Public PSC: Operational Skills (Time Management & Business Writing)
Time Management
½ Day PSC Elective Module
Aim
To provide tips and techniques for trainees to help them to improve their personal organisation and effectiveness by managing their time more efficiently. To assist trainees to provide a more responsive and focused service for both their training principals and, through them, the firm's clients.
Course Content
- Time as a scarce resource
- Developing a time management mentality - learning to be proactive
- Setting objectives
- The importance of planning
- Effective use of diaries
- Setting up to-do lists
- Task analysis and prioritisation
- Managing time robbers - interruptions, emails, the telephone, clear desk policies, working with others
Business Writing Skills
½ Day PSC Elective Module
Aim
To help further develop existing writing skills in the context of legal practice as a business. To acquire a succinct style of writing following the key principles of accuracy, brevity and clarity. To adopt a consistent approach to different forms of writing, concentrating on communicating effectively with the reader.
Course Content
- The ABC of good writing
- Grammar reprise - avoiding common errors in spelling, punctuation and syntax
- Unambiguous vocabulary
- Cutting clichés and jargon
- Who will read this? - writing for an audience
- Planning to write
- What a good letter looks like
- Research reports and attendance notes
- Emails - different rules?
