Despite being in 3-4 meetings per day at work, my company is driven by the written word–it drives accountability, clarity and decisions. One VP at my company lists writing as one of the most important skills new employees must master in order to be successful.
But why is writing well so important?
- It makes you think. Writing makes you think about the topic and forces you to get clear on your own thoughts.
- It can travel far and wide. A well-written document can travel far and wide within your company. I’ve had people compliment me about a post I’ve written from countries I’ve never been within 5,000 miles of.
- It drives clarity. In meetings, there’s no real restriction of words. When writing, it encourages an economy of words that forces you to only focus on the important pieces of information and get rid of the rest.
- It gets things done. Writing gets things done. A well-written document can be the catalyst to enabling hundreds of people to begin working.
- It is accountable. A written document is traceable and creates ownership. Accountability is critical in business, not to be able to assign blame when things go wrong, but to be able to trace a series of decisions to re-apply when things work well or to change when they don’t.
In today’s fast-paced economy and global landscape, writing well is no longer a luxury but a requirement.
The best way to improve your writing is to write, but there are also two great books to help understand what makes for exceptional writing:
- The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr. and EB White
- On Writing Well
by William Zinsser
Got your own tips for writing well? Share them in the comments.
