You probably write on the job all the time: proposals to clients, memos to senior executives, a constant flow of emails to colleagues. How can you ensure that your writing is as clear and effective as possible?
- Challenge yourself to be more concise. If you chopped out a sentence or two — or eight — would the reader even notice?
- Identify your bad habits. Recognize jargon, passive constructions (“Something must be done!”), and imprecise language as bad habits that make it harder for others to get the meaning of what you’re saying.
- Pair up with another writer. People tend to have complementary problems: Maybe you write too long and your colleague struggles to organize ideas. The job of an editor or a peer reviewer is to show you what you cannot see. That’s why two flawed writers can make each other better.
- Build disciplined feedback into the writing process. When good writers are whipsawed by contradictory reviews, it leads to bad results. With sufficient notice and carefully organized review cycles, you can fix problems and keep your writing coherent.
Adapted from "Your Writing Isn't As Good As You Think It Is," by Josh Bernoff
