We have talked a great deal about generational communications styles and about how today’s company’s need to create open communication channels that suit the needs of their multigenerational workforce, strengthen team communication and boost overall office connectivity. HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean supporting the death of grammar and full words that many of today’s social media platforms and communications styles have instigated.

Despite the quickness and the fun of using acronyms, emoticons and the like to get your point across, businesses still require a high level of professionalism in communications, especially with media, client or prospect relationships. BNET recently ran a story to remind Gen Y about the importance of strong grammar and communications skills to their career advancement:

Texting, tweeting and the like are transforming the way the youngest generation at the office writes, but while knowing what ‘brb’ and ‘LMAO’ mean is a necessary skill for communicating with your peers, business guru Tom Peters reminds us in this three-minute video that clear, confident and convincing formal writing is key to career advancement — particularly when communicating with your boss’s boss who’s in her forties or fifties (and, yes, even if it’s only a short email).

(Ok Gen Ys, just because he’s a Boomer, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to him!) If you still don’t think this is important, here’s something else to grab your attention: good writing is one of the few recession proof skills! As more and more people let their communication styles and aptitude for compelling or intelligent writing suffer, good writers become more and more in demand (even in a down economy!). Take this example from a BNet author discussing the need for solid writing in the PR industry (supposedly known for its focus on writing):

“If there was one thing, one thing that I could change about the PR industry, it would be the poor writing skills that are rampant in PR. It must be something about the people who are attracted to PR as a profession, because nothing else explains it. For an industry in which good writing should be a core, deal-breaking skill, the mediocrity of PR writing skills is, frankly, baffling.

I’ll let you in on a semi-secret: one of the reasons I moved over from mainstream media to PR 15 years ago was that I knew that with my above-average writing skills, I would always be able to find work. I’m sorry to say that 15 years later, there’s still plenty of demand for my writing skills in the PR industry.

If this sounds like a harsh critique, you’re right — it is. Good writers aren’t born, they’re made. And they are made with tough, no-nonsense criticism of their writing.

As we head into a downturn, this may be a skill you’ll want to improve. It could be one of the wisest investments you make in your career.”

Since, according to a recent study, 85 percent of written correspondence among adults and business professionals contains grammatical errors, improving or polishing your communications skills may be something you want to look at sooner rather than later. In this economy, all professionals (regardless of generation) need to have as many competitive advantages as possible!