Rob Biesenbach 
I talked the other day about how writers squander their most powerful words and ideas by burying them. Just as bad is the opposite problem: growing overly fond and even dependent on certain words to the point we repeat them incessantly. In the book I call them crutch words, and when you learn what yours … Read more
Writers constantly struggle to find just the right words. But then we go and squander them by burying them somewhere in the middle of a sentence, undermining the strength of the point we’re trying to make. The issue is captured in a book I often reference: Story, by Robert McKee, which is widely acknowledged as one … Read more
They say dead men tell no tales. But dead companies do. And not all those tales are cautionary. At first glance, you might not think much of the old Montgomery Ward headquarters building in Chicago. But its design holds a powerful lesson. And not just for architects — for anybody. Why are the corners blocked … Read more
Far too many companies couldn’t make the customer service experience more aggravating if they tried. It makes you wonder if they actually are trying. Here are a few of my biggest customer service peeves. They may be small, but it’s the little daily aggravations that tend to add up to life’s major frustrations. And so … Read more
So there I was, watching Game of Thrones on the iPad, checking out the “interactive features” for a richer viewing experience, when it hits me right in the face: one of my major grammar/usage pet peeves. I trust anyone who’s studied my 10 Everyday Words You’re Misusing post either on this blog or in its … Read more
The reason most peoples’ stories are hard to listen to is that they have trouble divorcing themselves from the facts of their everyday lives. They’re slavishly devoted to chronology and detail. Sometimes, to tell a good story, you have to tell a lie or two. Not big ones. You shouldn’t make up events and characters … Read more
This election year, as in election years past, you will see one glaring error repeated over and over and over again. And it’s all a matter of simple math. This morning I had CBS on in the background and they were reporting on the numbers for and against gay marriage. They said 38% of Americans … Read more
President Obama did something very important and powerful in his announcement yesterday about gay marriage. He talked about his family and, specifically, his children: “There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on … Read more
Certain word pairs that look or sound alike cause a lot of confusion. I’m not talking about the ones you hear about all the time, like there and their, it’s and its and to and too. Or even the more recently problematic (and inexplicable to me) lose and loose. That’s all remedial stuff. Here’s an advanced … Read more
Much has been written about the PR business being such a stressful occupation. Lots of reasons are cited, from slashed budgets to demanding clients to cranky reporters. And while I tend to believe that much of this stress is exaggerated (these are, after all, PR people talking), there’s one major source of stress that’s often overlooked. Many PR people — especially … Read more