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Wednesday Writing Wisdom

Write short sections
Short sections provide ‘bite size’ chunks for your reader. Short sections break up material so that it is easier to grasp. Long, dense sections with no white space may intimidate some readers – it makes your document look as though reading will be hard work.
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Articles

Persuasive communication

A lesson from Aristotle: a message is more likely to persuade when these three components are in appropriate balance. * Ethos The character of the person delivering the message. It’s [...]

Think before you consult when writing policies

Employee consultation has become a ‘sacred cow’ when writing policies and procedures. There’s a tendency for organisations to involve all possible stakeholders so that everyone can have their say when [...]

Communication does really matter

The ability to use words, pictures and shapes to share ideas is one of the things that separates humans from the animals. Good communication has an impact. What we say [...]

Clear, concise and effective: what ASIC says about disclosure documents

It’s the law. Many types of disclosure documents – prospectuses, financial services guides, statements of advice and the like – must be written in a way that is clear, concise [...]

Has this insurance document been written recklessly?

Reckless writing: Preparing a document without a deliberate and considered concern for readers, or a writer failing to apply their mind to consider how a document will be understood. A [...]

Writing for websites

Defining your purpose and understanding your users is even more important when developing a website. ‘Purpose’ and ‘user’ are important for all communication products, but more so when working on [...]

Why people don’t read everything you write

Business readers are predictable. They usually read for information, not for pleasure. They are constantly under pressure from other demands that compete for their time. The thoughtful writer tries to [...]

Developing process documentation

Document processes to: agree on the way you do your work define decision making boundaries and give people freedom to act within them. Good process documentation should make sure work [...]

Design information with a person in mind

Communication gravitates around the audience. Without a solid understanding of the audience, you are not communicating – you are merely dropping information into a vacant area and hoping for the [...]

Writing – back to basics

These ideas are not new – they’ve been around ever since people began talking with each other. But these principles of writing often get lost in a sea of clever [...]

Think in ink

Putting your thoughts on paper gives rigour to your thinking. Vague notions can no longer hide in the dark recesses of the mind, they must be brought into the light [...]

Banking Royal Commission – write plainly to treat people fairly

The terms of reference of the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry states All Australians have the right to be treated honestly and fairly [...]

When a logical structure doesn’t work

Sometimes structuring your document in what seems to be a logical order just doesn’t work. We all know that the traditional “scientific” structure we learnt in school is usually not [...]

Write for impact

The purpose of all business communication is to impact the attitudes or behaviour of readers. e.g. Marketing communication is aimed at getting people to buy from you. Policies and procedures [...]

What experts can do to communicate better

Experts have in-depth knowledge of their material, a thoroughness of understanding that has usually been developed over many years of diligent study, focus and reflection. Yet, when it comes to [...]

Readability – necessary but not sufficient

Readability refers to how easy it is to read text. It depends on how complex the ideas are and how they are expressed. (Readability is different to legibility. Legibility refers [...]

Plain language vs Plain English – a subtle but important difference

When I first started in this industry nearly three decades ago, I thought the terms ‘plain language’ and ‘plain English’ were synonymous. Writing professionals from Canada often talked about ‘plain [...]

Not another manual!

What do you do when people aren’t doing what you want? What do you do if they are not using equipment properly, are not following procedures or are making lots [...]

The English language can be tricky

The bandage was wound around the wound. The farm was used to produce produce. The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. We must polish the [...]

Getting the timing right

When should you talk to people? Timing your communication depends on – your purpose, and – the needs and interests of the people you are talking with. For example, marketers [...]

Writing a compelling business case – the MARCH approach

When writing a business case, put yourself in the shoes of your reader (as you should do with all documents). Think through the decisions they will make as they consider [...]

One of the worst opening paragraphs I have ever read

I found this paragraph at the beginning of an executive summary of a business case to introduce cloud based software development: The current approach to production and non-production environments based [...]

Five tips for more usable communication products

World Usability Day was founded to ensure that the services and products important to life are easier to access and simpler to use. At its heart, usability is about designing [...]

Superannuation PDS readability

The superannuation industry is in the news again today; described as an “unlucky lottery”. Among other issues, poor information is still a problem – ” They’re bamboozled by poor disclosure [...]

To be persuaded, the reader must see and must care

Whether you are writing marketing copy, a business proposal or a new procedure you expect people to follow, you need to touch both your reader’s heart and their mind in [...]

Logan City Council commits to plain language

Logan City Council found that its old website was not meeting the needs of its residents and rate payers. A user-focused approach was employed to develop a far more effective [...]

The curse of knowledge

Sometimes poor writing is not the result of laziness or a desire to be obscure, it’s just because we know the content too well. When you know something really well [...]

3 Ps of writing effective marketing material

We often need to write a document that sells an idea, product or service – perhaps a brochure, funding submission or proposal to work in a new way. Keep these [...]

User centred communication – is it worth the trouble?

User centred communication has at its core a desire to make information easy to find, easy to understand and easy to act on. If users cannot find the information they [...]

Good design gives information meaning

We have more information available now than ever before. Getting information is not the problem – making sense of it is! Sifting and sorting – the key to meaning People [...]

Reckless writing

Reckless writing is when writers just float a document ‘out there’ without any serious thought about their readers. Like reckless driving, it’s just doing what you think is OK without [...]

Don’t accept a broken document

If you cannot easily read and understand a document or website, it is broken. Don’t accept it. Don’t be pressured to sign it, agree to it or use it. A [...]

Audit vs evaluation – the importance of asking the right questions

‘Audit’ answers ‘Did we do what we said we would do?’ For example, did we publish the document?, did it go out on time?, did it reach all our clients? [...]

Impress with your thinking, not your language

Big words and complex sentence structure can be used to generate the impression of being ‘educated’. Some writers deliberately make text difficult to understand to create an air of mystique [...]

Writing in plain language (plain English)

Impress people with your thinking, not your language Big words and complex sentences can generate an impression of being ‘educated’. Some writers deliberately make text difficult to understand to create [...]

Nounification – the art of writing dull text

Nothing makes a document duller than turning verbs (action words) into nouns (labels). So ‘inspect’ becomes ‘inspection’, ‘manage’ becomes ‘management’ and ‘use’ becomes ‘utilisation’ (my pet hate!). Some people think [...]

Communicating law

The community has a right to know about the laws it must abide by. People need to understand how their business or lifestyle is regulated in a from that they [...]

Writing newsletters

Newsletters should always contain something new! Newsworthy articles entice readers to read. So, provide content that is useful of interest to them. Focus on what they want to hear rather [...]

Writing is easy!

“Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your head.” Gene Fowler Nearly everybody finds it hard to [...]

Ten tests to avoid reckless writing

Reckless writing: Preparing a document without a deliberate and considered concern for readers, or a writer failing to apply their mind to consider how a document will be understood. The [...]

How to write an executive summary

Like anything you write, think about the users first. An executive summary usually has three types of users: 1. Busy executives They want a speedy understanding of your paper or [...]

Publishing a document without testing – is that always reckless?

Reckless writing: Preparing a document without a deliberate and considered concern for readers, or a writer failing to apply their mind to consider how a document will be understood. Any [...]

The risk of writing functional documents and web content

A functional document (including web content) is a document that readers have to do something with. Functional documents include contracts, reports, advice, disclosures, fact sheets, policies, procedures, terms and conditions, [...]

Removing the Indian accent when writing for Australian readers

Over the past few years I’ve worked with people from India on some IT projects within the finance industry in Sydney. Some have been in Australia on special work visas, [...]

Effective, less risky procedure documents

Far too often policy manuals, standard operating procedures, work method statements sit on the shelf and are hardly ever used. They are read by quality system auditors every few years, [...]

Due diligence in public documents – test before publishing

Due diligence: action that is considered reasonable for people to be expected to take in order to keep themselves or others and their property safe. (Cambridge English Dictionary – my [...]

Financial disclosure – being clear, concise and effective

The law says that financial disclosure documents must be worded and presented in a clear, concise and effective manner. This is a requirement of the Corporations Act 2001: Financial Services [...]

Why don’t we test information products?

No one would consider releasing a physical product to the market without testing it first. From motor vehicles to pencils, it’s hard to think of a product that has not [...]

5 steps for effective document review

You’ve slaved away for weeks on an important document. You’ve researched and talked to people. You’ve worked hard to understand your audience, their needs and how they will use your [...]

Putting Words to Work

Words may be fragile, dulled by poor use and often difficult to find, but they are still the best way to make ourselves understood by other people. Every document – [...]

UX writing vs plain language writing

I’ve only recently come across the term ‘UX writing’; it may have been around for a while. My immediate internal skeptic said “This is just plain language writing dressed up [...]

Audit vs Evaluation

Audit vs Evaluation – what’s the difference? ‘Audit’ answers the question ‘Did we do what we said we would do?’ For example, did we publish the document?, did it go [...]

You’ve written it with care, but will it be read, understood and acted on?

User testing is a must to increase the chance that a document is read, understood and acted on. (A document could be a printed process, fact sheet or report, or [...]

How good writing drives good thinking (with a down-side)

There is a very close relationship between writing well and thinking well. You cannot write well until you think well. The relationship with thinking is what excites me about writing. [...]

5 ways to make business writing more powerful

Do the letters, memos or reports have the impact you want? Try these pointers. 1. Get to the point quickly Tell readers what you are saying in the first sentence, [...]

Good communication or effective communication: which do you have?

Good communication occurs when the receiver’s understanding matches the meaning intended by the sender. Understanding is the goal. Effective communication occurs when the receiver acts in the way intended by [...]

The forgotten step of document design – User Testing

There is never enough time or money to do it right, but there is always enough to do it again. We’ve probably all come across documents that just don’t make [...]

Building the best structure for your document

Placing your content in the correct order makes a big impact on the effectiveness of your document. Before designing a structure for your document define the purpose of your document [...]

I’ve told them – isn’t that good enough?

Never! – unless all you want to do is meet some legal obligation. In that case, who cares if no-one reads or understands? But if you want people to read, [...]

Claiming something is written plainly does not make it so

I came across this sentence recently: The text provides, in plain English, an overview of what is necessary to give effect to a valid advanced care directive, and through illustrative [...]

Why I am a plain language zealot

All business and government documents should be written in plain language. These are ‘functional documents’; people are expected to use these documents (information products) to do something. Plain language builds [...]

Why good readers may not read all your text

‘Just tell me what you’ve gotta tell me, clear and straight, and get to the point fast.’ John Wayne (in The Sands of Iwo Jima) Reading for purpose Business readers [...]

The power of little words

When you come right down to it, there is no law that says you have to use big words when you write or talk. There are lots of small words, [...]

Purposeful communication – beyond shared understanding

Functional documents demand purposeful communication. Traditional models of communication have understanding as the goal of communication. A person constructs an idea, codes into media (speech, text, images) transmits it. The [...]

Using standard letters

Crafting a letter once and then sending it to multiple customers or members is a smart way to communicate. Standard letters are especially useful in organisations with repetitive processes and [...]

Procedures: how to write for business benefit

Most businesses define work activities in a written procedure. (If your business doesn’t, it really should.) Procedures, sometimes called Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), work instructions or safe work method statements, [...]

Crafting marketing material

WIIFM is the radio station everyone is tuned in to – what’s in it for me? Always write from the perspective of the reader. Link your product or service to [...]

Outline of an effective business case – IT example

This example outline uses the familiar Situation, Complication, Question, Answer structure for business proposals. The context is a large company in the finance industry implementing cloud technology for software development [...]

Touching your readers’ hearts and minds

There is an old saying amongst marketing people “if you can’t touch your prospects’ heart, they’ll never let you touch their wallets”. The same principle is true when you are [...]

Draft the content, craft the message

Very few organisations set out to publish documents that are confusing or difficult. Usually ambiguous or obscure documents happen by accident. What goes wrong? Well, often the job is only [...]