{"id":70,"date":"2013-12-26T11:47:00","date_gmt":"2013-12-26T11:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/Blog\/index.php\/2013\/12\/26\/as-2013-winds-down\/"},"modified":"2023-01-11T16:15:51","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T15:15:51","slug":"as-2013-winds-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2013\/12\/26\/as-2013-winds-down\/","title":{"rendered":"As 2013 Winds Down…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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We should all take stock of our progress during the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At work and in our personal lives, we should be grateful for both our successes and<\/em> our disappointments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is because our \u2018failures\u2019 are just as important as our feats of progress because they sharpen our focus and force us to  re-assess our plans and make changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the\u00a0beginning of this year, in \u00a0this \u00a0post<\/a>, I listed a few plans for the blog and proceeded to test them. Specifically:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2013 I launched a\u00a0\u00a0discussion forum<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2013 I constantly asked for feedback and suggestions at the end of articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2013 I also ventured out of my comfort zone and became receptive to the possibility of guest blogging by putting up notices in LinkedIn blogging groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2013 I set up a poll to find out the topics that would appeal to readers of this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now not all these actions have been overwhelmingly successful but that doesn\u2019t mean that I shouldn\u2019t aspire to continue to improve this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I am grateful for my \u2018failures\u2019 in blogging this year because now I know the ideas upon which to focus, modify or tweak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Taking stock of notable blog posts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a>In case you missed reading this year\u2019s most notable blog posts, below is a recap:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1)\u00a0The Boston Bombings \u2013 What We Can Learn From President Obama\u2019s Speech<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was honoured that for over four consecutive weeks, soon after it was posted in April, this article\u00a0\u00a0ranked in\u00a0first\u00a0place on the\u00a0first page on Google <\/em>under the search description: “Boston bombings, what we can learn<\/em>\u201c, on 16 June\u00a0as\u00a0\u00a0seen below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Property of Rethinking Business Communications Blog<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It also ranked well in a variation of the search term on 23 September as provided below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Property of Rethinking Business Communications Blog<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a>As I write this post, the article is still visible on the first page of Google, although it is often relegated to one of the top five spots. On Yahoo and Bing, it appears on the first page under a similar search description. I am truly humbled by this validation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feedback I received from viewers was also encouraging and heart-warming.

So go read the article. The event on which it was based (the Boston bombings) may not be breaking news any more but lessons learnt from President Obama\u2019s masterful speech delivery will always<\/em> be relevant to professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2)\u00a0Overcoming Our Phobia Of Formal Writing<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This article was posted last month and is, in my opinion, the most useful article yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the third longest article written on the blog at 2,500+ words. I really went out on a limp by sharing tips and secrets of formal writing gained from my previous work experience drafting numerous letters to government officials, CEOs, industry leaders, bank executives, and VIPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While writing the post, my goal was to conquer the \u2018Goliath\u2019 of all communications woes \u2013 the absolute dread of formal writing. For this purpose, I provided\u00a0free<\/em>\u00a0letter templates for different recipients. These formats could easily be tweaked and used in practical scenarios. One letter sample, written to a minister of energy, could be used when writing to the president of a country, simply by changing the subject of the letter and by substituting the protocols of one office for another!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you haven\u2019t read the article yet, I strongly recommend that you do so. I guarantee that you would find the templates so useful that you would immediately save a few for future use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be kind, however, to credit the letter formats to the author or this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Please take the poll<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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May I make an important appeal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to continue to deliver evergreen and hard-hitting content, please take the poll which can be found on the right sidebar of the homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that if you regularly read this blog via a mobile device, in order to see the poll, you\u2019d need to use the web\/desktop version to access the blog\u2019s URL. It may be easier to use a laptop or desktop computer instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poll takes about five seconds to complete and no personal information is requested. It expires in a couple of weeks so kindly choose the articles you\u2019d like to see on this blog.

A little note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I am now available for some consulting work in communications, coaching sessions in formal writing and freelance writing assignments. 

Therefore, for assistance in drafting speeches, letters and for content creation, kindly:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A) Send an email to Lucilleossai@gmail.com
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B) Call for a free <\/em>consultation:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria:                0704 631 0592 <\/strong>   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

International:      +234 704 631 0592<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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As 2014 approaches, things may change or evolve on this blog.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you can be assured that one constant would be evident: the commitment to high-quality content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you have suggestions about how I could improve this blog, please do not hesitate to let me know via telephone, email, Twitter etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Given that my goal is to enrich your experience here, I would really appreciate your feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goodbye, 2013.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s been swell.\u00a0\"\ud83d\ude42\"

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S \u2013 Merry Christmas to you all and a very happy New Year! I hope you enjoy the holidays with friends and family. Don\u2019t stay away too long though as I\u2019d be kicking off 2014 with a truly interesting article. So watch this space\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.B<\/u><\/strong>\u2013  First image courtesy of Idea Go, via freedigitalphotos.net. Second and fifth images courtesy of Stuart Miles, via freedigitalphotos.net. Third and fourth images are provided by author.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We should all take stock of our progress during the year. At work and in our personal lives, we should be grateful for both our successes and our disappointments. This is because our \u2018failures\u2019 are just as important as our feats of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[426,452,453,454,458,494,533,583,639,706,708,716],"class_list":["post-70","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-426","tag-blog","tag-blog-posts","tag-blogging","tag-boston-bombings","tag-communications","tag-discussion-forum","tag-formal-writing","tag-letter-samples","tag-phobia-of-formal-writing","tag-poll","tag-president-obama"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":66,"url":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/31\/two-years-of-blogging-in-memorable-quotes-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":70,"position":0},"title":"Two Years Of Blogging… In Memorable Quotes (PART 2)","author":"Lucille Ossai","date":"March 31, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the final segment in our special two-part series\u00a0celebrating the second anniversary of\u00a0your favourite business\u00a0communications blog.So let\u2019s explore some more quotes from those articles that\u00a0you simply should read\u2026 8) \u201cLack of clarity is the bane of effective writing. We\u00a0should\u00a0all strive to avoid it\u201d. Post:\u00a0 Overcoming Our Phobia Of Formal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Business communications blog\"","block_context":{"text":"Business communications blog","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/tag\/business-communications-blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-t0WaLl9Up2c\/U9UxqdkPllI\/AAAAAAAAB1U\/bGa6xE5GbEg\/s1600\/Stock+man+with+laptop+sitting+on+blog+-+freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-t0WaLl9Up2c\/U9UxqdkPllI\/AAAAAAAAB1U\/bGa6xE5GbEg\/s1600\/Stock+man+with+laptop+sitting+on+blog+-+freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-t0WaLl9Up2c\/U9UxqdkPllI\/AAAAAAAAB1U\/bGa6xE5GbEg\/s1600\/Stock+man+with+laptop+sitting+on+blog+-+freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/-t0WaLl9Up2c\/U9UxqdkPllI\/AAAAAAAAB1U\/bGa6xE5GbEg\/s1600\/Stock+man+with+laptop+sitting+on+blog+-+freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":71,"url":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2013\/11\/28\/overcoming-our-phobia-of-formal-writing\/","url_meta":{"origin":70,"position":1},"title":"Overcoming Our Phobia Of Formal Writing","author":"Lucille Ossai","date":"November 28, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"This article tackles the \u2018Goliath\u2019 of all communications woes \u2014 the absolute dread of formal writing. As one of the most useful posts published on the blog, it contains tips for writing to different parties in a professional capacity. Free samples provided include emails and memos for CEOs, staff, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "communication"","block_context":{"text":"communication","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/category\/communication\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/Flying-envelopes-Renjith-krishnan-freedigitalphotos.net_.jpg?fit=400%2C266&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":67,"url":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/17\/two-years-of-blogging-in-memorable-quotes-part-1\/","url_meta":{"origin":70,"position":2},"title":"Two Years Of Blogging…In Memorable Quotes (PART 1)","author":"Lucille Ossai","date":"March 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Rethinking Business Communications Blog\u00a0turns two this month! Now\u00a0 I realise that this blog is still in its infancy but it has\u00a0been a truly rewarding experience thus far. There is also\u00a0room for growth and innovation.As a celebration of its second anniversary, let us review\u00a0memorable\u00a0quotes taken from articles posted throughout the year.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"blogging.\"","block_context":{"text":"blogging.","link":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/tag\/blogging\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-67YsB8UIjUA\/UybPrlKiLuI\/AAAAAAAABFk\/htm_4Ctw33I\/s1600\/Second+birthday+-freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-67YsB8UIjUA\/UybPrlKiLuI\/AAAAAAAABFk\/htm_4Ctw33I\/s1600\/Second+birthday+-freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-67YsB8UIjUA\/UybPrlKiLuI\/AAAAAAAABFk\/htm_4Ctw33I\/s1600\/Second+birthday+-freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/3.bp.blogspot.com\/-67YsB8UIjUA\/UybPrlKiLuI\/AAAAAAAABFk\/htm_4Ctw33I\/s1600\/Second+birthday+-freedigitalphotos.net+Stuart+Miles.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":83,"url":"https:\/\/lucilleossai.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/01\/ushering-in-2013-with-new-ideas\/","url_meta":{"origin":70,"position":3},"title":"Ushering In 2013 With New Ideas","author":"Lucille Ossai","date":"January 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, 2013 is here...finally. 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