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How to get your writing spot on, first time

I think it's fair to say that corporate life of late has been far from "business as usual" and with so many different challenges demanding our attention, I would guess that some things have been overlooked. Like writing for instance.

The ability to write well is probably taken for granted, but it's a skill and like any skill, you need to practice it regularly to be able to do it well.

A practitioner once asked one of our guest experts on the Internal Comms Hub how she could improve her own and her team's writing in order to produce crisper and more effective communication.

When you consider that language and how it's used is at the crux of every communication that's sent out, it makes getting it right first time more of a pressing issue. As Denise Baron, Director, global communications at Merck & Co. in the US, says in her response, "when we don't apply our language correctly, trust me, people notice."

So how can you make sure that people are noticing for the right reasons? Below are four pieces of advice from Baron.

"However strategic your role, the ability to write well remains an important skill. The problem with the English language is that it's imprecise. It has hundreds of rules and thousands of exceptions, all of which have to be learned and memorized. For anyone whose business even partly entails written communications, the study of the language is never-ending. Or, at least it should be.

Open up the dictionary
When we don't apply our language correctly, trust me, people notice. The good news is we've great reference material to help us out. For example, the dictionary. But why aren't more of our colleagues using it?

Here are four ways to improve your writing immediately.

1. Avoid the passive voice
The passive voice often creeps into messages to employees, and it's a sure road to eroding engagement. It allows the writer to hide behind the message, it clouds direction and it's boring. Here's an example of really woeful writing - a sentence structure that you're sure to recognize: Employees are encouraged to submit this form by the end of the month.

Analyze that sentence and you'll see that not only is there no owner to the statement, but there's no clear direction. Employees are encouraged by whom, and what does "encouraged" mean anyway? Are employees required to submit the form? If so, then say so.

The sad truth is this passive style of writing is all too common; the happy truth is we communicators are in a position to do something about it. Often, all it takes is a quick rewrite: Please submit this form by [insert specific date]. Clear, direct, concise.

2. Use second person wherever appropriate
Why talk at people when you can talk to them? When you're communicating with employees, the use of "you" can be friendly and inviting. Take this message: XYZ Company employees at customer locations should always first check with their hosts to ensure that connecting to the XYZ network is permitted. Look what happens when it's rewritten from third person into second: If you're working at a customer site, be sure to first check with your host that it's OK to connect to our network. You've gone from impersonal to conversational.

3. Cut the jargon
Jargon has no place in employee communication. Phrases such as work-life balance, employer of choice, critical mass and the like may make sense in behind-the-scenes discussions. However, when it's time to communicate to the masses, we need to translate these concepts into simple English and provide a context to help employees understand. It takes some work, but the payoff makes it worth the effort.

For example, an HR leader's message about work-life balance, may go something like this: 'Our lives have never been busier, and there are only so many hours in a day. Because we at XYZ company recognize how important it is to you to be able to spend real time with your families while managing the responsibilities you have on the job, we've designed a program that we hope will make your life less hectic...' Most employees will relate to that message. It plays to their needs, which is a powerful hook.

4. Guard against gremlins
Keep an eye out for the jargon, passive voice and other gremlins that may infiltrate your writing. It's good training for being able to objectively critique your own work. It also conditions you to look for other ways to improve your writing."

Until next time,

P.S. Need to give your writing skills a make-over? Want to find out what your audience needs from your written communications? Come along to Melcrum's Advanced writing and editing course. Book your place today!

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