At work, I receive a steady stream of article submissions for my magazines and websites. Lately, I’ve noticed something alarming: plagiarism. It’s not that I’m on the lookout for it, but some authors don’t even bother to cover their tracks. They copy content from a website and paste it directly into their article, including the […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD Many healthcare call centers are decentralized, linking multiple centers together and embracing home-based agents. While there are many advantages with home-based agents, the risks are great for those who rush into it without careful planning. Here are some considerations: 1) Formulate a Clear Policy: Your call center either has agents […]
It’s hard for most people to proof their own writing. I’m no exception. For my magazines, I hire a proofreader to check my work and the other submissions that will appear in each issue. For my books, I pay a copy editor to catch my errors. For blogs, I rely on my wife and friends […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD When using the Internet, it’s critical to be aware of the risks. You don’t want to take a naive approach toward security on your telephone answering service’s computers. Computer security is a complex issue, deserving serious attention. At the risk of oversimplification, here are some simple guidelines to follow: There […]
I call myself an “iteration writer,” meaning that through a process of repeated passes, or iterations, I fine-tune my writing until I achieve the results I desire. While some writers write quickly and then edit extensively, I’m not one of them. My first draft is generally good—not finished good, but respectable. When writing, each time […]
By Peter Lyle DeHaan, PhD The majority of calls I receive are from people who want to sell me something I don’t want or need, so I’ve become adept at ending these conversations quickly. If they keep selling after I’ve given my terse “no,” I restate my disinterest, ask them to not call again, and […]
The first writing conference I attended had no authors with published books, which was discouraging. The second conference had several, which was intimidating. Although these published authors were in a minority, they loomed large. We, unpublished attendees comprised a silent majority. At the first conference, our speaker said only three percent of writers make their […]
I’ve met many people who talk about writing. Writing is something they’ll do later: maybe next year, as soon as life slows down, or when they retire. But if we catch up with them next year, when life has slowed down (does that ever happen?), or after they retire, I suspect they’ll still be talking […]
How to Be Happy and Successful at Work and in Life by Simply Changing Your Mind By Barbara Burke (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) Promoted as “a customer service fable,” The Napkin, the Melon & the Monkey is ambitiously subtitled: How to Be Happy and Successful at Work and in Life by Simply Changing Your Mind. […]
Here are seven simple tips I use to make my writing stronger. Applying these seven simple tips will make your writing stronger—they help mine.