Tantalus communications expert David Woodruff explains the real costs of using unclear language.
David has nearly four decades of experience in senior communications and media roles in the United States and Europe. Learn the power of clear efficient language in the video below, then arrange an introductory chat with Tantalus about ways to improve communications in your organization including writing programs for your executives, coms or marketing teams.
Transcript
I’m David Woodruff. I spent more than 30 years working in international media and global companies. I wrote stories for the front page of the Wall Street Journal and the cover of Business Week Magazine. And I was a Communications leader in companies as diverse as McKinsey, Shell, and Novartis.
I see many organizations struggle to explain what they’re doing, and why, using simple straightforward language. Research shows this inability to communicate clearly has a real cost. It affects company valuations and the cost of capital for instance. Along with my colleagues at the Tantalus Group I’m helping companies work more efficiently to build relationships with customers and other stakeholders.
I run training programs to teach people to use language more effectively, how to craft texts that inspire or persuade, and how to tell compelling stories that grab people’s attention. If your company has difficulty conveying your strategy and success stories you’re not alone. Our world is overwhelmed with always-on communications. Breaking through all that noise requires both clarity and creativity. Alas those two ingredients are often in short supply in businesses. Many companies are held back by a lethal mixture of muddled thinking, murky jargon, and deeply ingrained corporate speak. In this environment important communications are often dead on arrival.
Writing effectively isn’t black magic. It’s a skill that can be learned and it’s a crucial skill if you want to break through the noise and reap the benefits that come from clear engaging communications.
Speak to Tantalus about arrange an introductory chat with Tantalus about our well reviewed writing program for your executives, coms or marketing teams.
David Woodruff | Senior Consultant | Basel, Switzerland
David has nearly four decades of experience in senior communications and media roles in the United States and Europe. He has been a trusted advisor to leaders in several multinational organizations and harnessed powerful storytelling to build reputation, shape public opinion and motivate people. David had communications leadership roles at Royal Dutch Shell, Novartis and the Organization for Co-operation and Economic Development. He is an experienced speechwriter and multimedia storyteller, and recently completed a multi-year project to create a life sciences museum in Basel, Switzerland. He is also an experienced communications skills trainer, coach and mentor.
David began his career as a journalist and was a staff correspondent for BusinessWeek magazine and the Wall Street Journal. He was also a senior editor of the McKinsey Quarterly management magazine. David enjoys cycling, hiking and skiing and is an enthusiastic amateur photographer. He speaks English, German and French and lives near Basel with his wife and two teenage children.
The Tantalus Group is a global firm that specializes in management consulting services. We advise leaders on business opportunities and threats, from strategy, marketing, communications, organization and digital, to business transformation, change management, sustainability and mergers and acquisitions. Our management consulting services cut across all sectors and geographies.
We have a team of strategy and management consultants in Asia, Europe and North America and draw on decades of practical experience advising CEOs, CFOs, CCOs and executive committees. We also work closely with teams within companies, to deliver management consulting services to tailored to the unique demands of working in a fast-paced, changing global environment.
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