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IOM Blog

July 10, 2013

Read Like a Hawk

Do you find yourself taking the time to re-read an email before hitting the send button? Do you notice spelling errors without the assistance of the red squiggly line? Are you guilty of using  the word your, when you really meant to say you’re? Between text messaging, smart phones, and social media, it’s become commonplace to use shorthand, abbreviations, and improper grammar. Whether crafting an email message to be sent internally or writing a letter for a newsletter, we must always remember the importance of proofreading.

Let me preface this post by saying that no one is perfect. Everyone, myself included, makes mistakes. The key is training your eyes and your brain to minimize those mistakes as much as possible. Below are some basic tips to keep in mind when going through the proofing process. While they are simple and obvious, they can serve as a good refresher.

  • Think Big Picture. I’m not referring to content, but rather to formatting. Temporarily put the content aside and truly look at your document, scouring for extra spaces, font inconsistencies, and typos.
  • Take a Breather. When reviewing a document that I’ve just finished writing, I always like to save my work and come back to it after a few minutes or hours have passed. I find that giving my brain a mental break helps me focus even more when I circle back.
  • Don’t be Afraid to Hit Print. If you stare at a computer all day, your eyes will begin to play tricks on you. Printing out a document and reading a hard copy version will make it easier to realize your own mistakes.

You can also check out these blogs below for some more tips and tricks.

8 Proofreading Tips and Techniques

14 Foolproof Proofreading Tips for Bloggers

Preventing Goof-Ups: 10 Proofreading Tips

Remembr, just bc you can reed this sentance, that doesn’t make it rgiht!

 

Karyn K. MacRae
Karyn K. MacRae, IOM, CAE, CMP
Director, Institute for Organization Management
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation

Karyn MacRae has been with the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Institute for Organization Management team since June of 2006. She currently works with Institute’s National Board of Trustees, five Boards of Regents, and Class Advisor volunteer groups, in addition to working on program logistics. Karyn received her Bachelor of Business Administration in hospitality and tourism management from James Madison University in 2006. She is a 2010 graduate of Institute for Organization Management and received her Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential in 2011 and her Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential in 2014.

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