Some business people don't write so good.

Back in the day, people called "secretaries" were responsible for translating their bosses' mangled dictations into decent business letters. Thus did these English language experts prevent the general public from knowing the boss couldn't talk or write his or her way out of a wet paper bag.

But today, without a language expert in sight, execs writing their own e-mails are exposed to the world as ghastly communicators (Unfortunately, SpellCheck only helps with spelling, not poor vocabulary, thinking and organization.).

A recent survey of 120 blue-chip American companies found that a third of employees wrote poorly, a problem businesses spend more than $3 billion a year to correct.

If you know, or if you are, a business person who communicates in a way that does not reflect your true intelligence, don't despair. For a mere $19.95, it is possible to either download or obtain a printed copy of "The Harvard Business School Publishing Guide to Better Business Writing."

If you ever have used the words, "impact" and "dialogue" as verbs, please order the book. You'll be the better for it.