XN000022-1983-09-04 — Page 3

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1983

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ON THE NEED FOR WRITING SKILLS, SIR PHILIP SAID AS CHIEF SECRETARY, HE HAD TO DEAL WITH, AND ORGANISE A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF CORRESPONDENCE AND INFORMATION ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, AND HAD ALSO TO DECIDE HOW TO RESPOND TO IT.

SIR PHILIP SAID HE SOUGHT TO PUT INTO PRACTICE THREE PRINCIPLES, AND OFFERED THEM FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE SEMINAR.

HE SAID:

+FIRST, THERE IS THE PRINCIPLE OF CLARITY: IN OTHER WORDS BEFORE PUTTING PEN TO PAPER, MAKE SURE YOU ARE QUITE CLEAR WHAT THOUGHTS YOU WISH TO CONVEY. IS YOUR MESSAGE CLEAR AND UNAMBIGUOUS? HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED THE KEY ISSUES? HAVE YOU TOTALLY MINIMISED THE RISK OF MISUNDERSTANDING AT THE RECEIVING END-- AND THE RISK OF MISUNDERSTANDING IS PROBABLY GREATER THE MORE DISTANT IS THE RECEIVER? IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT, DICTATE OR WRITE UP A DRAFT AND WORK OVER IT BEFORE HAVING IT FAIRED FOR DESPATCH.

+SECOND, THERE IS THE PRINCIPLE OF ECONOMY: IN OTHER WORDS, ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE CUT OUT ALL UNNECESSARY VERBIAGE. REMEMBER, INTERNATIONAL TELEX MESSAGES AND TELEPHONE CALLS ARE EXPENSIVE. SET OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY WITH TOTAL PRECISION AND CLARITY= MUDDLED LANGUAGE SIMPLY REFLECTS MUDDLED MINDS. IF YOU CANNOT UNSCRAMBLE YOUR LANGUAGE, GO BACK AND RE-ANALYSE THE ISSUES- YOU MAY HAVE FAILED TO UNDERSTAND THEM.

+FINALLY, THERE IS THE PRINCIPLE OF KINDLY CONSIDERATION:

IN OTHER WORDS, DO NOT NEGLECT THE RECIPIENT. CHOOSE A FORM OF WORDS BEST SUITED TO HIM OR TO HER. DO NOT ASSUME NON-EXISTENT KNOWLEDGE. BE DIPLOMATIC: REMEMBER, A TELEX MESSAGE FOR INSTANCE, IS ON THE RECORD FOR ALL TO SEE. POSSIBLE LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES.+

HAVE REGARD TO

+ IN SUMMARY, IN THIS YEAR OF WORLD COMMUNICATIONS, WE MUST MAKE SURE WE ARE READY FOR THE CHALLENGE OF MODERN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, + SIR PHILIP STRESSED.

+SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS ARE TO BE GAINED FROM ITS APPLICATION, BUT ONLY IF WE WORK ALL THE HARDER PROPERLY TO UTILISE ITS ADVANTAGES.+

WORK ON COASTAL HIGHWAY PROGRESSING

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WORK ON THE $608 MILLION SHA TIN TAI PO COASTAL HIGHWAY IS PROGRESSING STEADILY, WITH ABOUT 55 PER CENT OF THE PROJECT BEING COMPLETED.

DISCLOSING THIS TODAY, THE ACTING PROJECT MANAGER OF THE TAI PO AND FANL ING DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, MR ROBERT HANNA, SAID THAT THE DREDGING OF THREE MILLION CUBIC METRES OF MARINE DEPOSITS HAD BEEN COMPLETED, AND THAT 3.5 MILLION CUBIC METRES OUT OF FIVE MILLION CUBIC METRES OF UNDERWATER FILLING HAD BEEN PLACED.

/THE SEVEN-KILOMETRE,