6 (Somewhat) Easy Steps to Effective Writing

A question on one of my LinkedIn communities got me thinking about keys to successful business writing. Here are six relatively easy steps that I follow when writing.

Step 1: Answer the "Why?", the "Who?", and the "How?"

Before you begin writing, ask yourself why you are writing. Is your purpose to:

• Inform
• Instruct
• Advise
• Motivate
• Obtain alignment

Once you have identified your purpose, identify your intended audience by asking:

• What are their roles?
• What existing knowledge do they have?
• What information do they need?

This information will help you answer the third question: what is the most appropriate format:

• An email
• A report
• A summary
• A case study
• A job aid
• Something else

Step 2: Clarify the Message

Now that you have identified the purpose of your intended message, it's time to clarify the message. In other words, you need to figure out what you want to say. A good way to clarify the message is to ask yourself the following questions:

• What idea(s) do I want to express?
• What emotions do I want to connect with?
• What tone of voice do I want (or need) to use?
• What action do I expect as a result of the audience reading this message?

Step 3: Plan the Message

Successful writers plan the message before they start to craft it. You may know the plan better as an outline. There are a number of common formats for any message:

• Burning Issue > Implications/Consequences > Action
• Results > Burning Issue > Implications/Consequences > Results (this is like starting the movie mid-point and then going back)
• Past State > Present State> Future State
• Problem > Root Cause > Attempted Solution > Results
• Hook (headline or attention grabbing statement) > Main Points > Information Drill Down & Analysis
• Gap/Variance > Impact >Step 1 > Step 2 > etc. > Action (this is a standard training format)
• Question > Answer > Question > Answer > etc.

Step 4: Write

Think of writing as constructing a house of words. If Step 3 is the equivalent of putting up the frame, then Step 4 is putting in the plumbing and electrical, adding drywall and fixtures, and installing the roof.

The important thing about this step is to "Just Do It". The important thing is to get the words on paper so that you can shape them into the message you desire. Don't worry about creating the perfect draft -- chances are practically 100% that you will need to refine and shape your message.

George Orwell suggested six questions to use when writing. I've modified them slightly and added a few more. (Modifications are in blue italics.)

• What idea(s) and emotion(s) am I trying to say?
• What words best express it?
• What images or idiom will make it clearer?
• Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
• Could I put it more shortly?
• Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?
• Do technical terms or jargon contribute to understanding?
• Does the phrasing add clarity or is it simply filler?
• How can I turn the passive voice into the active voice?

Step 5: Review

This step is critical, yet all too often we rush through it. Sometimes, we limit the review to running the spell checker; in other cases, we may print it to check out the layout. These are both important, but your review should go beyond spelling, grammar, and layout. A good review also focuses on the reader’s experience.

I rely on four review techniques. The first is to simply read what I’ve written out loud. Reading aloud helps you zero in on awkward phrases, complex sentences, and unnecessary content.

A second technique is to have someone else read what you’ve written. Ask them to provide specific feedback on what they liked or disliked about the document. If they can paraphrase the message or answer questions regarding the content, you are in good shape.

My third technique consists of asking the following questions:

·         What’s in it for the reader?

·         Does the document flow in a logical manner?

·         Does the document achieve the goals set out in Step 2?

·         Is the material memorable?

·         Is the material interesting?

·         Is the material surprising?

·         Am I using the passive voice?

·         Am I using “weasel words” that dilute the impact of the message?

·         Am I using clichés?

·         Am I using jargon, technical terms, or foreign phrases that the reader may not understand?

·         Am I using big words when smaller words exist?

·         Am I using many words when fewer words would be better?

·         Would I want to read more documents like this one if I were the reader?

Finally, people writing in MS Word can use the readability statistics option. This feature offers a lot of great feedback, including:

·         Word count (the less words, the better)

·         Sentences per paragraph

·         Words per sentence (I try to aim for 15 or less)

·         Characters per word (my target is 5.5 characters or less)

·         Percentage of passive sentences (I aim for 0% but will accept 5% or less)

·         Flesch Reading Ease score

·         Flesch Kincaid Grade Level score (I am for Grade 6 to 8, depending on the complexity of the ideas being asked).

As an aside, the readability statistics for this document are as follows:

·         Words:                                                 950

·         Sentences per paragraph                   1.5

·         Words per sentence:                           11.2

·         Characters per word:                          4.4

·         Percentage of passive sentences:       1%

·         Flesch Reading Ease:                          70.7

·         Flesch Kincaid Grade Level:                6.1

 

Step 6: Revise, Review, and Revise Again

Once you have reviewed the document and identified areas for improvement, rewrite the text to address these issues. Whenever possible repeat the entire review process to further shape it. If you are pressed for time, you may have to limit your review to reading your document out loud and checking the readability statistics.

In the end, information has a “best by” date and the most immaculately crafted document is of little value if it arrives too late for the reader to benefit from the message.