One of These Things Is Not Like the Other One
Anyone who went to high school knows that people like fitting in, even when standing out is the better strategic move. It makes sense. For millennia, tribes have been safer than going it alone, and breaking tribe norms was a one-way ticket out into the cold, hard world.
What does tribal mentality have to do with business writing?
It’s responsible for a huge percentage of the “broken” documents clients ask me to fix. To most people, the business norm of “sounding professional” means using the biggest words and longest sentences possible. Instead of sending, they “disseminate.” Instead of using, they “leverage.” Instead of skills, they boast “proficiencies.” It’s as if they get paid by the letter and are "committed to optimally maximizing their potential verbal cash compensation rewards.”
Cloaking your ideas in extra syllables and long, winding sentences feels safe, as if your concepts need protection from the reader. And it works. Wrap your work in enough ink, and no one will ever spot it. They’ll have a hard time seeing your value, too.
“But,” you protest, “that’s how my boss writes! It’s what everyone expects.”
I believe you. It’s just that following this "norm" does you and your organization no favors. I promise. It only makes collaboration harder and gets in the way of the results you want.
You know you can do better. You can be direct, conversational, specific and focused in your writing. But it feels about as comfortable as wearing a spacesuit into the office. People might notice something’s different. They’ll probably think you’re weird. That’s okay. Progress is most often made by the weirdos, the people who see and do things differently.
You might want to leave the spacesuit at home, but when it comes to writing, do what you know works. You will stand out, but in a good way. Given two people of equal technical skill, I will always choose to work with the one whose written communications:
Come to the point quickly
Use straightforward, ordinary language
Include only the relevant details
Highlight key ideas with a clear subject line and subheadings
Wouldn’t you?
Take the risk. Stand out. As someone who brings value. As someone who’s easy to work with. As someone who moves your team toward results, faster.
