In today’s fast changing workplace, overlooking the value of the written word is easy to do. But because the world is moving so rapidly, clear and effective writing is more important than ever. No matter how well planned a project or how smart a new idea, neither is likely to become reality until it is written down and passed on to the people who will determine whether it is viable.
Rather than slow down a business transaction, a written message ensures that there are no misunderstandings. Writing slows things down only if the message is poorly worded. So you need to be able to send effective print and electronic messages.
How good are your writing skills? Here are some mistakes that many writers make.
They write to impress, not express. Your primary purpose should be to communicate your ideas. Fancy words and long sentences might have impressed your English professor, but they aren’t likely to do more than annoy in the business world. Use short, familiar words that sound sincere and conversational; avoid formal or academic phrases.
They put everything in a single sentence. Such sentences are also throwbacks to college papers. Longer sentences are harder to follow and are almost always less precise. To see if your sentences are too long, count the number of words with three or more syllables in an average sentence. Now multiply the total by .4. The result will identify what has come to be called the fog factor, that is, the number of years of education needed to understand your writing. Language experts Robert Gunning and Douglas Mueller have found that the higher the level, the more difficult the message is to understand. Perhaps you’re writing for a highly sophisticated audience, so a fog factor of 16, the college graduation level, would be acceptable. But most of the time, it’s better to write at a level no higher than that of a high school graduate—a 12.
They differentiate themselves from their audience. Instead, they should personalize their writing. When you write, use the personal pronouns I, me, you, we, and us. “It has come to my attention that . . . ,” is likely to divert readers from the important message. Instead, be specific and say, “I learned . . . ,” or, “Marketing tells me . . . ,” or, “Government studies re- mind us. . . .”
They use the passive voice instead of the active voice. The passive voice forces you to use more words and lessens the impact of your writing.
They are wordy. Their writing is filled with needless words or phrases. Phrases such as there is mean nothing and, more importantly, add nothing to a sentence except length. A poor example: “There is contained in the enclosed. . . .” Better: “The enclosed pamphlet contains an important message. . . .”
They use phony phrases, overused openings, and clichéd closings. Don’t propose a paradigm that’s really a model. Don’t write, “Per our conversation.” Instead write, “As we discussed. . . .” “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call,” can be made reader friendly: “If you have any questions. . . .”