piece of cake. It will help you sound like a star.
About Denise O'Berry
Carolina Maria de Jesus was a lady with terrible grammar. With only two years of schooling, Carolina a single mother living in the worst slums (favelas) of Brazil, kept a journal on dirty scraps of paper and used notebooks that she would find in the street.
When her journal was 1st discovered, sections were printed in a local paper then later compiled into the bok, Child of the Dark.
Her book has become one of the most widely read works of non-fiction to ever come out South America and is amongst the most poignant and moving works I’ve ever read.
Judging someone on their grammar is worse than judging a book by it’s cover. How a person speaks and writes is reflective only of their opportunities for education and social class, not of ones character or worthiness for friendship.
Oh. I loved that heart warming comment about Carolina Maria de Jesus! What truth! Grammar absolutely can not reflect character or worthiness of friendships.
However, if you have a stack of resumes in front of you with the intention of filling a professional position, grammar does play a huge role in the initial elimination of possible candidates. In this day and age where resources trump, there is little excuse for the professionals to be able to present their finished products (close to) free of grammatical errors. Come on, we’ve got MS WORD and all types of publishing help, free and paid resources (such as the library), classes, internet access, and the list goes on.
If there are lots of grammatical errors, it can reflect on more than just lack of education. Perhaps it reflects a lack or exposure to the modern world, which is critical in many professional positions. It could demonstrate an unwillingness to go the extra mile to seek help or use available resources. It may be an indication that they don’t care how they present themselves to others. It could mean nothing at all, but if there are other similar resumes on the table, why bother with the unprofessionally written resume?
If you are checking for friendship and character, skip the grammar. But if you are looking for a professional to work with, grammar might just be a good way to screen – at least initially.