Do Business Well

Have you ever postponed a pressing written communication — a letter, memo or report — until the very last moment? I have. Talk, which comes so effortlessly, is so much harder to commit to paper.

Even writing the briefest thank-you note is often a painful and time- consuming process. The result is that you keep postponing the arduous task.

Yet written communication, together with interpersonal and public communication, is an essential part of organisational life. Writing a report at the end of a project, drawing up a proposal tendering goods or services or writing an appraisal of a colleague’s work may be your most important task today.

To go places in the workplace you need to sharpen your writing skills. To help you do this, we are going to cover basic principles of effective writing at work. Try the guidelines for writing notes, memos, reports, proposals and press releases. When in doubt, refer to the examples that I have provided.

Take time to write well

What you write is a mirror image of your ability to express your ideas and to think clearly and decisively. It leaves the reader with an impression that lingers long after you have left the office, the meeting or the interview.

Because writing is the most permanent and deliberate kind of communication, it should be the most carefully controlled. Write a message and, if you get it wrong, you can and should rewrite it. Pen emotive or provocative words, seal and post them and you will find them very difficult to retract should you have second thoughts.

Writing well is vital in the workplace because you are communicating with busy people who require essential information in the shortest possible time.

Dash off a note

Quickie notes, notes of thanks and appreciation, congratulation and condolence, and birthday greetings are not trivial options. They are part and parcel of workplace courtesy and are a necessary part of business etiquette.

You write notes to many different individuals in the course of your work. The secret of a courteous and thoughtful note is to strike the right tone and style for the occasion.

Following is a straightforward note to a family member to change a prior appointment. The facts (time, date, place and the reason for the change in plan) have been stated correctly and clearly.

Now rewrite this note and convey the identical factual information to:

• your boss;
• a client; and
• a prospective employer.

Did you find that no two notes of yours were the same? They differed in terms of the tone, length, language used and even the type of information that you found necessary to include as your excuse. The reason for this is that the person you are addressing has changed and hence the relationship with each individual.

Getting the right tone means knowing when to be firm without being rude; when to be respectful without being obsequious; and when to be casual and easy without sounding familiar. My own note-writing tip — visualise your reader. Write the words as you would have spoken them. Let your sincerity and courtesy shine through.

Send notes promptly. Carefully check details of altered arrangements.

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