Workplace Literacy: How to Improve Your Communication Skills | Dr. Sandra Folk, EzineMark.com

Dr. Folk begins by setting out a problem for some readers and writers in the workplace--a problem they likely don't flaunt:

If people can’t communicate clearly in writing, the limitations for individual and organizational growth are significant. Sometimes it’s as simple as repeated (and usually common) mistakes in written communication that impede progress. Whether it’s confusion over whether that word I just used twice should really be “weather,” or if it’s the old “it’s” vs. “its” dilemma, grammatical mistakes really diminish the potential for growth.

But she points out that literacy these days is not just about reading and writing. It also includes and affects problem solving and understanding technology. It's an important issue for improving employee productivity.

Folk goes on to list worker behaviors that might show literacy problems. And she writes:

As a consultant I’ve found it may be easier for employees to talk one-to-one with someone from outside the company. People are much more likely to open up about their concerns without their boss or their colleagues in the same room.

To counter the potentially embarrassing stigma of worker literacy problems, she recommends online learning to improve literacy:

Instead of sitting in a roomful of people having your learning challenges made public, you are able to maintain a sense of privacy and dignity. And that’s something we all would all like to have – and that we all deserve.