written communication

The most common types of modern workplace written communication are emails and instant or direct messages (MS Teams, Slack, Whatsapp, etc.) Most of us feel like we are professional email writers, and productivity output is reliant on reading and responding to these messages. How did anyone do work before email was invented?

The rules for written communication are based on the principle that time is limited.  We’re conditioned as kids in school to deliver essays of 5 paragraphs or 500 words or 10 pages, and we are rewarded for communicating our thoughts using as much space as possible. That strategy is not practical for the real world where we need to get to the point as quickly and clearly as possible. 

Because most people are inundated with messages each day, it’s important to be succinct and clear.  These rules apply to work emails and messages sent on MS Teams, Slack, or whatever your preferred workplace messaging system is. 

Ask yourself these two questions when you’re writing your next work message:

1. Why are you sending this message?

Your questions or purpose needs to be stated first. What do you need from the person you’re sending this message to? Reword the communication so your reader sees what you need in the first or second line. If you need an answer to a question, be direct and state it in the form of a question.

Replace “ I was wondering if…” with  “What is…?” The person reading your email doesn’t have time for riddles. If you have more than one question, use bullet points.

If you’re sending this email to provide information, and no action or request is needed from the recipient, “For your awareness…” works perfectly to express that outright.

Do not message someone with a cliffhanger. If you need something, say it. Unless you’re actually making small talk – Nothing wastes more time for both you and the recipient of your direct message more than a “Hi” or “How are you?” without an immediate follow-up message stating your intent.

2. Is more information really necessary?

Any extra wording beyond the question or purpose needs to add value. If this is going to be a multi-page email, explanations can be taken care of in person, on the phone, or in the next meeting. Offer a phone call to provide the additional information. Unless the recipient requested it, or unless you absolutely need to provide this information in writing, the recipient doesn’t have time to read more than one paragraph of additional information. Keep it short and sweet!

Using simple and clear sentence structure and vocabulary is your best bet. Workplace communication is not the place to show off what you retained from studying for the SAT. If you want your recipient to understand your message, it needs to be understandable!

These are very simple guidelines for written communication in the workplace that you can easily start following today. As you communicate effectively more often, you’ll get better at it, and your coworkers will appreciate it.