Are You Writing Effectively at Work?

The first goal of writing is to have one's words read successfully. ~Robert Brault

To write effectively is to inform, persuade and convince others to take action. As you move up the corporate ladder, it is all the more necessary for you to write effectively and productively. Here are the tips that you can use and hone your writing skills to get noticed and be ahead. You, too, can be an effective writer:


1. Be confident: Do not doubt yourself. It is important to have a positive mindset that you will be able to write effectively. Bear in mind that the more you write, the better you will be able to write. It is a matter of constant practice.

2. Write consistently: Like doing everything else, to be effective, it is necessary to write regularly and frequently. The most effective method is to start a blog and write stuff that you are good at and interested in. The other advantage is that, by writing constantly, you will be able to develop and build a trusted brand for the things that you are knowledgeable about.

3. Do research: It is also necessary to get the right information to support your writing. Search the Net, read books, and be sure of what you write because you want to gain the trust of others in you.

4. Read and learn: Read widely and learn more from experts, like Copyblogger, about effective writing. Extensive reading also expands your word power.

5. Be clear, concise, and focus: You should be very precise about what you want to write and be brief and focus. Go straight to the point and avoid padding.

6. Write logically, sequentially, and cohesively: The purpose of your written work should be stated clearly in your opening paragraph. Subsequent paragraphs should provide details to support your main message. You will call for action in the final paragraph of your writing.

7. Write with care: Check your work and avoid mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Your effectiveness and credibility will be discounted when you cannot write in proper English.


8. Write to be read easily and quickly: At the workplace, people are impatient and they are working under stress. Write in bullet points or number your points so that your message can be digested easily and quickly. Use short sentences with short paragraphs and simple words.

9. Write with energy: Write when you are relaxed and your mind is fresh. Write when there are no distractions so that your train of thought is not interrupted unnecessarily.

10. An effective writing method: Write in three separate sessions. In the first sessions, you try to get as many ideas on the subject that you are writing about. In another session, you do the actual writing by using the ideas generated. In the last session, you look at your own work critically. You want to make sure that what you have written is relevant with no spelling or grammar mistakes.

Start writing today and every day to be an effective writer.

Image source: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/practice-english-skills/

How to write effectively at work

Writing is an essential and vital skill in your career. The better you can write the more likely you will get promoted quickly. When you are able to communicate clearly, precisely, and convincingly, others will understand you perfectly and be impressed and you will get what you want easily. Good in verbal communication is not enough because spoken words can be forgotten but your written words are always there.

Written Communication

1. Write daily: Establish your routine.  The more often you write the more creative you will be. You will improve in quantity and quality over time. Take me as an example, way back in 2007 when I just started blogging my articles were short and without much substance. As I write every day my writing is getting better.
2. Start a blog: To complement your writing effort, you should start a blog and start writing about things that you are interested in and good at. This is also a good way to showcase your authority in the field of your expertise while you hone your writing skills.
3. Watch out for your grammar and spelling: Your credibility is discounted when you make grammar mistakes and there are errors in spelling found in your writing. Be very meticulous in this respect and make sure it is free from such errors.
4. Read widely: One effective way to expand your vocabulary is to read as much as possible. The Net is the place to explore different writing styles in different subjects
5. Get the facts right: Do research on the subject that you are writing about. Do not compromise your career by writing something which is not substantiated. Get others the trust in you for what you have written. Be an authority in the topic that you write about.
6. Trim the fat: Don’t beat around the bush, go straight to the points. Readers are not bothered to hunt for what they are looking for when you write in lengthy paragraphs. Get rid of irrelevant words and write nothing but the facts.
7. Write in two sessions: In one session you write as a writer and in another session you edit your own work as an editor. As a writer, you get the ideas down quickly as they occur to you. As an editor, you check the content, organization, and coherence as well as grammar and spelling.
8. The first paragraph: It is an introductory paragraph to highlight the subject matter to your readers so that they know right from the beginning what you are going to talk about. It is short and precise.
9. The body: People at work are busy.  To get the message across quickly and be understood easily, use bullet points such as what I am doing in the article. In each point highlight in as few words as possible the subject matter so that readers will know what you are trying to say even without reading further.
10. The closing: This is the last paragraph in which you call for action from the readers. Can you summarize your writing in one sentence and ask the readers to approve your proposal or support your case?

Develop the writing skills to promote your career advancement. You must have heard of the saying:” The pen is mightier than the sword”.

8 Easy Writing Tips

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”— Louis L’Amour

Writing and posting an article a day is a challenge for me. Ideas on certain days can come like a flowing stream. On other days my mind is like a drying lake in the desert. Here are my ways that I come up with inspiration for my daily task:

• Write at the same time at the same place: Morning is the best time for me to write. I am an early riser. My mind is fresh and I am full of energy. The habit will somehow tune my mind to come out with writing ideas.

• Preparation: In the evening I will do research for the next article. The title of a book or an article on the Internet will generate writing ideas. Looking at a subject with a different perspective and adding a new twist to a story are some of the ways to deliver a new article. Sometimes a title in itself will strike my mind to produce a completely different post.

• Daily reading: This is important. There is no way that you can write in isolation. You have to learn from better writers and feed your mind with new ideas from extensive reading. Reading newspapers, magazines, and articles on the Net in Chinese and English are essential routines for me.

• Refer to my old articles: Looking at my old articles and pick one article to add, revise, or expand upon.

• Check my most popular posts: How can I come with a new article with the same topic? I will develop new ideas along this line.

• Identify newspaper headlines: What is the latest hot story of the day? I refer to the headline and come up with an article relating to my niche. Such a subject will definitely drive traffic to your blog. Strike while the iron is hot.

• Ideas from nowhere: You get ideas when you are doing something else. I get ideas when I am doing my Tai Chi in the morning. I get ideas while I am walking to my office. You may get your best ideas when you wake up in the morning.

• Just write: This is the last resort. I have no idea at all and it is also time to write. I just write what is coming out of my mind and scribble. As you go along you can discover an idea for a new post


This article was written in the morning and the idea occurred while I was on my way to my office. What are the other ideas that you have got that you can share with us?