How to
Improve Your Written Communication
At work, you probably have to communicate in writing. For
many, they have problems communicating in writing, and for a very specific
reason. Many people have gotten into very bad writing habits, by using text
messaging as their habitual form of written conversation. And text messaging is
tending to dumb down the written word.
Which in some contexts, is okay; but in other contexts, it
is NOT okay!
The written word has many advantages over the spoken word
The written word is permanent; it is more considered; it can
be easily relayed to others and finally, the written word has more gravitas. If
the person really means what he says, he will be willing to "put it in
writing".
Here are some nice tips on better writing skills.
1. Put time and place
elements at the beginning of sentences
For example. On Monday, 25th April 2015, we met in your
office, to talk about the marketing of the new product.
2. Make your sentences
shorter by limiting the number of conjunctions
Don't let the sentence drag on and on. Make your sentences
short. The rule I use is to not allow any more than three "and",
"or" or "but's. (And, or, and but, are all examples of
"conjunctions").
Conjunctions are words that join phrases and have the effect
of extending the sentence, which is okay, but if you keep on going on and on,
and saying too much then, as in this sentence, you will overwhelm the mind of
the reader and he will be unable to absorb all the information that you are
presenting and he or she will soon switch off his or her brain, or he will take
the wrong part of your extended sentence and assume it to be your "main
point" and thus, he may misunderstand what it is that you originally meant
to say.
The above sentence was far too long, a typical example of an
unnecessary long sentence. Make your
sentences shorter by limiting conjunctions.
3. Make your main
points obvious by making them sub-headings
Each main point should be the first line of a new paragraph.
Then, in the subsequent lines of that same paragraph, you can go into greater
detail to explain your main point. The explanation should detail the meaning of
the main point. You may want to explain how you know your main point is true,
(show your evidence to substantiate your main point). And finally, you may wish
to suggest the implications to action that follow logically from the main point
stated in the first line.
For example:
We have concluded that it was the Butler who committed the
murder. The Butler had the motive,
the means and the opportunity
to commit the murder. The motive was jealousy, (the Butler and Lady
Marmalade are secret lovers);
the means was poison,
(traces of Oleander, which is a common poisonous flowering shrub, which grows
on the Marmalade Estate, were found in Lord Marmalade's blood stream and on the
shirt cuffs of the Butler);
the opportunity was the dinner on the evening 24th March
2015, that was prepared and served by the butler, to Lord Marmalade, on the
evening of Lord Marmalades death. As a consequence, we suggest the court should
find the butler guilty, as charged.
4. Limit the number of
points that you make
The human mind can only take in a limited amount of
information, in one sitting. Psychologists tell us that the average person can
only retain 7-9 bits of information in the short term memory, before he or she
is likely to start making errors. You need therefore, to limit the number of
points you make, in any one section of writing. When writing, try to bundle
information into packets of about 7 or 8 points. Then summarize those points as
bullet-points. Then start a new section and try to bundle similar sets together
into another group of 7 or 9 units.
5. Use correct grammar,
logic and rhetoric
You are judged not only on what you say, but on how you say
it. If you have a good point to make but your wording is weak and poorly
constructed, then the power of your message will be lost. So you may like to
begin a gentle, informal study of three related subjects:
Grammar.
Logic.
Rhetoric.
Grammar is a study of the mechanics of proper English. What
is a verb? What is an adverb? What is an adjective and a preposition? This is
the stuff you should already know, but you may have forgotten. If you want to
write well, then you will need to know some basic grammar.
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. If you want to
convince people that your conclusions and recommendations are correct, then you
will need to show some evidence of proper reasoning. And since logic is the
study of correct reasoning, there is much value for you to be gained by making
logic a systematic study.
Rhetoric. Rhetoric is the systematic study of the emotional
effects of words on the mind and the emotions of the reader. William
Shakespeare, Winston Churchill and even Barak Obama are students of the
"figures of rhetoric".
If you want to study rhetoric then you could read,
"Elements of eloquence" by Mark Forsyth.
Here are the points to remember:
When writing;
Put time and place elements at the
beginning of sentences.
Make your sentences shorter by limiting
the number of conjunctions.
Limit the number of points that you make.
Use correct grammar.
Use good logic and
Spice it all up with some really ripe
rhetoric.
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