Writing Tips

An eNewsletter Dedicated to Helping Business people Write Smarter and Faster in Plain Language

More Writing Advice. Is There Ever Too Much? (Part 1 of 2)

The article, “How to Improve Your Business Writing“ from the online Harvard Business Review, includes a short list of helpful writing tips. You’ve heard them all before, but a refresher is always helpful because it can remind you of key tips you may have forgotten that can immediately improve your on-the-job writing. Here is the article, edited for clarity and space:

Overworked managers with little time might think that improving their writing is a tedious or even frivolous exercise. But knowing how to fashion an interesting and intelligent sentence is essential to communicating effectively, winning business, and setting yourself apart. “As Marvin Swift memorably said, clear writing means clear thinking,” said Kara Blackburn, a senior lecturer in managerial communication at the MIT Sloan School of Management. “You can have all the great ideas in the world and if you can’t communicate, nobody will hear them.” Here are some helpful reminders about how to write simply, clearly, and precisely.

Think before you write

Before you put pen to paper or hands to keyboard, consider what you want to say. “The mistake that many people make is they start writing prematurely,” says author Bryan Garner. “They work out the thoughts as they’re writing, which makes their writing less structured, meandering, and repetitive.” Ask yourself: What should my audience know or think after reading this email, proposal, or report? If the answer isn’t immediately clear, you’re moving too quickly. “Step back and spend more time collecting your thoughts,” Blackburn advises.

Be direct

Make your point right up front. Many people find that the writing style and structure they developed in school doesn’t work as well in the business world. “One of the great diseases of business writing is postponing the message to the middle part of the writing,” says Garner. By succinctly presenting your main idea first, you save your reader time and sharpen your argument before diving into the bulk of your writing. When writing longer memos and proposals, Garner suggests stating the issue and proposed solution in “no more than 150 words” at the top of the first page. “Acquire a knack for summarizing,” he says. “If your opener is no good, then the whole piece of writing will be no good.”

Cut the fat

Don’t “use three words when one would do,” says Blackburn. Read your writing through critical eyes, and make sure that each word works toward your larger point. Cut every unnecessary word or sentence. There’s no need to say “general consensus of opinion,” for instance, when “consensus” will do. “The minute readers feel that a piece of writing is verbose they start tuning out,” says Garner. He suggests deleting prepositions (point of view becomes viewpoint); replacing –ion words with action verbs (provided protection to becomes protected); using contractions (don’t instead of do not and we’re instead of we are); and swapping is, are, was and were with stronger verbs (indicates rather than is indicative of).

Avoid jargon and $10 words

Business writing is full of industry-specific buzzwords and acronyms. And while these terms are sometimes unavoidable and can occasionally be helpful as shorthand, they often indicate lazy or cluttered thinking. Throw in too many, and your reader will assume you are on autopilot — or worse, do not understand what you’re saying. “Jargon doesn’t add any value,” says Blackburn, but “clarity and conciseness never go out of style.” Garner suggests creating a “buzzword blacklist” of words to avoid, including terms like “actionable,” “core competency,” “impactful,” and “incentivize.” You should also avoid using grandiose language. Writers often mistakenly believe using a big word when a simple one will do is a sign of intelligence. It’s not.

Read what you write

Put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Is your point clear and well structured? Are the sentences straightforward and concise? Blackburn suggests reading passages out loud. “That’s where those flaws reveal themselves: the gaps in your arguments, the clunky sentence, the section that’s two paragraphs too long,” she says. And don’t be afraid to ask a colleague or friend — or better yet, several colleagues and friends — to edit your work. Welcome their feedback; don’t resent it. “Editing is an act of friendship,” says Garner. “It is not an act of aggression.”

(Part 2 of this article will be published in the April issue of Writing Tips.)

Fun Facts

• The first year Chicago dyed its river green for St. Patrick’s Day was 1962.
• The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the U.S. was held in Boston in 1737.
• The real St. Patrick wasn’t Irish. He was born in Britain around 390AD to an aristocratic Christian family.
• In the U.S., 34.7 million residents are of Irish ancestry, more than seven times the population of Ireland itself.
• Legend has it that wearing green makes a person invisible to leprechauns who will pinch someone if they see them.
• The world’s shortest St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in Dripsey, Ireland. It’s a total of 77 feet (23.4 meters) long: the distance between the tiny village’s two pubs.
• Every day, more than 10 million glasses of Guinness are drunk around the world. On St. Patrick’s Day, 13 million pints of Guinness are sold worldwide.
• The largest St. Patrick’s Day parade in the world is held in: Toronto, Chicago, New York City, Dublin?

(Fun Facts Answer: Scroll to the bottom.)

Word of the Month

ancillary | AN-suh-lair-ee | adjective

• of lower or secondary class or rank; providing additional help or support

“Keith felt that improving new-hire training should be ancillary to improving monthly sales.”

Wacky & Wise Websites

Click here to read about 10 homes built out of spite to infuriate family, friends, or neighbors.

Click here to read The Irish Times each day so you can discover what’s going on in the Emerald Isle, especially on March 17th.

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