Tag Archives: Writing well

Draft the content, craft the message

Plain language / Plain English,

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 partly done. Merely putting content together is rarely enough.

Organisations assign subject matter experts to research carefully, organise the content and conduct peer reviews. But then they publish without serious design thinking.

They miss a vital step: crafting the content into an effective communication piece.

Subject matter experts are usually very bright with a deep knowledge of their subject – their input is essential. However, they cannot help but write from their perspective, using their frame of reference and their language. Many readers need the material translated and put into a form that makes sense to them.

For example, a subject matter expert may write:
“Employees must not facilitate or permit the use of employer communication devices by persons not authorised by the Department, unless urgent business or personal circumstances would reasonably require such use.”,
but it is clearer if a user reads:
“You must not allow the Department’s equipment to be used by unauthorised people, unless there is a urgent need”.

Crafting communication from draft content is more than just getting the words right. It involves serious information design with an eye to the user and what they need to do with the information. It involves rethinking structure, document format and graphics.

It’s best to think of writing a complex document as a two-step process:

  1. draft the content (what you want to say)
  2. craft the message (how it should be said)

Two types of expertise are needed – the content expert and the communication expert.

Action

Next time you write a document, remember to both “draft and craft”. Consider involving a communication expert early.

Don’t assume others know all the words you do

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

If you have completed studies beyond high school, you likely have a broader vocabulary than most people.

You will likely know the meaning of more complex words and also be able to untangle complicated sentence structures. While this can be useful in academic or professional settings, it can work against you when you are writing for a broader audience. You may inadvertently assume your readers are OK with some words and phrases just because you are.

So, consider your audience when writing. Limit your use of uncommon or technical words, and stick to everyday language, the kind you’d find in a newspaper.

Simple, familiar words make your writing easier to understand for everyone.

Business and government documents must be written well because…

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, ,

Business and government documents often contain important information that places obligations on individuals, such as legal responsibilities, financial commitments, or compliance requirements.

When these documents are not written clearly, there is a real risk that people may misunderstand or only partially understand what is required of them. This confusion can have serious consequences, such as missed deadlines, penalties, or unintended breaches of the law.

Poorly written documents can create unnecessary stress, disadvantage, or even oppress people—especially those with lower literacy levels, those for whom English is a second language, or those in vulnerable situations.

Clear and accessible writing helps everyone understand their rights and responsibilities. It promotes fairness, reduces errors and disputes, and builds trust in institutions.

Purposeful communication – beyond shared understanding

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

In business and government, we write functional documents. 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), and then transmits it. The receiver decodes and reconstructs that as a new idea. Feedback and re-transmitting continues until both the sender and the receiver have the same idea. That is, the aim is a shared understanding. But that is not good enough for functional documents.

Purposeful communication starts by asking ‘Why?”.

The purpose of all business and government communication is to impact the thinking, attitudes or behaviour of readers in some way. We write to achieve an organisational purpose.

For example, marketing communication aims, ultimately, to get people to buy from you. Policies and procedures aimed to cause people to act in a particular way.

Purposeful communication goes beyond understanding and effectively transmitting ideas. It is more about influence.

So, the simplest way of testing any communication piece is to look at your audience. Are they doing what you wanted them to do? Are they moving towards doing what you want? Is your document achieving purpose?

Define purpose before you write

Plain language writing starts by being clear about your purpose. Before writing, complete a sentence in this structure:

As a result of reading this document <my reader> will
<do, think, feel> something.

The purpose of your document will support the overall purpose of your organisation.

For a government agency or not-for-profit, purpose will likely be related to fulfilling its mission. That mission may be to provide good roads or to administer taxes fairly or to provide care services to a part of the community.

For a business, its ultimate purpose is probably to make a profit. (But there will be other important things like ensuring its employees work safely, protecting the environment and the like.) A business will have other aims and objectives that support this purpose like increasing market share, keeping quality on track, or improving the skills of its employees.

Effective purposeful communication will supports these aims and objectives.

Workplace communication aims to enhance the business performance of the organisation. Purposeful communication enables and energises employees to carry out strategic intent. Communication is a means, not an end.

Can you know a document will achieve purpose before it is published?

Sensible user testing gives good insights and can help you avoid reckless writing. Communication products, like all products, should be tested before being released.

Think before you consult when writing policies

Document structure, Thinking & writing, , , , ,
Top view of co-workers planning a strategy Free Photo
Business photograph designed by Pressfoto – Freepik.com

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 defining how things work in an organisation. It’s promoted as a way to create an engaged and empowered workforce; an antidote to a command and control culture.

But consultation takes time and can be counter productive. Countless hours can be lost in document reviews and meetings, sometimes with little benefit.

Yet consultation communicates that you and your organisation value people and respect their point of view, knowledge and experience.

So, think before you run every policy through the same consultation process. Discern which documents will benefit from consultation, and who should be involved.

Consider policies in three broad groups:

1. Policies where consultation is pointless

If you are developing policies or procedure to implement a non-negotiable directive from the board, or a piece of legislation, consultation may not be helpful. Just write the document and get on with it. Consultation in this situation may even be harmful – it can raise the expectation of negotiation and input when there is none. You could lose credibility.

2. Policies where input from others is essential

Sometimes subject matter expertise resides in a number of people. You’ll need to consult to find out what is happening, or the best way of doing something. Find the right people and involve them in every stage of drafting and review. You’ll end up with a richer outcome by listening to appropriate stakeholders.

3. Policies where people just want to have their say

There are some policies in an organisation that stir the passions – like the ‘car policy’. People want to be heard but full consultation is not mission critical. When developing policies like this, I often invite comment but don’t run a full consultation process. Of course, if you invite comment you need to consider it – revise the policy or provide other feedback.

(this blog inspired by a conversation with Adam Leonard, General Manager Human Resources, Anglicare)

How to avoid writing dull text

Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

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 words like these sound official and the sort of language that should be used in business documents. It’s just plain dull. If you replace action words with labels your writing will lose its vigour and power.

But worse than that, it hides meaning. For example, you can write ‘perform an inspection’ without clearly stating what is being inspected. But when you write ‘inspect the …..’ you are forced to say what to inspect, and perhaps what you are looking for.

In general, using verbs forces greater rigour in thinking and greater precision in writing.

And always choose the simplest word you can find in preference to impressive,  pompous words.

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

Thinking & writing, ,

There is a very close relationship between writing well and thinking well.
You cannot write well until you think well.

Writing helps thinking

The relationship with thinking is what excites me about writing.

When we write (and this could be a few words or even a diagram) we take the fuzzy, unformed ideas sitting in the back of our heads and make them explicit. We put them on a page or a screen. When we see our thoughts on paper, we are better able to interact with ideas, and thinking becomes richer and clearer.

The think-write-think process helps us figure out the best way of explaining ideas to others – we talk to ourselves and other people with greater clarity.

Poor writing is often the result of poor thinking. Ideas may be there, but if they haven’t been worked over and refined by writing and re-writing, they are unlikely to be understood by people other than the writer.

The down-side

The close relationship between writing and thinking means that every time you write something, you are exposing your thinking. That may be an uncomfortable thought. People may make judgements about your thinking capability based on the text you generate.

It’s all the more reason to strive to write plainly and clearly, so that readers can see through your words to interact with your ideas.

As with all endeavours, we can lift writing performance with proper training and disciplined practice.

Three essentials of financial disclosure documents – be clear, concise and effective

Plain language / Plain English, ,

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 Guides – Sect 942A (6a)
    • Product Disclosure Statements – Sect 1013C (3)
    • Statements of Advice – Sect 947C (6)

    Being complete and accurate is not enough

    My observation is that many disclosure documents do not meet the standard of ‘clear, concise and effective’. Writers seem to focus on complying with other aspects of the law – having  the correct content. They assume that being complete and accurate is enough. That’s a very risky position to take, and it may break the law.

    These standards of ‘clear, concise and effective’ are tough to meet because they can only be judged with reference to the reader, or user, of the document.

    An effective document – achieves purpose

    The general purpose of disclosure documents, as described in the law, is to help people make a decision about whether to buy financial services or products, or follow advice. To be effective, disclosure documents must work to achieve that purpose.

    That means you must know something about your readers and their decision making process, and use that knowledge to inform your writing. It may mean including additional content not required by the law, but that is helpful for your readers.

    A concise document – everything readers need, and nothing they don’t

    Being concise means not including unnecessary material, not saying the same thing multiple times (removing redundancy) and not using more words than is needed to express an idea. It means you should not blindly use a boiler-plate template that includes material that is irrelevant to some readers.

    A clear document – readers can find the information they need, understand it, and then use it to achieve their goals

    Being clear is a matter of

    1. organising content in a way that makes sense to your readers
    2. using words, sentence structure and a style that can be understood easily.

    In short, all financial disclosure documents must be written using the principles of plain language, with a deliberate focus on the needs of users.

    Why people don’t read everything you write

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing,

    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 convey as much information as possible, accurately and as clearly as possible, in as little reading as possible.

    Business reading is different to reading a novel. Don’t try to hold your readers in suspense. Get to the point fast. Often a reliable headline is all readers need. Readers are eager to put your document aside as soon as they decide they have all they need.

    But the reader may put your document aside too soon. They may scan a report or memo quickly and decide “this doesn’t have anything for me”, and miss the most important point. Or the reader may find some good information, be pleased, then say (again wrongly) “OK good stuff. I don’t need the rest” and miss something even more important. The skillful writer needs to ensure that really important information is received properly.

    What is the one statement about which a writer would be willing to say: “It’s all right if my readers read nothing else”. That should appear at the beginning. And if it does, it may be truly all right if the reader reads nothing else.

    In wanting to stop early, the reader is not lazy or irresponsible; it is simply that the reader is reading only for information, is busy, and is eager to receive important information quickly, then move on.

    In business and government writing, seek to maximise meaning, minimise reading.

    Action

    Next time you write, identify the one statement your readers must read to get your message. Put this near the beginning.

    Some of these ideas have been adapted from Put it in writing by A Joseph.

    Reckless writing

    Uncategorized, ,

    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 properly considering the consequences.

    Even if your document is complete and accurate, not considering your readers is reckless. Not considering how they will understand and what they will do as a result of reading is both arrogant and careless. Not taking the time to structure your document in a way that makes sense, and not writing plainly in language readers can understand, is irresponsible.

    The writer’s opinion doesn’t matter – the reader is the judge

    It is never enough just to write what you think is good enough – the reader is the sole judge of effective communication.

    Unfortunately, reckless writing is common. It’s unusual for authors to carefully articulate the purpose of the document and the needs of their users before they start writing. Proper user (reader) testing is rare. And document reviews don’t always fix the problem – they can end up being group recklessness.

    Reckless writing is risky

    But reckless writing is very risky behaviour for government agencies and businesses. It’s especially risky if you write documents that people use when making decisions.

    Sometimes the risk is that the document is ignored. In that case, all that has been lost is

    • research effort in defining the content
    • writing effort, as authors struggle to find words to convey ideas
    • design effort when graphic elements are sourced to supplement the words
    • review effort as the document passes through various levels of approval
    • publishing cost, perhaps printing or placing it online
    • archival and governance effort to keep proper records of the document
    • the opportunity – the document was intended to achieve some outcome but didn’t.

    Other times the risk is that users (readers) misunderstand the document and take an action that they shouldn’t, or that they would not have if they had understood it properly. When that happens, the cost to you and to them can be huge and may potentially involve legal action.

    Consider your users when you write and what they need to do with the information. Test to make sure you are communicating effectively.

    Australian writing skills at an all time low – what’s the impact?

    Plain language / Plain English, Writer training, , ,

    A recent news article states that NAPLAN analysis shows the writing of skills of Australian children are at all time low after what has been described as a 30 year policy failure in schools

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-26/teaching-resources-reverse-students-poor-writing-naplan/105454122

    Where are the children who have been failed for these last 30 years?

    They are in the workforce – in mid-career. They are the people who are now writing policy, letters, procedures, briefing notes, reports. If the NAPLAN analysis is correct, then these workers missed some basic education in their formative years in primary school. They did not master the skill of writing at that time. And some may have been struggling ever since.

    Of course, school is not the only place where you can learn writing. I’m sure many who attended school during these years are now fine writers. They may have learned writing from good guidance during their tertiary studies, or maybe they’ve learned write well on the job. But it’s possible some of this cohort may still be struggling as they perform the writing tasks required of modern government and business employees.

    And I hear senior managers talk about this weakness frequently. They are frustrated about the internal review process – it often takes far longer than it should. And reviewers waste time correcting writing rather than interacting and building on ideas.

    Writing is a critical capability.

    Failing to develop writing skills is a career disadvantage for individuals. But it also means organisations are also suffering. Ideas may not be expressed clearly; logic and thinking may not be rigorously tested. Information leaflets, letters and other documents do not have the clarity that the users of these products rightly expect.

    Writing and thinking are closely connected.

    We cannot write well until we can think well. But equally, cannot think well unless we can write well. Writing helps people shape ideas, taking vague and fuzzy notions into concrete words and sentence. Writing makes implicit ideas explicit so that they can be examined and tested by both the writer and by others. Not having a sound writing capability within an organisation puts it at risk of underperforming, of not achieving its objectives as well as it should.

    Do you manage people with inadequate writing skills?

    Some thoughts if you are in a position of managing people whose writing skills have not yet developed to the level we expect:

    1. Recognise there may have been a gap in learning and development at an early stage. Poor performance may not be related to a lack of intelligence or lack of effort.
    2. Consider enrolling workers in a writer training program. A day of training isn’t going to change the habits of a lifetime immediately. But a well design program will provide direction for participants to practice and follow.
    3. Provide access to helpful tools. Programs like Grammarly and Hemingway can be helpful in getting the basics correct.
    4. Be kind and gentle during the review process. Use document reviews as an opportunity to develop skills. Take the time to explore alternative ways of organising and structuring documents, and explain how to improve sentences and paragraphs.

    Developing the writing skills of your people will make documents more effective and efficient.

    How long is a paragraph?

    Document structure, Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , , ,

    Paragraphs are flexible. A paragraph can be a single word, or it could be 8 sentences or more if the idea is complex.

    A paragraph should contain a single idea. If you have a new idea or a shift in focus, start a new paragraph.

    Write the main point in the first sentence. That guides your reader, so they know what to expect. Use the following sentences to expand or explain or illustrate that central point.

    Readers are most comfortable when paragraphs average about 4-6 lines. This length provides enough space to develop an idea without overwhelming the reader or creating dense blocks of text.

    But it’s also good to have some variety in both sentence and paragraph length to keep your text visually interesting and reduce reader fatigue.

    How to get started when writing

    Thinking & writing, writing tip, , ,

    Just writing anything that comes into your head can be a surprisingly effective way to start writing. Free writing helps get the ideas flowing without the pressure of perfection.

    When you let your thoughts spill onto the page uncensored, it helps unlock your thinking without worrying about perfection. It removes the pressure of getting everything right the first time and allows your ideas to develop naturally. It’s not about perfection at this stage; it’s about momentum.

    You can always refine, reshape, and polish those raw ideas later. The key is to keep your pen moving or your fingers typing, even if what emerges feels messy or incoherent at first.

    I often say, there’s no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.  The magic happens in revision, where you sculpt your initial thoughts into something compelling.

    So give yourself permission to write badly at first—it’s an essential part of the creative process.

    The dangers of copy and paste

    Thinking & writing, writing tip, ,

    Copying and pasting from one document to another allows you to generate text quickly without thinking very hard. It gives the illusion of progress.

    Copy and paste builds bulk but not always meaning.

    This approach might seem efficient for meeting word counts or filling pages, but it often results in disjointed and incoherent content.

    Using existing text is an effective way to get started and can provide a useful foundation or inspiration for your work, but always revise so the meaning is clear and relevant to the new document.

    Each piece of writing has its own context, audience, and purpose. Simply transplanting text without adapting it will likely result in an ineffective document.

    Thoughtful editing transforms text into meaningful communication, and that demonstrates both respect for your readers and a commitment to quality.

    Lazy writing reflects lazy thinking. And remember, you cannot write well until you first think well.

    Use familiar, short words

    Plain language / Plain English, writing tip, , ,

    When you write, think carefully about the words you choose to use.

    In general, select words that will be familiar to your audience – words that they know and use frequently themselves.

    This allows readers to quickly find meaning rather than having to search in their mind for the meaning. Or even worse, have to look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary.

    Overlap using familiar words with also choosing short and simple words. Shorter words are generally easier to read and process.

    So, write ‘use’ rather than ‘utilise’; ‘try’ rather than ‘endeavour’; ‘help’ rather than ‘facilitate’.

    Choose words that are firstly familiar to your audience, and secondly prefer simple and short words.

    But above all, choose words that convey your meaning with clarity and precision.

    Effective, less risky procedure documents

    Plain language / Plain English, Thinking & writing, ,

    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, but they are hardly ever used by people in the business.

    This is a problem for two reasons:

    1. Developing these documents is costly in both direct writing costs and the time lost by people diverted from their normal work to provide the content. Manuals are an expensive asset – it is important to get a return on investment.
    2. There is often a mismatch between what is written and what is done. Over time small changes are made to processes that are not reflected in the manual. Whether by laziness or an over cumbersome approval system, the end result is a mismatch between what managers think and what workers do – a very risky situation for any organisation.

    There is no magic bullet to solve the problem. However, one thing that can help is to change the way documents are written and formatted.

    Make sure policy and procedure documents are useful.

    Manuals must provide relevant information to those who will use them. They must contain information that is important for doing the job without lots of extra fluff.

    Make sure policy and procedure documents are usable.

    People must be able to find the information they need quickly. And once they find it, they must be able to extract meaning quickly. So, a few things that can help;

    • avoid pages of document control information at the start – the user is not interested
    • keep line lengths short to make them more readable
    • use consistent styles so that users easily recognise information types
    • use photos instead of always relying on text descriptions
    • try starting all action steps with a verb

    Make policy and procedure documents attractive

    Entice people to use manuals by making them pleasing to the eye. There is no reason why work documents should be ugly. Form and function should come together.

    Action

    • Find out which documents are being used and which just sit on the shelf.
    • Find out who is using them and how they are being used.
    • Check the written practice against the actual practice.

    Outline of an effective business case – IT example

    Uncategorized, ,

    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 (referred to as virtual environments).

    Note the power of ‘talking headings‘ – you’ll get the gist of the proposal just by reading these headings.

    Executive summary

    ‘Virtual Environments’ open new opportunities

    A transformational change plus tangible benefits

    1 Situation: Solid technology underpins the business

    1.1 Supporting a business with purposeful intent

    1.2 Robust technology base

    1.3 Sound controlled change methodology

    2 Complication: Changing our technology is cumbersome

    2.1 Shared and limited number of traditional environments

    Development must be completed within a fixed window

    Delays in one release impact future releases

    Changes to one project impacts all other projects in the release

    Production support is disrupted every release

    Drives inflexible training schedules

    2.2 Limited test data

    Limited capability to back-up and restore test data

    Old and unrealistic data compromises test confidence

    2.3 Dependence on legacy platforms

    Manual configuration results in delayed changes and increased variance

    High costs of environments

    3 Focusing question: How can we have rapid, yet robust, change?

    3.1 How can we introduce change rapidly without losing control?

    3.2 How can we provide data so that changes can be tested quickly and confidently?

    3.3 Is there a way to allow projects to work at different rates?

    3.4 How can we transform so that rapid change becomes ‘business as usual’?

    4 Proposal: Modernise our IT environments and processes

    4.1 Extend virtualised environments

    Extend the application coverage to cover all organisational requirements

    Decommission all traditional environments

    Provide dedicated VEs for minor releases and production support

    Provide dedicated VEs for training

    4.2 Provide better test data management

    Provide capability to backup and restore test data in non-production environments

    Provide masked production type data

    5 Cost/benefit: IRR of xx% and a payback period of yy years

    5.1 Some benefits realised immediately, others gradually ramp up

    5.2 If we ignore this opportunity, we’ll lose momentum

    5.3 Strategically aligned to corporate objectives

    6 Costs

    6.1 Costs that can be estimated well

    Data solution and extension of VEs across the organisation

    6.2 Costs that cannot be estimated well

    Extend VEs to include partner organisations

    Impacts on the change delivery teams

    7 Benefits

    7.1 Benefits that cannot be estimated well

    Improved business flexibility

    Improved project quality and efficiency

    Reduced reputation risk

    Foundational build to support future delivery

    Strategic capabilities for test data management

    Reduced hardware spend

    7.2 Benefits that can be estimated well

    Avoiding the cost of provisioning new traditional environments

    Avoiding the cost of new traditional environments to support large scale programs

    Eliminating lost productivity and migration effort resulting from de-scoping

    Decommission traditional environments

    Eliminating minor release environment migration and lost productivity

    Reduced retrofitting effort

    8 What might raise costs or limit benefits?

    8.1 Sensitivity analyses

    Changes in cost estimates

    Slow project progress

    Limited project funding

    Variable test data solution costs

    8.2 Dependencies

    Benefits are only realised if test data solution provided

    Full realisation of benefits requires changing the way we work

    8.3 Constraints

    Satisfaction with current performance

    8.4 Project risks

    No change in mindset, so no organisational transformation

    Partial implementation will reduce benefits and lead to ‘slip back’

    Applications may require re-architecture

    Additional non-functional re-architecture may be required

    Hardware or software is procured unnecessarily by teams external to project

    9 Appendices

    9.1 Alternative solutions considered

    9.2 How the project will be organised

    9.3 How we gathered information

    Bottom-up

    Top-down

    9.4 Industry trends

    The curse of knowledge

    Uncategorized,

    curse of knowledgeSometimes 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 it is extremely difficult to imagine not knowing it. That makes it hard to share knowledge with others because you can’t easily put yourself in your readers’ shoes. It’s like trying to un-see or un-hear something.

    The first principle of writing clearly is to understand your users or readers; to understand their needs, wants, interests and mind set. But that is really hard to do if you are an expert trying to communicate with non-experts.

    Experts immerse themselves in the subject for years. They end up speaking and writing using abstract terms to summarise all the concrete data in their heads. They describe ‘replacing the bolt’ as ‘taking corrective measures’, or ‘wind and rain’ as ‘unfavourable weather’, or ‘stopping pollution’ as ’emissions reduction’. But novices don’t get it. They only hear vague phrases.

    Experts forget how difficult it has been to acquire knowledge. They now see much of their knowledge as ‘obvious’ or ‘common sense’.

    Elizabeth Newton illustrated the curse of knowledge in a simple game. A “tapper” was asked to tap out the rhythm of a well-known song, such as “Happy Birthday”. The listener’s job was to guess the song. Newton asked the tappers to predict the probability that listeners would guess correctly. They predicted 50%, but listeners actual success rate was 2.5%. The reason for such a difference? The tapper can’t avoid hearing the tune in their head playing with the taps, but all the listener can hear is a kind of Morse code.

    Deliberately working to put yourself in the users’ shoes is a start, but doesn’t really solve the problem. The only solution is to test what you have written. Ask your user, or a surrogate user, what they understand from your writing.

    (inspired by reading Steven Pinker’s book, The Sense of Style)

    Removing the Indian accent when writing for Australian readers

    Uncategorised

    oz india flagsOver 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, others have migrated here.

    For the most part, the people from India I have worked with are clever and have a good work ethic. In the IT space they bring valuable skills and experience. Some are plain brilliant. Businesses benefit from a diverse workforce and the synergy of different ways of thinking.

    But sometimes communication is difficult – and it’s just because we grew up in different parts of the world. Our cultures are different, the way we use words is different and the way we sound out words is different. In face to face conversations and meetings people often have to repeat themselves multiple times to get a shared understanding. Speaking a little slower than normal helps, but doesn’t solve the problem entirely.

    Moving to the written word should make things easier, but sometimes it doesn’t. It is not poor grammar or incorrect sentence construction.  Many Indian professionals have studied English for years at school and university.  But the Indian idiom and way of speaking often doesn’t gel with Australian readers.

    Here’s three problems I’ve noticed. And to be fair, these are not exclusively Indian problems.

    1. Writing in an ‘official’ or bureaucratic way; using big or obscure words when simple words will do. Adopting this style can stop you from getting your ideas across and can sometimes result in readers laughing at you. It’s best to just say what you mean clearly and simply.

    Sure Greg, I am updating the text for all the funds on UAT right now. Will intimate you once the activity is completed. – the writer didn’t really want to become intimate with me, they were just going to tell me when the job was done.

    Please revert back at the earliest opportunity. – the writer didn’t want me to quickly return to my former state, they were asking for a reply.

    1. Using more words than needed. More words makes your document longer, but it doesn’t make your argument or your content stronger or more convincing. Australians prefer to be convinced by the quality and clarity of a proposal or idea, rather than the weight of words expressing it. Even when writing simple text, use as few words as you can to get the idea across.

    Chris can be reached in case of any queries pertaining to consolidated monthly invoice figures. – it would be better, and shorter, to write Ask Chris if you have any questions about invoices.

    1. Excessive ‘cut & paste’. Sometimes content is taken from one document and pasted into another without serious thought about whether it is entirely appropriate. It’s fast but not always good. This is a more troublesome problem because it reveals a lack of robust consideration about the topic. Good writing can only come from good thinking.

    Writing a compelling business case – the MARCH approach

    Uncategorised,

    MARCH business caseWhen 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 your business case.

    Remember the acronym MARCH to make sure you’ve included important content.
    (This will help you march forward with your business case – daggy but memorable.)

    The way a business thinks when considering a significant investment is similar to the way we all, as individuals, do. So I’ll use the example of buying a new kitchen for your home to illustrate the ideas.

    M – must have or might be nice

    Make sure you explain why the business should invest in what you are proposing.

    Must have

    Your solution might address a genuine business need or problem; current or emerging. That is, without it, the business will experience some amount of pain.

    If my kitchen is broken – appliances not working, shelving falling down, etc – a new kitchen is a need.

    Might be nice

    It might be possible for the business to continue functioning without your solution, but your solution will make things ‘nicer’ in some way. It may be an opportunity to save money, reduce complexity, prepare for the future.

    If my kitchen is not broken – it can still be used to prepare meals – but it is looking tired and worn; more efficient appliances will save money; a better design will make working in it easier; a modern appearance will please me and impress my friends.

    A – affordable

    The business must be able to afford the solution.

    There are some absolutes around affordability, but also some perceptions. The cost must be perceived to be commensurate with the problem being solved or the opportunity provided.

    If cost is likely to be an issue, you may need to explain how the business could afford your proposal. (Car dealers often express new car prices as ‘only $12.87 per week’.)

    If a new kitchen will cost $500,000, I absolutely cannot afford it no matter how good it is or what benefits it will deliver. If it will cost $50,000, I can likely afford it, but with pain. If it’s only $5,000, I’m very interested.

    R – right

    Is the solution you are proposing the right way to solve the problem or deliver the opportunity? Is it the best option available?

    Consider different products, but also consider fundamental changes to the way things are now.

    Best = value, and value is measured by comparing the cost against the benefit. Examine the cost/benefit ratio of different options. There are different ways of doing this – return on investment, payback period, discounted cash flows and the like. Your organisation will have a preferred method.

    There are a number of different kitchen suppliers. We’ve considered many of them, and XYZ offers the most suitable solution at the best price. We also considered converting the kitchen into a games room and eating out at every meal, but rejected this option due to health concerns.

    C – choice, is this the best direction

    Is this the best thing to invest in now?

    Your proposal may be competing against a number of other unrelated ideas. There are always a number of things a business could invest in – is your idea the best thing to do now?

    Yes, a new kitchen would be great, and the one from XYZ is the best one available. But the roof is leaking. We need to fix that before buying a kitchen.

    H – how will it work

    How will the solution be implemented?

    What are proposing? When will it happen? What will be the impact on the business? What are the risks and how will they be managed? Who will be involved?

    Provide clear answers to give the reader confidence you can deliver what you say you can.

    The plans for the new kitchen are attached. We can start next month and you won’t have a kitchen for a week. We have three suppliers of ovens to manage supply problems. We’ve engaged expert trades people that have a track record of excellence.

    All the MARCH framework items must be in your business case, although you can change the order in which they are presented to best meet your readers’ needs.

    To be persuaded, the reader must see and must care

    Uncategorised, ,

    hearts-and-mindsWhether 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 some way. Impersonally presented facts or reasons, no matter how clearly they are presented, are not strong enough to move people away from their existing way of thinking or behaving.

    How many facts that you have already seen or heard today? If you’ve browsed a news website or walked past some billboards, you will have seen multiple facts. Most of those will have washed over you – you see them but you don’t care. You only become interested in stories when they connect with your interests or something you are passionate about. Similarly, just presenting bland facts to your readers is useless if they don’t care.

    Well reasoned writing is not sufficient. Our minds are stuffed with facts, and most of them we need to ignore in order to function sanely. If facts are connected in some way to our vital interests or sympathies, then we’ll pat attention. So, find out what is important to your readers, and relate your facts and your arguments to that.

    On the other hand, merely stirring the emotions is very unwise if there is no solid reasoning to back up your position. Stirred emotions can arouse suspicion about a proposal or persuasive document, and tell our reason to investigate further. Emotions can create discomfort and paralyse action if they are out of step with our reason.

    Emotional writing is not sufficient. It is folly to stir emotions that cannot be justified by rational facts and argument.

    (built on ideas from Don Pfarrer; Guerrilla Persuasion)